Off sides..and to a lesser degree, icings?

[RFIP]

I've what this sport for 40+ years and I do understand (I think) the new icing rules and all but 2 things continue to surprise me no matter what game I am watching.

1) There seems to be MANY times when with the naked eye it appears the play is off-sides...not "by a mile" mind you but certainly appears offside and when I go back on the DVR and slow it down it looks again like it surely is. I'm guessing the league wants it that way to speed up the game unless it is an "obvious" offside? Because no one seems to argue?

2) The icing is called even if the attacking player is at OR SOMETIMES SLIGHTLY AHEAD of the defender.

That in and of itself drives my nuts but there was a play in one of the first 2 games in ANA where the puck was clearly NOT even going to make it over the goal line extended and in fact stopped about 2 feet shy but the linesman called icing and the hawks did not argue. Is that part of the rule too, that the puck doesn't have to necessarily have to cross the GL, just that it was shot from behind the red line and then the linesman just watch the race?

Can someone tell me if they've seen things this way or am I'm off base?

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[Sarava]

Yeah definitely. In a lot of ways, offsides is called similar to 6-4-3 or 4-6-3 double plays in baseball. If you're in the area they often let it go. As for icing, I think officials have gotten lazy with how they call it and they should probably go back to the old rules.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

They aren't calling hybrid icing correctly. The whistles are automatic.

 

[Captain Serious 19]

It's offside

 

[IU Hawks fan]

It's offside

Except he was saying it in its plural form

And I agree, the way the linesmen call icing is a joke. Just go back to touch icing and only blow it if it's a dangerous foot race.

 

[zac]

It's offside

Really?

 

[RFIP]

Except he was saying it in its plural form

And I agree, the way the linesmen call icing is a joke. Just go back to touch icing and only blow it if it's a dangerous foot race.

Yeah I agree. Go back to the old rule but blow it dead if it looks like a bad impact is pending.

 

[Blue Liner]

Good observation on the hybrid icing. It's kind of been a disaster all season long as far as consistency goes. Seen way too many times that attacking forward would have a really good chance, even be slightly ahead of the defending player, and have it blown dead.

 

[CPHawksFan]

I also notice that there are several icings that could be called that are let go when the player with the puck (and the puck itself) is pretty clearly still behind the red line when he shoots it into the offensive zone.

 

[Salvaged Ship]

I don't remember injuries occuring when players are chasing a puck for an icing call, the hybrid icing is just plain dumb to me

 

[cherrypik]

Not sure why but I notice that a lot this series as well. They also called an intentional offsides against the Hawks in Game 4 that I did not agree with but should have called it in Game 2 where someone on the Ducks was hit by CC going after the puck after the whistle blew. It seems that the refs are giving home teams the benefit of the doubt.

 

[LordKOTL]

I've what this sport for 40+ years and I do understand (I think) the new icing rules and all but 2 things continue to surprise me no matter what game I am watching.

1) There seems to be MANY times when with the naked eye it appears the play is off-sides...not "by a mile" mind you but certainly appears offside and when I go back on the DVR and slow it down it looks again like it surely is. I'm guessing the league wants it that way to speed up the game unless it is an "obvious" offside? Because no one seems to argue?

2) The icing is called even if the attacking player is at OR SOMETIMES SLIGHTLY AHEAD of the defender.

That in and of itself drives my nuts but there was a play in one of the first 2 games in ANA where the puck was clearly NOT even going to make it over the goal line extended and in fact stopped about 2 feet shy but the linesman called icing and the hawks did not argue. Is that part of the rule too, that the puck doesn't have to necessarily have to cross the GL, just that it was shot from behind the red line and then the linesman just watch the race?

Can someone tell me if they've seen things this way or am I'm off base?

For the offsides I think it's just human error. The game is fast and I can see linesmen blowing it especially if they're out of position.

I do that that ever blown offsides call (called when it's not in retrospect, or not called when it is in retrospect) should be revied and taken into consideration for selecting linesmen for the playoffs, and the depth of the playoffs, but ultimately I don't think it's going to get inherently better or worse.

As for the hybrid offsides, I think the biggest problem is that it's left to the discretion of the officials, and thus the inconsitancy in calling it. I think there should be more solid criteria--something like "If the attacking player of the icing team skates past the line as defined by the faceoff dots in the attacking end before a player of the defending team skates past the line defined by the "top of the circles" (being defined as a line tangent to both of the faceoff circles closest to center ice), then icing will be waived off--otherwise icing will be called.

A last that criteria makes it hard to be boarded when going for the puck and the linesmen have something definite to call.