If you had nothing better to do Monday night than check out pre-season NHL boxscores, you would have noticed numerous minor penalties for faceoff infractions.

There were three in the Toronto-Ottawa game alone. Same in the Washington-New Jersey game. And they had fans scratching their heads.

Really hate <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHL?src=hash">#NHL</a> new rule <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Faceoffinfraction?src=hash">#Faceoffinfraction</a> rule! This really going to drive both <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLPlayers?src=hash">#NHLPlayers</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLCoaches?src=hash">#NHLCoaches</a> nuts this year! —@mapleleaffan38

CAN'T IMAGINE game 7 of STANLEY CUP a REF calling that ticky tack FACEOFF infraction. WHAT is <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL">@NHL</a> doing to OUR game? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TMLTALK?src=hash">#TMLTALK</a> —@Burnsy888

This new faceoff infraction rule is BS. Will they call them this tight in the finals. Lets see if Crosby or McDavid get sent off!! —@JoeKolarich

However, it's not a new rule — just ask the 2015 Ottawa Senators.

The Ottawa Senators received a rare bench minor for two straight face-off violations. 1:12

The NHL, at least in the pre-season, is simply calling it by the book, as they did with hooking and interference coming out of the 2004-05 lockout.

Rule 76.6 in the National Hockey League rule book states the following:

"When at least two face-off violations have been committed by the same team during the same faceoff, this team shall be penalized with a bench minor penalty to the offending team. This penalty shall be announced as a "Bench Minor Penalty for Delay of Game – Face-off Violation."

The violations vary, from failing to lineup properly to playing the puck by hand.