Institutionalized rule violation and control in organized minor league hockey.

In minor league hockey, rule violation including the illegitimate use of force is institutionalized behaviour. Illegitimate tactics are among the minimal general criteria for the assessment and selection of players. No formal mechanism operates to socialize players to obey normative rules. The "official" control system is ineffective in preventing normative rule violation. However, it regulates the game according to constitutive rules preventing its disorganization, and creates the impression that players actually govern their conduct according to normative rules. An informal control system (combative and aggressive in orientation) legitimizes and regulates the amount and kinds of rule violation occurring, and highlights collective meanings of the occupation. A scheme is presented for reducing institutionalized rule violation. Team success (victory) and rule conformity are considered desirable and are rewarded. What value to assign these two "things" remains problematic. To avoid undermining motivation to win the contest, more value must be assigned team success than rule conformity. The question is how much more.