>Obviously, the referee's judgment is the final qualification for a penalty
>shot to be offered to a player who is taken down on a breakaway.  But is
>there an official rule covering times when it is required or necessary?
>
>Jeffrey Anbinder
 
 
There are many rules under which a penalty shot can be awarded:
 
2-5-g: extra player from the bench or penalty box tries to prevent a breakaway
2-5-h: deliberate illegal substitution (too many men on the ice) in the
last two minutes of regulation or any time in overtime
6-28-e: essentially the same as 2-5-g
6-9-c: player or goalkeeper deliberately displaces goal and, in the opinion
of the referee, the puck would have entered the goal if it had not been
displaced
6-9-d: with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time or at any
time in overtime, a player or goalkeeper delays the game by deliberately
batting or shooting the puck out of the rink, holding or freezing the puck,
or deliberately displacing the goal post, or a goalkeeper deliberately
removes his helmet or facemask [that's a paraphrase of the rule, which is
nearly incomprehensible]
6-24-e: a player controlling the puck in his attacking zone and having no
opponent to pass other than the goalkeeper is interfered with by a stick or
part thereof or other object thrown or shot by any member of the defending
team
6-46-b: when a player in control of the puck in his attacking zone is
tripped or fouled from behind, thus preventing a reasonable scoring
opportunity
6-9-e: in the course of a breakaway, a player or goalkeeper deliberately
displaces the goal post, or a goalkeeper deliberately removes his helmet or
facemask.
 
In addition, there is rule 4 section 6 paragraphs a through j which cover
two full pages in the rulebook and describe the mechanics of conducting a
penalty shot, including, for each of the situations described above, who
may be designated to take the shot and who is responsible for making the
designation.