Has hybrid icing turned into no-touch?

[pwisch]

The NHL has tried to justify hybrid icing as a safer alternative, but is the inconsistency and subjectivity from the linemen worth it?

There is a poll at the end of the article:

http://alongtheboards.com/2014/12/hybrid-icing-quietly-turning-no-touch-icing/

Click to read more...

 

[eyetest is useless]

Wait so who touches the puck first is not a subjective decision?

 

[pwisch]

Under the old rules of delayed icing, no. But with hybrid icing it is up to the linesman to determine who will win the race by the time they reach the faceoff dots in the defending zone.

 

[Ralphy*]

I honestly think Hybrid is the best option. Too much danger in injuries for the old system, while automatic just seems kind of silly.

 

[pwisch]

I would agree that hybrid is the best system, if they could train the linesmen to call it consistently.

I have witnessed numerous occasions where the play was whistled and icing called despite the attacking player being neck-and-neck or even ahead of the defending skater.

 

[HydroF]

I would agree that hybrid is the best system, if they could train the linesmen to call it consistently.

I have witnessed numerous occasions where the play was whistled and icing called despite the attacking player being neck-and-neck or even ahead of the defending skater.

Thats not going to change. More training on it isn't going to help. Its not like they are confused about the rule, its just that they are watching it from a different perspective than we are, and they are the ones with the whistles so its their perspective that counts.

Anyway, I would prefer the nhl just stop dicking around and finally go with no touch icing. Reduce the injuries from delayed icing, eliminate the whining from hybrid icing. Just keep it simple and go with no touch.

In the mean time though, Hybrid > Delayed

 

[DFC]

There seem to be times where the linesman actually just sort of zones out and calls it like no-touch icing. I feel like that's something that'll go away with time, as the rule becomes more ingrained. It doesn't so much seem like subjectivity as it seems like more/less the linesman forgets how he's supposed to call it and just whistles the play dead.

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

;93788801Anyway, I would prefer the nhl just stop dicking around and finally go with no touch icing. Reduce the injuries from delayed icing, eliminate the whining from hybrid icing. Just keep it simple and go with no touch.

I'd be on board if the linesman had the leeway to wave it off if it's a missed pass that goes the length of the ice, as opposed to a clearing attempt. But aside from that, yeah, just go with no-touch. I don't find broken femurs to be particularly entertaining.

 

[Sabretooth]

I would agree that hybrid is the best system, if they could train the linesmen to call it consistently.

I have witnessed numerous occasions where the play was whistled and icing called despite the attacking player being neck-and-neck or even ahead of the defending skater.

I think that is probably the intent of the hybrid icing rule, no? It's those neck and neck collisions with the boards that cause the injuries.

I wouldn't be surprised if the officials were instructed to only wave off icings when the attacking player is clearly going to win the race to the puck, and close calls are given to the defender.

 

[triggrman]

I'd be on board if the linesman had the leeway to wave it off if it's a missed pass that goes the length of the ice, as opposed to a clearing attempt. But aside from that, yeah, just go with no-touch. I don't find broken femurs to be particularly entertaining.

Totally agreed.

 

[Bmessy]

Alot of these recent rule changes are to avoid injury. I'm fine with the "hybrid" icing, even though there are plenty of times they pretty much call it like no touch before anyone get's to the line.

I feel like alot of the recent rule changes (past 10 years) are to speed up the game and prevent injury. Well, instead of rewriting the whole book and making your game even more convoluted, why don't you just slightly increase the ice size?

Olympic ice is 210'x98' wide. NA ice is 200'x85'. Why not increase the ice to 205'x90'. A small change but enough on either side to free up some more room.

This will get the fast guys more dangerous creating more scoring indirectly. Instead of increasing hooking and obstruction so we get more PP scoring, a faster game and keeping defenders honest could increase scoring as well. Refs would have to keep defenders honest with interference, but they are really consistent at holding a benchmark.

This will help free up space for guys to avoid getting hit, possibly less concussions, just a faster game without calling a million penalties.

I think the game can be opened up a bit. Since every hit is just about questionable now, this would maybe hinder power forwards and grinders, but hey they can adjust since we don't want anyone getting hurt.

