Would implementing "hybrid offside" make hockey better?

[Calendal]

Blue line is good and simple as-is, no need to change that.

They can work on how they review it and get it done faster, I think they will and the problem will eventually all but disappear.

 

[Crede777]

A major reason why the offsides system employed in soccer works is because offsides officials can run along the side of the field which gives them a great perspective of when a player passes a defender.

In hockey, line judges are inside the rink which means they often cannot be directly on the line. They often have to make calls from a viewpoint which is more perpendicular to the line. That's why it is useful to have a big blue line.

 

[Spirit of 67]

Or not do that.

In fact, ya, NO

 

[Hint1k]

LoL. It is actually soccer can benefit from the hockey blue lines.

What we really need is to make the blue lines thicker. Like probably two-three times thicker. It will reduce the amount of challenges to almost zero. This way linesmen would have enough time (time=thickness of the line) to make the correct call.

 

[tucker3434]

NHL refs cant handle offsides when it’s a giant blue line. You think they’ll get this right?

 

[Ducks DVM]

They can’t get it right now, when there is a discrete blue line that they can stand on. This would necessitate them having to track back and forth with the defensemen. May as well just eliminate offside altogether, this would be a nightmare to officiate, especially when the camera angles started showing them being wrong far far far more often than they were right.

 

[Machinehead]

I like where the game is at now and I never saw offside as a problem.

I see challenging offside as a problem.

 

[CapnZin]

This is a good idea, but I think it’ll be too hard in practice. Hockey is a really fast moving sport and determining if the puck or player technically beats the Dman could prove to be very tricky. Rinks are also much smaller than soccer fields too.

They could try it out in the ECHL/AHL for some time to see if it would be good

 

[Nalens Oga]

Why are you over-complicating it. Get rid of a the offside and don't allow players to pass from their own zone to an opponent waiting in the opposite zone to avoid cherry-picking (aka no 3-line passes).

Also, it gets rid of the need for two linesmen since you just need one to stand at the red line, linesmen are the absolute worst, the worst.

 

[ijuka]

They should just replace offside with 2-line pass. It would take care of camping all the same but would help immensely with all the zone entry nonsense.

Replacing it with 3-line pass would also work but might be a bit too much.

It would really help with the flow of the game and would give the team on the offense an advantage because simply getting the puck out of the zone wouldn't get them in the clear.

 

[UConn126]

I think if the offside challenge were eliminated it would help alot.

came to say this. coach's challenge for offsides is one of the worst changes to the game.

 

[Spazkat]

You don't even need to eliminate it, just make two simple changes:

1.) The players skate on or off the ice doesn't matter. Treat the blue line like the NFL goal line for offside.

You're mixing your metaphors here. The blue line's NFL comparable would be the sideline for an out of bounds, and looking at it that way their rule works the same as the NHL.... either you're all the way in or you're not.

 

[LeafShark]

Just put a chip on the skates and the puck and automate it. In terms of game flow, yes I agree that a puck carrier should be allowed to re-enter the zone as long as he doesn't pass to someone that doesn't tag up. Most of the time this is just an intended "get the puck in deep for a line change anyways" so why not just eliminate the unintentional intentional offsides?

 

[qwerty]

I remember creating a thread about a “hybrid offside” rule similar to this one and did not go over well. I could’ve guaranteed a higher entertaining product as it would effectively eliminate the trap, but the traditionalists will beat you down for ever considering such an insignificant change.

Offsides are one of the dumbest rules in hockey and serves just to bore the game and create an environment where the neutral zone trap can trive. With the elimination of the 2 line pass, offsides essentially serve no purpose anyway in my opinion and if it was taken away, I guarantee no one would miss it.

I think Hockey needs to take some cues from basketball who’ve created rules to create a more entertaining and higher scoring product (i.e. 3 in the key, restricted area, shot clock and etc) whereas hockey likes to create rules to lower scoring and entertainment (i.e. offsides, 2 line pass, foot in the crease, video review and etc).

 

[Atas2000]

I've had an idea about changing the offside rule for a while now - I can't remember exactly when I first had it, and I may have seen it somewhere else. If this has been proposed before, feel free to post a source so it can get credit.

Essentially, what I am proposing is a dynamic blue-line, very similar to offside in soccer. The offside line would no longer always be the blue-line, but would instead be a line parallel to the blue-line located where the furthest back defender is. The exception is when no defenders are in their own defensive zone - in this case, the offside line is still the blue-line.

The main reasoning for this would be to help increase offensive scoring chances, zone entry creativity, and prevent plays from being called back simply because a player is a fraction of a second off in their timing. Players would no longer have to really worry about straddling the blue-line to stay onside, for instance. It would also give teams much more room to break into the offensive zone. Instead of the defense sitting at the blue-line and either breaking up zone entry attempts or forcing teams offside, defenders would have to decide whether to stand their ground and potentially get blown past or continue backing up and let the offensive team establish control. The powerplay would be especially affected by this. I think the rest of this can be deduced - there are a lot of fine details that could be thought up. Ultimately, I think it would add more strategy to the game and also give more of a reward to creativity and skill.

