Advice: The Official "is it a penalty if...?" Thread

[beakerboy]

I had a game a while back where I was tripped. It's a really non-competitive league and there's a pretty wide range of skill levels in it, to the point that most players will back off from the poor skaters and let them have the blue line. Well, I will anyways.

It was a pretty obvious trip, to the point where the guy who did it stopped and apologized. After the game when I was talking to the ref he said that he thought that I stepped on the guys stick. My question is wouldn't that be a penalty anyways if the guy gets his stick in my feet so that I step on it and fall?

I guess I should clarify that I wasn't shielding the puck with my body or anything, nor was I coming at someone so they may have had their stick in that area. I was skating down the wing with the puck out in front of me, and the guy was trailing me.

 

[MeHateHe]

I had a game a while back where I was tripped. It's a really non-competitive league and there's a pretty wide range of skill levels in it, to the point that most players will back off from the poor skaters and let them have the blue line. Well, I will anyways.

It was a pretty obvious trip, to the point where the guy who did it stopped and apologized. After the game when I was talking to the ref he said that he thought that I stepped on the guys stick. My question is wouldn't that be a penalty anyways if the guy gets his stick in my feet so that I step on it and fall?

I guess I should clarify that I wasn't shielding the puck with my body or anything, nor was I coming at someone so they may have had their stick in that area. I was skating down the wing with the puck out in front of me, and the guy was trailing me.

Maybe, maybe not. if the other player puts his stick in your skates as you're moving away from him, then you might get that call. If you're moving toward him and you step on his stick that's a more difficult call.

Based on your description, I probably make the tripping call. Was there motion of the player's stick before you stepped on it?

 

[beakerboy]

Well, in that instance he swiped at the puck from behind me and got my feet. The question about whether it would be a penalty anyways was because the explanation that the ref gave me after the game was that he thought I stepped on the stick. Granted, it's a one ref league and that ref is usually out at center talking to the benches, so his view probably wasn't great.

Regardless, I was more questioning whether his reasoning that if you step on a stick it can't be tripping. Which seems wrong.

 

[MeHateHe]

Regardless, I was more questioning whether his reasoning that if you step on a stick it can't be tripping. Which seems wrong.

It can be tripping, so long as there is some action on behalf of the defender to put the stick in the attacking player's feet.

 

[Summer Rose]

Well, in that instance he swiped at the puck from behind me and got my feet. The question about whether it would be a penalty anyways was because the explanation that the ref gave me after the game was that he thought I stepped on the stick. Granted, it's a one ref league and that ref is usually out at center talking to the benches, so his view probably wasn't great.

Regardless, I was more questioning whether his reasoning that if you step on a stick it can't be tripping. Which seems wrong.

In that case I'm picking up on the motion of the stick in relation to the opponent's feet. If the stick moves towards the player's feet/legs and he goes down, tripping. If the feet/legs move towards the stick and the player goes down, no call. The timing can be key as well, that is to say, if a defender puts his stick in a passing lane and establishes that as his stick position, clearly in an attempt to block a lane instead of "swipe" at the puck, then you skate over it and go down, I won't give you the call. It's almost never that black and white though, so as we're taught, if it's in a gray area, then I might fall back on making the call if it results in a possession change or lost scoring opportunity, but if it doesn't, to not call it.

Tripping's usually not as 50/50 or ticky-tacky as other calls though. Generally, penalties can be divided into "restraining" (holding, hooking, interference) or "aggressive" (slashing, cross checking, roughing) penalties, but tripping is one that can be either. Luckily for me, most tripping calls are pretty clear cut.