 

[The Nuge]

I like hybrid icing. I've thought they should switch for years. You get a few more missed calls, but it's not like they were perfect with the old system. There was lots of instances where one player would touch the puck, and the ref would think it was the other person

 

[fastvoteman]

They also should blow the play dead if a team ices it and makes no attempt to go get the puck. In this case it is obvious that the defending team will arrive at the dots first. It will also cut into the rest that the team who iced it would get.

 

[Algernop Kreider]

Thats not going to change. More training on it isn't going to help. Its not like they are confused about the rule, its just that they are watching it from a different perspective than we are, and they are the ones with the whistles so its their perspective that counts.

Anyway, I would prefer the nhl just stop dicking around and finally go with no touch icing. Reduce the injuries from delayed icing, eliminate the whining from hybrid icing. Just keep it simple and go with no touch.

In the mean time though, Hybrid > Delayed

At time it seems like they are. For one thing, they always call the man instead of the puck. It's insignificant, but I hate when they blow it dead when the defender crosses the hash but the puck is still rolling over the bottom of the circle.

 

[Peter Skudra]

I wish they would just make it no-touch to take away the grey area hybrid icing causes.

 

[Bee Sheriff]

No touch icing is better than old icing.

 

[starling]

I don't see number of icing controversies increase after rule change, yet it's much safer for players, so it's great.

 

[SladeWilson23]

It's amazing that so many announcers don't understand the rule. They keep citing the "race to the dot" when it's not the race to the dot at all. That's just a guide for the linesmen to use. It's to their discretion who is gonna get the puck first.

A few other things that should be noted.

1. If the 2 skaters are tied at the dots, it is icing.

2. The attacking player can be the first to the dot, but still have it called icing if the linesman feels the puck can played first by the defending team based on the puck movement.

3. As soon as a goalie doesn't have to touch the puck in order for icing to be waved off. If he makes any inclination of playing the puck, icing is waved off.

 

[pwisch]

I think that is probably the intent of the hybrid icing rule, no? It's those neck and neck collisions with the boards that cause the injuries.

I wouldn't be surprised if the officials were instructed to only wave off icings when the attacking player is clearly going to win the race to the puck, and close calls are given to the defender.

The rule states that the linesman can call it icing if he determines that the defensive player would have won the race. That is the cloudy part that is screwing with the game. Plays like that should not be left up to individual opinion.

 

[The Underboss]

Why not go with no touch icing and save those few valuable seconds.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I'm fine with it the way it is. The rare missed calls are not that serious an issue. There are always going to be things that bug somebody out there.

 

[hlrsr]

It's amazing that so many announcers don't understand the rule. They keep citing the "race to the dot" when it's not the race to the dot at all. That's just a guide for the linesmen to use. It's to their discretion who is gonna get the puck first.

A few other things that should be noted.

1. If the 2 skaters are tied at the dots, it is icing.

2. The attacking player can be the first to the dot, but still have it called icing if the linesman feels the puck can played first by the defending team based on the puck movement.

3. As soon as a goalie doesn't have to touch the puck in order for icing to be waved off. If he makes any inclination of playing the puck, icing is waved off.

OK, the actual rule may say it's entirely discretion, but in practice from what I've seen, it pretty much is just a race to the dot. And as you said, tie goes to the defending team.

I can't think of a time where where one player won the race to the dot but the linesman ruled the other player would get there first. It's a pretty rare occurrence in and of itself to be sure, but most of the time it seems they're just going by who gets to the dot first.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I can't think of a time where where one player won the race to the dot but the linesman ruled the other player would get there first.

The only time I've seen this happen, it was because the puck was going fast around the boards to the other side of the ice and there was an attacking player waiting for it there. So winning the race to the dot was irrelevant.

 

[Quarter]

I don't see number of icing controversies increase after rule change, yet it's much safer for players, so it's great.

The only controversies now are where the closest defender to puck gives a quarter-ass effort to try and play it and it slides past him for an icing.

That's what needs to be sorted out.

 

[sharksohnoes!]

The ECHL uses no touch and it is infinitely better. No reason to not switch.