Icing (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
Icing in ice hockey
occurs when a player shoots the puck
across at least two red lines, the opposing team's goal line being the last, and the puck remains untouched. It is, however, not icing if the puck is shot from behind the halfway line into the goal, or when the shot must be played by the opposing team's goaltender to keep it out of the net. In the former case with a shot puck crossing the goal line completely, the goal is counted. When icing occurs, a linesman stops play. Play is resumed with a faceoff
in the defending zone of the team that committed the infraction.
In the NHL
and AHL
, along with many North American professional leagues, a player on the opposing team other than the goaltender
must touch the puck to cause the stoppage of play. This is called touch icing. If the puck is first touched by the goaltender or a player on the team that iced the puck, icing is waved off (cancelled) and play continues. The icing rule can lead to high-speed races for the puck. While an icing call is pending, the linesman raises an arm to indicate that a potential icing call may be made. If the icing is waved off, the official lowers his arm and gives the washout signal (extending both arms sideways from the body at shoulder height, similar to the "safe" sign in baseball but typically delivered from a less-crouched or fully upright position).
In international IIHF rules, Europe
an professional leagues, some lower-level North American professional leagues (ECHL
and Central Hockey League
), and most amateur leagues worldwide, play is stopped for icing immediately once the puck crosses the goal line. This is called automatic or no-touch icing. This rule has been adopted after an incident in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League in 1990, when Luděk Čajka
, rushing to get to the puck in an icing situation, crashed into the boards, suffered severe spinal injuries, and died a few weeks later.
Icing is always waved off in the following situations:
The 1970s era World Hockey Association
professional league never adopted the NHL rule of allowing shorthanded teams to ice the puck while engaged in the penalty kill. In 2009, USA Hockey
considered eliminating the shorthanded icing rule, having tested its elimination in Massachusetts and Alaska in the 2007 to 2009 seasons.
After some teams in need of a line change (player substitution) began deliberately icing the puck to stop play, and as part of a group of important rules changes following the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the NHL supplemented the icing rule prior to the 2005-06 season by not allowing the offending team to substitute players before the next faceoff, except to replace an injured player or when the goaltender must return to the net following an icing call. This change was made in an effort to speed up game play by reducing icing infractions, as well as to encourage teams to work the puck up the ice rather than taking the opportunity to rest their players. In some Junior leagues (such as the WHL
), the offending team is permitted to substitute players after an icing only if the puck was shot from the neutral zone (between the defensive blue line and the red line). If the violation occurs in the defensive zone, substitution is prohibited.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
occurs when a player shoots the puck
Hockey puck
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
across at least two red lines, the opposing team's goal line being the last, and the puck remains untouched. It is, however, not icing if the puck is shot from behind the halfway line into the goal, or when the shot must be played by the opposing team's goaltender to keep it out of the net. In the former case with a shot puck crossing the goal line completely, the goal is counted. When icing occurs, a linesman stops play. Play is resumed with a faceoff
Faceoff
A face-off is the method used to begin play in ice hockey and some other sports. The two teams line up in opposition to each other, and the opposing centres attempt to gain control of the puck after it is dropped between their sticks by an official. One of the referees drops the puck at centre ice...
in the defending zone of the team that committed the infraction.
In the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
and AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
, along with many North American professional leagues, a player on the opposing team other than the goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
must touch the puck to cause the stoppage of play. This is called touch icing. If the puck is first touched by the goaltender or a player on the team that iced the puck, icing is waved off (cancelled) and play continues. The icing rule can lead to high-speed races for the puck. While an icing call is pending, the linesman raises an arm to indicate that a potential icing call may be made. If the icing is waved off, the official lowers his arm and gives the washout signal (extending both arms sideways from the body at shoulder height, similar to the "safe" sign in baseball but typically delivered from a less-crouched or fully upright position).
In international IIHF rules, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an professional leagues, some lower-level North American professional leagues (ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
and Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
), and most amateur leagues worldwide, play is stopped for icing immediately once the puck crosses the goal line. This is called automatic or no-touch icing. This rule has been adopted after an incident in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League in 1990, when Luděk Čajka
Luděk Čajka
Luděk Čajka was a Czechoslovak professional ice hockey defenceman.Čajka was drafted 115th overall by the New York Rangers in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft but never played in North America. He played in the Czech Extraliga for TJ Gottwaldov, HC Dukla Jihlava and HC Zlín...
, rushing to get to the puck in an icing situation, crashed into the boards, suffered severe spinal injuries, and died a few weeks later.
Icing is always waved off in the following situations:
- The team committing the icing is shorthanded, i.e. penalty killing.
- The linesman believes a player on the opposing team (other than the goalkeeper) could have played the puck before it crossed the goal line.
- The puck enters the goal.
- The puck is iced directly from a player participating in a face-off.
- The goalkeeper leaves his goal crease and moves in the direction of the puck.
- In the NHL, the linesman deems the icing is the result of an attempted receivable pass.
The 1970s era World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
professional league never adopted the NHL rule of allowing shorthanded teams to ice the puck while engaged in the penalty kill. In 2009, USA Hockey
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
considered eliminating the shorthanded icing rule, having tested its elimination in Massachusetts and Alaska in the 2007 to 2009 seasons.
Rationale
The icing rule was introduced to prevent instances where teams facing a much stronger opponent often resorted to pure defense, simply shooting the puck up the ice every time they gained possession, resulting in an unexciting spectacle. Some teams also adopted this tactic to waste time when they were ahead late in the game, especially if the score was still close. The NHL instituted the icing rule on March 13, 1939.After some teams in need of a line change (player substitution) began deliberately icing the puck to stop play, and as part of a group of important rules changes following the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the NHL supplemented the icing rule prior to the 2005-06 season by not allowing the offending team to substitute players before the next faceoff, except to replace an injured player or when the goaltender must return to the net following an icing call. This change was made in an effort to speed up game play by reducing icing infractions, as well as to encourage teams to work the puck up the ice rather than taking the opportunity to rest their players. In some Junior leagues (such as the WHL
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
), the offending team is permitted to substitute players after an icing only if the puck was shot from the neutral zone (between the defensive blue line and the red line). If the violation occurs in the defensive zone, substitution is prohibited.