Offside (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
In ice hockey
, the current play is offside if a player on the attacking team enters the attacking zone before the puck
itself enters the zone, either carried by a teammate or sent into the attacking zone by an attacking player. If a defending player carries, passes, or otherwise intentionally sends the puck into his defensive zone, any attacking player in the zone is not offside. However, if an attacking player is attempting to shoot the puck into the attacking zone and it deflects off a defending player, an offside violation can still occur. This is unlike the icing
rule, where an unintentional deflection by the other team will negate an icing call.
When an offside violation occurs, the linesman blows the play dead, and a faceoff
is conducted in the neutral zone closest to where the infraction occurred.
Note that the puck must enter the attacking zone for an offside call to be made; a player being over the line does not result in an offside call until the puck crosses the line.
An attacking player's skates may precede the puck into the attacking zone provided he is in control of the puck and no other offside condition exists when the puck completely crosses the determining edge of the blue line.
Play is stopped immediately if a player from the attacking team touches the puck in the attacking zone while he or any of his teammates is offside, or if a shot on goal occurs.
. Failure of a team to properly to line up for the faceoff
may result in the ejection of the offending team's center; If the violation persists, a delay of game penalty may be assessed.
, an offside pass or second (blue) line pass is a pass from inside a team's defending zone that crosses the red line. When such a pass occurs, play is stopped and a faceoff
is conducted in the defending zone of the team that committed the infraction.
There are two determining factors in an offside pass violation:
This offside pass rule is not observed by all leagues. For instance, it was abolished by the IIHF, and its member countries' leagues (except the NHL) in 1998. The National Hockey League
recently adopted the version used by the top minor leagues, under the terms of their 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement, in which the center line is no longer used to determine a two-line pass. This was one of a number of rule changes intended to open up the game and improve scoring chances, making the game more exciting for the fans.
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...
, the current play is offside if a player on the attacking team enters the attacking zone before 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...
itself enters the zone, either carried by a teammate or sent into the attacking zone by an attacking player. If a defending player carries, passes, or otherwise intentionally sends the puck into his defensive zone, any attacking player in the zone is not offside. However, if an attacking player is attempting to shoot the puck into the attacking zone and it deflects off a defending player, an offside violation can still occur. This is unlike the icing
Icing (ice hockey)
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...
rule, where an unintentional deflection by the other team will negate an icing call.
When an offside violation occurs, the linesman blows the play dead, and 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...
is conducted in the neutral zone closest to where the infraction occurred.
Factors that determine offsides
There are two determining factors in an offside violation:- Attacking players' skate position: One of a player's skates is not in contact with or behind the blue line of the attacking zone before the puck enters that zone.
- Puck position: The puck must completely cross the edge of the blue line nearest the attacking zone to be considered inside the attacking zone for the purposes of offsides.
Note that the puck must enter the attacking zone for an offside call to be made; a player being over the line does not result in an offside call until the puck crosses the line.
An attacking player's skates may precede the puck into the attacking zone provided he is in control of the puck and no other offside condition exists when the puck completely crosses the determining edge of the blue line.
Immediate vs. delayed vs. tag-up offside
Though the basic offside rule is always the same, there are different rules for the situation when the puck is shot in while a player is offside, but the defending team gains control of the puck.- With immediate offside, play is dead the instant an offside violation occurs. Immediate offside was used in the USA HockeyUSA HockeyUSA 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...
youth leagues until 2011. - Delayed offside allows the defending team a chance to move the puck out of the zone. The play remains offside until the puck enters the neutral zone. Play is blown dead if the defending team does not attempt to move the puck forward. Simple delayed offside was used in the major North American leagues in the AHL until 2004 (except from 1986-96), in the ECHL until 2005 (except from 1996–2005), and in the NHL until 2005 (except from 1986–96).
- Tag-up offside is a variation of delayed offside. In a delayed offside situation, if all members of the offending team clear the defensive zone at the same time by making skate contact outside of the zone (including the blue line), then the delayed offside call is negated. Tag-up offside is used in NCAA, Hockey CanadaHockey CanadaHockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
, the IIHFInternational Ice Hockey FederationThe International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
, USA Hockey junior and youth leagues, some North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n professional and adult leagues, and the NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe 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...
from 1986-1996, and once again after the 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Play is stopped immediately if a player from the attacking team touches the puck in the attacking zone while he or any of his teammates is offside, or if a shot on goal occurs.
Offside during faceoffs
Offside is also used to refer to a player lining up on his opponent's side during a faceoffFaceoff
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...
. Failure of a team to properly to line up for the 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...
may result in the ejection of the offending team's center; If the violation persists, a delay of game penalty may be assessed.
Offside pass
In ice hockeyIce 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...
, an offside pass or second (blue) line pass is a pass from inside a team's defending zone that crosses the red line. When such a pass occurs, play is stopped and 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...
is conducted in the defending zone of the team that committed the infraction.
There are two determining factors in an offside pass violation:
- Puck position when pass is released. Since the blue line is considered part of the zone the puck is in, if the puck is behind or in contact with the blue line when the pass is released, the pass may be an offside pass.
- Skate position of the receiver. If the receiver has skate contact with the red line at the instant the puck completely crosses it, the pass is legal regardless of where the puck actually makes contact with his stick. Both of his skates must be completely on the far side of the red line when the puck crosses the red line into the attacking zone is governed by the aforementioned offside rule.
This offside pass rule is not observed by all leagues. For instance, it was abolished by the IIHF, and its member countries' leagues (except the NHL) in 1998. The National Hockey League
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...
recently adopted the version used by the top minor leagues, under the terms of their 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement, in which the center line is no longer used to determine a two-line pass. This was one of a number of rule changes intended to open up the game and improve scoring chances, making the game more exciting for the fans.