Offside (hockey)
Offside rule
In ice hockey, play is said to be offside if a player on the attacking team enters the attacking zone before the puck. When an offside violation occurs, the linesman blows play dead, and a faceoff is conducted in the neutral zone.
There are two determining factors in an offside violation:
- Attacking players' skate position: If a player's skate is in contact with the blue line, he is considered to be in the neutral zone, thus, the play is not offside.
- Puck position: The puck must completely cross the outer edge of the blue line to be considered inside the attacking zone. Once in the zone, it must completely cross the blue line again to be considered out of the zone.
Though the basic offsides rule is always the same, there are different rules for the situation when the puck is shot in while a player is offside, but the defending team gains control of the puck.
- With immediate offside, play is dead the instant an offside violation occurs. (Used in USA Hockey youth leagues)
- Delayed offside allows the defending team a chance to move the puck out of the zone. The play remains offside until the puck enters the neutral zone. Play is blown dead if the defending team does not attempt to move the puck forward. (Used in the major North American leagues from until 2004 (AHL, except 1986-96) and 2005 (ECHL, from 1996-2005), and NHL before 2005 rule changes.)
- Tag-up offside gives the attacking team a chance to get back onside, enter the zone, and attempt to regain control of the puck. For the offside to be washed out (cancelled), all players on the attacking team must make skate contact with the neutral zone or blue line for one instant. (Used in Hockey Canada, the IIHF, USA Hockey junior leagues, some North American professional leagues, adult leagues, and the NHL from 1986-1996, and once again after the 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement.)
Play is stopped immediately if a player from the attacking team touches the puck in the attacking zone while he or any of his teammates is offside.
Offside is also used to refer to a player lining up on his opponent's side during a faceoff. There is no penalty for this, though the faceoff may not be conducted while a player is offside.
Two-Line/Offside pass
(Note: This rule has been eliminated from the National Hockey League in the U.S. and Canada, and was never enforced in European league play.)
In ice hockey, an offside pass or two-line pass is a pass from inside a team's defending zone that crosses the red line. When such a pass occurs, play is stopped and a faceoff is conducted in the defending zone of the team that committed the infraction.
There were two determining factors in an offside pass violation:
- Puck position when pass is released. Since the blue line is considered part of the zone the puck is in, if the puck is behind or in contact with the blue line when the pass is released, the pass may be an offside pass.
- Skate position of receiver. If the receiver has skate contact with the red line at the instant the puck completely crosses it, the pass is legal regardless of where the puck actually makes contact with his stick. Both of his skates must be completely on the far side of the red line when the puck crosses it for the pass to be offside.
A two-line pass from one side of the red line into the attacking zone is governed by the aforementioned offside rule.
This offside pass rule is not observed by all leagues. Under the terms of the NHL's 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement, and adopted by the top minor leagues, the centre red line is no longer used to determine a two-line pass (it must now cross both blue lines to be considered a two line pass*). This was one of a number of rule changes intended to open up the game and improve scoring chances, making the game more exciting for the fans.
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