Time to fix the offside rule

[Dr Black]

Offside was put in place to prevent blatant cherrypicking. There were so many close offsides that went uncalled in the 80’s & it was awesome! During the last decade the linesman have gotten very good and a blatant miss rarely happens. The replays & micro analyzing of offsides is ruining the game. Viewing to see if a player's toe is over the line by an eight of an inch, or if his skate is completely on the ice from 10 different angles is ridiculous. Goals called back after 20+ seconds of solid zone time is also ludicrous. Either do away with coaches challenges and replays for offsides or make it sensible like the OP suggested.

NHL linesmen are the best in the world at what they do. As a result, a blatant miss rarely happens! This is why I'm so angry that the league would create this abomination of a rule in the first place. They have essentially killed a house fly with a cannon.

 

[maacoshark]

It really angered me in the finals a few years ago with Nash, and now I see it happen where a player's toe is over the line by an eight of an inch, and 16 minutes after they enter the zone, they score - but it is wiped out because of the BS offsides.

I have two ideas/proposals to fix this abomination of a rule:

1-if the offensive team scores a goal within 10 seconds of entering the zone, then that goal can be overturned; after that the goal cannot be and will count as a good goal.

2-if the encroaching team scores immediately on its oncoming rush, then the goal can be overturned. If the puck gets passed around and the defensive team is able to set up and defend, then the goal cannot be.

I'm open to other suggestions if anyone has a better one, but this rule is one of THE stupidest things in hockey right now, and with the officiating hitting bottom this year overall, it needs to be fixed soon.

There is nothing wrong with the rule. The problem is the official not getting it right. To be honest I prefer no replay on offsides.

 

[Chimpradamus]

In way too many games, some beautiful goal is challenged, because someone maybe had a tip of a skate an inch on the wrong side of the ice half a minute ago, which can only be seen with a slow motion camera. Rules are rules, but when specifically the offside of all things get scrutinized as much as if a puck actually passes the goalline, something is wrong.

Challenging for goaltender interference I can understand, but offside? It kills the momentum of the game and it's a ridiculous thing to be able to challenge for. How could they even come up with this stuff in the first place?

If anyone actually in favour of keeping this weird offside challenge rule?

 

[Braun]

I am. An offside is a rule...same as the goal line, goalie interference, high sticking etc...if you are offside the play is dead. So yeah, if you score on the play it shouldn't count.

 

[CaptainShark]

I get your point, but since it has been modified and an unsuccesful challenge results in a minor penalty, the number of challenges has been greatly reduced. I am okay with the way things are. It was terrible before that rule change.

 

[Boltswin]

If anyone actually in favour of keeping this weird offside challenge rule?

I am. Brayden Point had a nice goal overturned last night because someone going onto the bench had a foot in the zone. It sucked but it was the right call. I wouldn’t want the goal to count if it happened to the Bolts

Edit: in bold, changed from “it”

 

[MessierII]

The problem I have with the offside challenge is it doesn’t add any goals only takes them away. For example you can’t challenge a play that was whistled down as offside that was actually on side. With goalie interference, high sticks etc it can be challenged both ways.

 

[cmorly]

They should make the rule similar to when a puck goes in the net, and everyone misses it. Have someone call down and notify the refs that it was blantantly offside. This would hardly ever happen, as the refs almost always get the offside call right. This would eliminate the 'your toe was 3mm in the air, no goal' calls.

 

[smytty]

I haven't read through all 5 pages, maybe it has been said. My suggestion is the refs get one replay at live speed. If it's obvious, the call off the goal. If they need multiple angles and zooming in frame by frame, then it's a goal. One replay, one standard angle. Done

 

[5 Minute Major]

Offsides shouldn’t be reviewable. The only thing that should be are goals.

 

[LastOne2100]

I was a big fan originally of instating the coaches' challenge for offside plays, after a few seriously blown calls (we all know the worst one).

However, I was wrong. Since it has been implemented it has really done nothing good for the sport, ruins the flow of the game, and most frequently the challenges are for having your skate 1mm off the ice in a way that doesn't impact the scoring of the goal in any way.

The few linesman errors a year are definitely preferable.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Please get rid of it. Adds absolutely nothing to the game. We accept subjectivity and human error in more or less every other rule, why the exception for something as meaningless as a couple mm. Worst rule in sports IMO

 

[The Jones Zone]

Never been a fan, alleged every GM llikes it and says it's working, so I don't expect it to go anywhere

 

[Flyrs21]

I would keep the challenge but i would like to see the blueline extend upwards into infinity, like the goalline in football and as long as a player is over the line he is onside. This way goals don't get taken away because of a skate being an inch of the ice

 

[Flyrs21]

I also think the challenge has caused linesman to blow the play dead prematurely on really close plays that weren't offside. Many plays could of resulted in goals but of course no way to know the result. If the play is real close at the blueline don't blow it dead and give the coach the ability to challenge it and get the call right.

