Offsides

[blocker]

I'm watching an NHL game this weekend.  A player from team A tries to make a long pass from inside the defensive zone.  The intended receiver of the pass is across the offensive blue line.  So, he lifts his stick to avoid an offside.  The official blows icing.

 

By not touching the puck, the intended receiver causes the face-off to be inside his defensive zone, instead of just outside the opponents blue line.   The forward who wouldn't take the pass goes to bench at the end of his shift, and no coach speaks to him.

 

That drives me nuts.  Take the goddam offsides.  If the ref calls it, the worst that can happen is a fifty-fifty face-off.  If you let the puck go, then you're conceding possession to the defense.

 

If you're caught, take the offsides.   It's almost always better than the alternative.

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

41 minutes ago, blocker said:

I'm watching an NHL game this weekend.  A player from team A tries to make a long pass from inside the defensive zone.  The intended receiver of the pass is across the offensive blue line.  So, he lifts his stick to avoid an offside.  The official blows icing.

 

By not touching the puck, the intended receiver causes the face-off to be inside his defensive zone, instead of just outside the opponents blue line.   The forward who wouldn't take the pass goes to bench at the end of his shift, and no coach speaks to him.

 

That drives me nuts.  Take the goddam offsides.  If the ref calls it, the worst that can happen is a fifty-fifty face-off.  If you let the puck go, then you're conceding possession to the defense.

 

If you're caught, take the offsides.   It's almost always better than the alternative.

 

@blocker,

 

In the situation you described, there is no difference in the face off location if the player touches the puck.  It's an offside pass if he touches it.  The face off goes back to the closest face off dot behind where the pass was initiated.  In this situation, the pass was initiated in that player's defensive zone so the face off would go to the nearest defensive zone dot. 

 

If he doesn't touch it, it's just a delayed off side (called by the leading linesman). He can tag up in case the puck goes on net or the goalie comes out of his crease to play the puck.  This play was also Icing (initiated by the trailing linesman).

 

Here is the NHL Rule 83.3 and 83.6:

83.3:...blah, blah blah....The face-off will be conducted at the face-off spot in the zone closest to the point of origin of the shot that gives the offending team the least amount of territorial advantage.

 

83.6: Face-Off Location - For violation of this rule, the play is stopped and the puck shall be faced-off in the neutral zone at the face-off spot nearest the attacking zone of the offending team when the violation occurs as a result of the attacking team carrying the puck over the attacking blue line, or from the face-off spot in the zone closest to the point of origin of the shot or pass (even if deflected off an attacking or defending player or an official). 

 

The USA Hockey Rule 630c is applied the same:

Anytime the puck was passed or shot into the attacking zone and creates an off-side play, play will be stopped and the face-off will take place at the nearest last play face-off location where the pass or shot originated.

 

Hope this helps.

 

[Podein25]

14 hours ago, AlaskaFlyerFan said:

 

@blocker,

 

In the situation you described, there is no difference in the face off location if the player touches the puck.  It's an offside pass if he touches it.  The face off goes back to the closest face off dot behind where the pass was initiated.  In this situation, the pass was initiated in that player's defensive zone so the face off would go to the nearest defensive zone dot. 

 

If he doesn't touch it, it's just a delayed off side (called by the leading linesman). He can tag up in case the puck goes on net or the goalie comes out of his crease to play the puck.  This play was also Icing (initiated by the trailing linesman).

 

Here is the NHL Rule 83.3 and 83.6:

83.3:...blah, blah blah....The face-off will be conducted at the face-off spot in the zone closest to the point of origin of the shot that gives the offending team the least amount of territorial advantage.

 

83.6: Face-Off Location - For violation of this rule, the play is stopped and the puck shall be faced-off in the neutral zone at the face-off spot nearest the attacking zone of the offending team when the violation occurs as a result of the attacking team carrying the puck over the attacking blue line, or from the face-off spot in the zone closest to the point of origin of the shot or pass (even if deflected off an attacking or defending player or an official). 

 

The USA Hockey Rule 630c is applied the same:

Anytime the puck was passed or shot into the attacking zone and creates an off-side play, play will be stopped and the face-off will take place at the nearest last play face-off location where the pass or shot originated.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Yeah, it would still come back to their end. IIRC, there was a point when it would not have, when @blocker's advice to touch the puck made sense, but that was some time ago (1980s?)