Lorty
Registered User
- May 7, 2013
- 983
- 68
After the event that occurred during the first game of the SCF, I was curious about the actual "off-side" rule of the NHL, and how it was written.
We all know that once a player has his back foot in the neutral zone OFF the ice, and the front foot in the offensive zone, then the player is "off-side", which means he can't gain possession in the neutral zone anymore.
But where is that segment in the rulebook? Where can we infer this?
First paragraph. Here, it's pretty simple : Once both skates are completely over the leading edge of the blue line, the player is offside. It doesn't mention the surface of the ice at all, just "over the line", as in beyond the line.
Here, it's obvious : Your back skate/foot has to be on the surface of the ice, in the neutral zone, in order to be on-side... ONCE the puck crosses the leading edge. So what happens when the puck hasn't crossed yet? Is the player off-side? On-side?
Here, a player with the possession and control the puck can skate into the offensive zone ahead the puck... PRIOR to his skates (plurial) crossing the blue line. Again, no mention of the surface of the ice.
Following this rule, I can't find any definition of what is "both skates crossing the line". There's no statement at all that explains how your skates should be on all situations, it only talks about how your skates should be once the puck crosses the line in order to be on-side.
How do we interpret this rule if you have one foot off the ice in the neutral zone and one foot in the offensive zone, and GAIN possession in the neutral zone, so before the puck crosses the line?
We all know that once a player has his back foot in the neutral zone OFF the ice, and the front foot in the offensive zone, then the player is "off-side", which means he can't gain possession in the neutral zone anymore.
But where is that segment in the rulebook? Where can we infer this?
The position of the player’s skates and not that of his stick shall be
the determining factor in all instances in deciding an off-side. A player
is off-side when both skates are completely over the leading edge of
the blue line involved in the play. [...]
First paragraph. Here, it's pretty simple : Once both skates are completely over the leading edge of the blue line, the player is offside. It doesn't mention the surface of the ice at all, just "over the line", as in beyond the line.
[...] A player is on-side when either of his skates are in contact with, or on his own side of the line, at the instant the puck completely crosses
the leading edge of the blue line regardless of the position of his stick.
Here, it's obvious : Your back skate/foot has to be on the surface of the ice, in the neutral zone, in order to be on-side... ONCE the puck crosses the leading edge. So what happens when the puck hasn't crossed yet? Is the player off-side? On-side?
However, a player actually controlling the puck who shall cross the
line ahead of the puck shall not be considered “off-side,” provided he
had possession and control of the puck prior to his skates crossing the
blue
Here, a player with the possession and control the puck can skate into the offensive zone ahead the puck... PRIOR to his skates (plurial) crossing the blue line. Again, no mention of the surface of the ice.
Following this rule, I can't find any definition of what is "both skates crossing the line". There's no statement at all that explains how your skates should be on all situations, it only talks about how your skates should be once the puck crosses the line in order to be on-side.
How do we interpret this rule if you have one foot off the ice in the neutral zone and one foot in the offensive zone, and GAIN possession in the neutral zone, so before the puck crosses the line?
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