I also would like to see that offside no longer be a play that can be challenged. Especially with this change, it would be somewhat arbitrary and subjective - two things that should be avoided when it comes to rules and decisions about enforcing them. I would lean toward refs letting the play continue in a close-to-offside scenario, erring on the side of caution.

I can't think of too many drawbacks honestly, other than adding a bit more subjectivity to the on-ice calls the refs have to make. But they already have that with offside as is, and a very similar decision for refs to make was introduced with hybrid icing. I don't think it's too complicated in any way - soccer handles it very well. If there are any pitfalls that I'm simply missing, I'd love to hear about them.

Thoughts?

You understand the difference in speed between soccer and hockey? They have trouble with it in soccer sometimes.

 

[PAZ]

Hockey you often get players getting in scrums behind the play or getting up, etc., I don't think it would work well.

Offsides definitely need to be revamped though, some decent ideas in this thread.

 

[hatterson]

You're mixing your metaphors here. The blue line's NFL comparable would be the sideline for an out of bounds, and looking at it that way their rule works the same as the NHL.... either you're all the way in or you're not.

I mean in terms of treating it like a plane that needs to be broken instead of caring about contact with the ice.

If *any* part of the player’s skate is behind the plane of the blue line, he’s onside. If any part of the ball breaks the plane of the goal line, it’s a touchdown. That’s the comparable I was talking about.

 

[Jerzey Devil]

I think you could remove offside entirely except for multi-zone passes. This would eliminate hail mary passes to cherry picking forwards e.g. something similar to the old 2 line pass except the lines used would be different. I would think a thin line across the top of the circles would work...

Even then I say let the guy cherry pick. Just means he’s not playing defense. I’m all for just eliminating the blue lines and offsides.

 

[SotasicA]

Just get rid of the ipods and challenges and let linesmen do their jobs.

 

[Mattavarner]

Could move to a floating blue line.
The blue line is offside for a zone entry, but once the zone is gained the puck has to cross the red line to exit the zone (its whats used in ball hockey)
Makes it harder to get the puck out, and allows more space in the offensive zone for talented players to work, increasing scoring

 

[pucka lucka]

Even then I say let the guy cherry pick. Just means he’s not playing defense. I’m all for just eliminating the blue lines and offsides.

I'd be more concerned about the optics of all the ice long flip dumps late in games from teams behind.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

I'd be more concerned about the optics of all the ice long flip dumps late in games from teams behind.

Watching the team ahead try to long ice flip dump is better?

 

[ottomaddox]

I've had an idea about changing the offside rule for a while now - I can't remember exactly when I first had it, and I may have seen it somewhere else. If this has been proposed before, feel free to post a source so it can get credit.

Essentially, what I am proposing is a dynamic blue-line, very similar to offside in soccer. The offside line would no longer always be the blue-line, but would instead be a line parallel to the blue-line located where the furthest back defender is. The exception is when no defenders are in their own defensive zone - in this case, the offside line is still the blue-line.

The main reasoning for this would be to help increase offensive scoring chances, zone entry creativity, and prevent plays from being called back simply because a player is a fraction of a second off in their timing. Players would no longer have to really worry about straddling the blue-line to stay onside, for instance. It would also give teams much more room to break into the offensive zone. Instead of the defense sitting at the blue-line and either breaking up zone entry attempts or forcing teams offside, defenders would have to decide whether to stand their ground and potentially get blown past or continue backing up and let the offensive team establish control. The powerplay would be especially affected by this. I think the rest of this can be deduced - there are a lot of fine details that could be thought up. Ultimately, I think it would add more strategy to the game and also give more of a reward to creativity and skill.

I also would like to see that offside no longer be a play that can be challenged. Especially with this change, it would be somewhat arbitrary and subjective - two things that should be avoided when it comes to rules and decisions about enforcing them. I would lean toward refs letting the play continue in a close-to-offside scenario, erring on the side of caution.

I can't think of too many drawbacks honestly, other than adding a bit more subjectivity to the on-ice calls the refs have to make. But they already have that with offside as is, and a very similar decision for refs to make was introduced with hybrid icing. I don't think it's too complicated in any way - soccer handles it very well. If there are any pitfalls that I'm simply missing, I'd love to hear about them.

Thoughts?

It's probably better to go full on electric for the sake of the environment instead of hybrid.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Change offsides to 'easy on'. A team is onside once the puck touches the blue line. Then make the blue line about 6 feet wide. RIP 1-3-1.

 

[qwerty]

Even then I say let the guy cherry pick. Just means he’s not playing defense. I’m all for just eliminating the blue lines and offsides.

With the 2 line pass eliminated though, players can already sit at the opposition blue line and effectively cherry pick. But nobody does it because it’s like giving the team an instant powerplay, just a bad idea defensively. That’s why the current offside rule is archaic and serves no purpose other than to encourage the neutral zone trap.