While I cannot argue against this (I like it), I do wonder if this is based on a rule or clarification, or if it comes from the fact that there is no rule describing the creation of a queue.
It's no more based on a specific rule or clarification than the justification you provide for requiring strict order of penalty service is based in a specific rule. In other words, both approaches (strict order of penalty service, and first-come first-served order of penalty service) are synthesized from rules that govern other aspects of penalty service.
A skater who earns a major penalty
must be directed off the track and report to the penalty box, regardless of whether or not there is a seat available at the time the penalty is assessed, and regardless of whether or not she has recently reported to the box for another penalty and been waved off.
[rule]7.1.1 - When a skater has earned a major penalty, that skater will be sent to the penalty box. The skater’s team must play short, without the skater and the position the skater was playing, until the penalty has expired (see Section 7.2.2).[/rule]
[rule]7.2.2 - Penalty Box Procedures, Rights, and Restrictions
When a skater is sent to the penalty box, the skater must immediately exit the track and skate to the penalty box in the counter-clockwise direction.[/rule]
The
only exception to this is if the skater is the only blocker currently On The Track (as in, not considered Not On The Track) for her team.
[rule]7.2.2.2.3 - In order to form a pack, a team must have at least one Blocker on the track at all times. If there is only one Blocker from a given team, that skater will not be sent to the penalty box, even if the penalty box cap has not been reached, until another Blocker returns to the track and has joined the pack.[/rule]
When a Blocker reports to the penalty box, she is waved off if there is no available seat for her, unless there are less than 10 seconds remaining for any Blockers who are in the box.
[rule]7.2.2.3 - If there are already two Blockers in the box from the penalized Blocker’s team, the third Blocker will be waved off by the penalty timer.
If there are less than 10 seconds left on penalties currently being served, the penalty timer will hold the third Blocker in the box and start timing the penalty. If the skater is waved off, the skater must return to the track as described in Section 7.2.7. A Jammer can never be waved off from the penalty box.[/rule]
If we can't wave off a Blocker who arrives while another Blocker has less than 10 seconds to serve is still in the penalty box, then we have no reason to insist on skaters reporting to the box in a specific order.
Moreover, if we're going to insist that all Blockers serve their penalties in the order in which they're assessed by the referees....
Black 7 gets a penalty, reports to the box, and is seated.
Black 38 gets a penalty, incurs a second penalty for Insubordination while she reports to the box, and is seated (two minutes to serve).
Black 92 gets a penalty, reports to the box, and is waved off.
Black 432 gets a penalty, reports to the box, and is waved off.
Black 92 gets a penalty, reports to the box, and is waved off.
Black 7 stands.
Black 92 is directed back to the box.
So.... When Black 92 gets to the box, do you have her sit for two minutes, or do you have her serve one minute, then release her and get Black 432 to the box to serve her minute, then bring Black 92 back once Black 38 is done with her two minutes. After all, that's the order in which the penalties were assessed and skaters reported to the box....
If we're going to insist skaters serve their penalties in the exact order they were issued, we should be insisting that skaters serve their penalties
in the exact order they were issued.
