According to author Ross Bernstein, who wrote the book “The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL,” fighting is a way for the sport to “police itself,” and to remind players that there are consequences for stepping over the line during play in such a way that “the Code” is violated.
Amazingly, is fighting actually allowed in hockey? Hockey is the only professional sport in which fighting is allowed. Though technically against the rules, two players fighting on the ice will only net those players five minutes in the penalty box rather than a lengthy suspension.
Furthermore, why can hockey players fight but not other sports? Hockey is one of the only sports left that the players actually police themselves. Fighting only works in hockey because of how difficult and tiring it is, and is a main reason why players don’t need the refs to defend them.