 

[ref19]

It really angered me in the finals a few years ago with Nash, and now I see it happen where a player's toe is over the line by an eight of an inch, and 16 minutes after they enter the zone, they score - but it is wiped out because of the BS offsides.

I have two ideas/proposals to fix this abomination of a rule:

1-if the offensive team scores a goal within 10 seconds of entering the zone, then that goal can be overturned; after that the goal cannot be and will count as a good goal.

2-if the encroaching team scores immediately on its oncoming rush, then the goal can be overturned. If the puck gets passed around and the defensive team is able to set up and defend, then the goal cannot be.

I'm open to other suggestions if anyone has a better one, but this rule is one of THE stupidest things in hockey right now, and with the officiating hitting bottom this year overall, it needs to be fixed soon.

Don't think many will agree man.

 

[Butch 19]

Don't think many will agree man.

several in this thread agree with this or similar...

 

[Chimpradamus]

So, we can basically conclude, the offside challenge is an abomination that detracts the excitement for the game. It's a joke. If you can challenge offsides by inches, what else could you not challenge?

 

[FerrisRox]

I don't blame the linesmen one bit for doing this! In fact, I would much rather the linesmen error on the side of blowing a close play down that MIGHT be offside rather than having a perfectly good highlight reel goal stolen from a team and player because a play was 1 CM offside after a 4-minute forensic analysis of an entry.

Just one of MANY reasons why this rule needs to go!

The goal isn't "stolen" the goal was scored by breaking a rule.

 

[egelband]

It really angered me in the finals a few years ago with Nash, and now I see it happen where a player's toe is over the line by an eight of an inch, and 16 minutes after they enter the zone, they score - but it is wiped out because of the BS offsides.

I have two ideas/proposals to fix this abomination of a rule:

1-if the offensive team scores a goal within 10 seconds of entering the zone, then that goal can be overturned; after that the goal cannot be and will count as a good goal.

2-if the encroaching team scores immediately on its oncoming rush, then the goal can be overturned. If the puck gets passed around and the defensive team is able to set up and defend, then the goal cannot be.

I'm open to other suggestions if anyone has a better one, but this rule is one of THE stupidest things in hockey right now, and with the officiating hitting bottom this year overall, it needs to be fixed soon.

I don’t know the answer but I agree there’s a problem. I like the idea of a time limit or something like a statute of limitations from the time of the ‘infraction’.
maybe any potential offside challenge is enforceable only until the defense gets a touch on the puck. So, if there’s an offside zone entry missed by the official, once the defense touches the puck or gets control the offense gets a clean slate.
I do agree that basically it should be an eye call, in the spirit of the rule, which i assume is to stop goal-hanging. And not stop hockey.

 

[cactusjack]

I am. An offside is a rule...same as the goal line, goalie interference, high sticking etc...if you are offside the play is dead. So yeah, if you score on the play it shouldn't count.

Are you in favor of a challenge for an uncalled hooking penalty resulting in a goal? Because hooking is a rule too. If so, how far can you challenge? Last whistle? Should we be able to challenge icing to avoid an unwarrented defensive zone faceoff? Why should we apply some rules and not others?

 

[Braun]

Are you in favor of a challenge for an uncalled hooking penalty resulting in a goal? Because hooking is a rule too. If so, how far can you challenge? Last whistle? Should we be able to challenge icing to avoid an unwarrented defensive zone faceoff? Why should we apply some rules and not others?

No for the hooking, it is too much open to interpretation. A good example is goalie interference which no one understands. I hate that.

Offside is black or white. You are or you aren’t.

As for the icing, no, i don’t believe that should be challenged

 

[Former Referee 68]

I think they do a hell of a job, very seldom do they get the call wrong. when they do its usually a 5 min review and its so close... please people try being in their place we don't want to get the call wrong

 

[cactusjack]

No for the hooking, it is too much open to interpretation. A good example is goalie interference which no one understands. I hate that.

Offside is black or white. You are or you aren’t.

As for the icing, no, i don’t believe that should be challenged

Well as much as black and white that it can be for offsides, i think that it's often inconclusive. I'm sure if we could have replays for penalties, it's 95% of the time black and white as well. Any way what I don't like is the purpose of offsides reviews is to get the call right, but they don't have the technology to make sure it works. And they don't want/try to get other things right. Its either important to get it right or it's not.

 

[supsens]

Lets take out the goal line too, then any time it feels like it should be a goal we can just give the team a goal.