Shoulder, elbow and shin pads: the rules and the fit.

Helmets, facemasks and neck guards carry certification stickers. Shoulder pads, elbow pads and shin guards, in the sources we read, do not: we found no rulebook that requires a certification standard for them and no CE or other standard named for them. What the rules do control is where pads are worn, what they are made of, and whether they could hurt someone else.

What the rulebooks say

Worn under the uniform

• IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27, Rule 9.5: equipment must meet safety standards and exist only to protect, not to improve performance or injure an opponent. Everything except gloves, headgear, mouthguards, the neck laceration protector and goalkeepers' leg guards must be worn under the uniform, pre-game warm-up included. A player told to cover an exposed pad, such as an elbow pad outside the jersey, gets a minor on a second violation.
• NHL Official Rules 2026-2027, Rule 9.5: everything except gloves, headgear, neck protection and goalkeepers' leg pads goes under the uniform. The elbow pad example is the same, with a minor for a second violation by the same player. A player who refuses to change equipment the referee finds does not meet League rules gets a minor for delay of game, then a misconduct, then a game misconduct on a third occasion.
• Hockey Canada 2026-28 Playing Rules, Rule 3.6(a): all protective equipment except gloves, headgear and goaltenders' leg pads must be worn entirely under the uniform. Under Rule 10.6, a warning may come before the minor penalty for this one.

Elbow pads need a soft outer layer

All three rulebooks treat an elbow pad as dangerous equipment unless it has a soft outer covering of sponge rubber or a similar material of a minimum thickness:

Dangerous materials

The IIHF's 2026/27 Rule 9.8 and the NHL's 2026-27 Rule 9.9 both ban pads or protectors made of metal or any material likely to injure an opponent, and let referees bar any equipment they think could injure a participant. Hockey Canada's 2026-28 Rule 3.7 bans pads or protectors likely to cause injury, equipment altered to gain an advantage or compromise safety, and non-standard equipment that gives an undue advantage; a team warning comes first, then penalties.

Shin pads

Under the IIHF's 2026/27 Rule 9.9, a skater's shin pads must be small enough to fit inside standard socks, with no protrusions or additions.

Cut-resistant layers

Skate cuts are not only a neck problem. The IIHF's 2026/27 Rule 9.5 strongly recommends cut-resistant socks, sleeves or undergarments for all players. The AHL required skaters and officials to wear cut-resistant socks and wrist sleeves in 2023-24, a season before it made neck protection compulsory. The NCAA announced on 23 July 2026 that cut-resistant protection for the neck, wrist and ankle areas will be mandatory for Division I men's and National Collegiate women's players from 2027-28, and encouraged in 2026-27.

Fitting

The most detailed fitting guidance we found is "A Guide to Fitting Hockey Equipment" from the Hockey Development Centre for Ontario and the Dr. Tom Pashby Sports Safety Fund, hosted by Hockey Eastern Ontario. It says pads should never be bought to grow into, because oversized pads slide away from what they are meant to protect. Fit everything wearing the light undergarments you play in.

Shoulder pads

• The Pashby guide says they should protect the whole shoulder joint through full motion, the arm pads should reach just above the elbow, the back pad should meet the top of the pants, and the pads should not dig into the neck when the arms are raised.
• For female players it says a combined shoulder and chest protector adds chest protection.
• Hockey Canada's own player fitting guide, as summarised in search results, says shoulder pads should slip on easily, sit comfortably and stay in place as the player moves, with straps secure under the arms and around the biceps. We could not open that guide directly.

Elbow pads

• The Pashby guide says the point of the elbow should sit in the inner cup, the top should meet the bottom of the shoulder pad, and the bottom should run down the forearm into the glove cuff.
• Hockey Canada's guide, per the same search summary, says the elbow sits in the centre of the pad, left and right pads go on the correct arms, and straps should be snug but not tight.

Shin pads

• The Pashby guide says shin pads come in inch sizes, junior and senior, and should be fitted with loosely laced skates on. The knee cap of the pad is centred on the kneecap, and the bottom of the pad meets the point where foot and leg meet at a right angle, with no gap above the skate and no extra length.
• Hockey Canada's guide, per the search summary, says the knee sits in the centre of the pad's cap with about two finger-widths between the top of the foot and the bottom of the pad.

Whatever the pad, the Pashby guide says cracked or unsound equipment should be replaced or professionally repaired.

Pants and gloves overlap these pads and are fitted together with them; see gloves and pants and fitting and sizing.