Please see the following email about "Turning the stick over".
According to this "Hooking" interpretation from USA Hockey, impeding the progress of an opponent is NOT the same as impeding the progress of the puck. Turning the blade over on the stick/puck does not necessarily mean that the progress of the player is impeded or that a penalty shall be called. Turning the blade over is a legal move as described in Jeremy Kennedy's email.
Please copy this email and post with your rink officials.
See below.
Jeff Stokes SYHL Squirt Coordinator
----------------------------------------- Jeremy Kennedy with USA Hockey responded to the “turning the blade over” question and this is his reply.
Rule 619 (a) reads: "A minor penalty shall be assessed to a player who impedes or seeks to impede the progress of an opponent by hooking with the stick". The reason that I bring this up is related to the question you had regarding a player turning their stick over and "Hooking" the opponents stick. There is a move out there now where a player turns their stick over, quickly "Hook-Checks / Stick-Checks" the opponents stick, causing them to loose control of the puck/ball. As long as this move does not impede the progress of the player in possession of the puck/ball, it is a legal move.
What you have to look for when interpreting this rule is how quickly the action is, where the opponents stick is "hooked" and how it affects the player. If it is a quick motion that does not impede or affect the progress of the opponent and done to the blade of the stick, no penalty should be called simply for turning the stick over. If this action is held there or a player continues to "hook-check' an opponent over and over again or for that matter is done on the shaft of the stick, a minor penalty for "Hooking" may be called. Keep in mind that this is something that at most levels is typically a "Gray" penalty versus a "Black/White" penalty. At the younger ages, any hook should called regardless of intent or outcome, just as a hold should always been called at lower levels.
I hope this clarifies things for you. This is a hard situation to explain as there is no concrete statement that says this is or is not a penalty. It is up to the outcome of the action as to whether an infraction of the "hooking" rule has occurred. Please let me know if you have anymore questions.
Jeremy Kennedy Manager, Membership Development USA Hockey
