diff --git a/ui_builder/static/app.js b/ui_builder/static/app.js
index 00baf44..7b85fe6 100644
--- a/ui_builder/static/app.js
+++ b/ui_builder/static/app.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // BUILD159_COUNTDOWN_TRANSITION_FIXES
 // BUILD155: all hockey game/penalty timers use native vMix Countdown; no per-second SetText mirroring.
+// BUILD161: live data refresh cannot rebuild an open infraction picker on the main Game tab.
 // BUILD160: strict settings freeze; background vMix inventory refresh never rebuilds an open settings form.
 // BUILD153: settings freeze all data-driven DOM rendering and keep dropdown popovers open.
 // BUILD152: all browser-side hockey data polling pauses while operator settings are open.
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@
     timerEngineStarted: false,
     hockeyPenaltyBoards: {},
     hockeyPenaltyBoardNodes: new Map(),
+    hockeyInfractionMenuRenderPending: false,
     hockeyGameControl: {},
     hockeyGameControlLoading: new Set(),
     hockeyTimerGameId: "",
@@ -7432,6 +7434,7 @@ function openTimerQuickEditor(focusActionId = "") {
       history: [],
       historyOpen: false,
       search: { home: "", away: "", infractions: "" },
+      infractionDropdownOpen: false,
       lastPersistAt: 0
     };
 
@@ -8074,6 +8077,19 @@ function openTimerQuickEditor(focusActionId = "") {
 
   function refreshHockeyBoardNodes(component) {
     const nodes = state.hockeyPenaltyBoardNodes.get(component.action_id) || [];
+    const board = ensureHockeyBoardState(component);
+    const menuOpen = Boolean(board?.infractionDropdownOpen)
+      || [...nodes].some((node) => Boolean(node?.querySelector?.(".hpd-infraction-dropdown[open]")));
+
+    // BUILD161: do not rebuild the penalty dashboard under an open infraction menu.
+    // Live match polling and penalty-state refreshes can still update state/tickers,
+    // but the operator's dropdown/search stays physically intact until it is closed.
+    if (menuOpen) {
+      state.hockeyInfractionMenuRenderPending = true;
+      updateHockeyBoardTickerNodes(component);
+      return;
+    }
+
     nodes.forEach((node) => renderHockeyPenaltyDashboard(node, component, true));
   }
 
@@ -8362,7 +8378,15 @@ function hockeyInfractionRow(component, infraction, runtime) {
   `;
 
   if (runtime) {
-    row.addEventListener("click", () => chooseHockeyInfraction(component, infraction));
+    row.addEventListener("click", () => {
+      // A deliberate choice may close the menu; only background refreshes are frozen.
+      const dropdown = row.closest(".hpd-infraction-dropdown");
+      if (dropdown) {
+        board.infractionDropdownOpen = false;
+        dropdown.open = false;
+      }
+      chooseHockeyInfraction(component, infraction);
+    });
     row.addEventListener("dragstart", (dragEvent) => {
       setHockeyDragData(dragEvent, "infraction", infraction);
       row.classList.add("is-dragging");
@@ -8406,6 +8430,7 @@ function hockeyInfractionDropdown(component, runtime) {
   const board = ensureHockeyBoardState(component);
   const details = document.createElement("details");
   details.className = "hpd-infraction-dropdown";
+  details.open = Boolean(board.infractionDropdownOpen);
 
   const summary = document.createElement("summary");
   summary.innerHTML = `
@@ -8444,7 +8469,19 @@ function hockeyInfractionDropdown(component, runtime) {
   });
 
   details.addEventListener("toggle", () => {
-    if (details.open) requestAnimationFrame(() => search.focus());
+    board.infractionDropdownOpen = details.open;
+    if (details.open) {
+      requestAnimationFrame(() => search.focus({ preventScroll: true }));
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Apply the freshest match data only after the operator has finished working
+    // with the menu. This avoids the 1-second online refresh closing the dropdown
+    // or resetting the search cursor midway through selection.
+    if (state.hockeyInfractionMenuRenderPending) {
+      state.hockeyInfractionMenuRenderPending = false;
+      requestAnimationFrame(() => renderRuntime());
+    }
   });
   return details;
 }
@@ -14257,6 +14294,13 @@ function renderHockeyPenaltyDashboard(node, component, runtime) {
       state.hockeySettingsRenderPending = true;
       return;
     }
+    // BUILD161: while the infraction picker is open on the main Game tab, keep the
+    // current DOM untouched. Online match polling may continue in the background;
+    // the newest data is rendered immediately after the picker is closed.
+    if (el.runtimeStage.querySelector?.(".hpd-infraction-dropdown[open]")) {
+      state.hockeyInfractionMenuRenderPending = true;
+      return;
+    }
     // Keep manual text editing stable while background match-data refreshes arrive.
     if (state.activeTab === "custom_pluses"
       && document.activeElement?.closest?.(".hcp-workspace")