GM Meetings: NHL to amend offside rule? "breaking the plane"

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

These discussions should happen in the offseason though. GMs shouldn't vote that a rule needs to be changed and then continue to play out a season with what they determined is a bad rule.

Discussions happen constantly. But the final decision is that of the competition committee, and that happens in the off-season. What is happening now is teams are approving a potential rule change to send to the committee.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

They should just do away with offside challenges. Half the time the war room doesn't get it right anyhow. Again, I think that is a game management thing.

The off side challenge always seemed un-balanced to me. Why take away goals using video assistance, when you can't restore a goal someone might have scored when an off-side was called incorrectly? Both scenarios have just as much impact on the game.

Unless they are going to let all close plays go, and go to video on every goal, it just seems like a bad rule.

[MrMike]

So now that it is a plane, does that mean any part of your body can be in the plane to stay onside or will it still have to be one of your two skates?

We will see a large increase in players stretching back with their arms on every entry.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

I wish they'd go further. A player entering the zone a fraction of a second ahead of the puck doesn't make a realistic difference in the play, and all the rule does is slow down the game. I'm not sure they even need the offside rule, would teams really put a cherry picker in the offensive zone and give the other team a 5-on-4? If you must have offsides, then put a timer on it. If a player enters the zone within 1 second of the puck, then it doesn't matter who was first

It would be difficult to "put a timer on it", leading to more discretionary calls.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

There will then be 5 minutes reviews if something is clear and obvious.

Whatever threshold is used, there will be questions as to whether that threshold is met.

I think the solution to this is twofold:

1) Eliminate all on-ice video-review, and have everything done in Toronto by third-party officials.

2) Set a strict time-limit on reviews. The call has to be made within 30 seconds, or something to that effect.

[Red_Baron]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

I wish they'd go further. A player entering the zone a fraction of a second ahead of the puck doesn't make a realistic difference in the play, and all the rule does is slow down the game. I'm not sure they even need the offside rule, would teams really put a cherry picker in the offensive zone and give the other team a 5-on-4? If you must have offsides, then put a timer on it. If a player enters the zone within 1 second of the puck, then it doesn't matter who was first

They can't do away with offsides. Could you imagine trying to kill a 2 man advantage when the other team can set up anywhere on the ice? Or if a player can streak straight for the net as soon as your team gains possesion? The timer thing might work but I like making the blue line into a plane as a better idea.

Part of having a good hockey IQ is being able to time yourself to stay onside.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

I wish they'd go further. A player entering the zone a fraction of a second ahead of the puck doesn't make a realistic difference in the play, and all the rule does is slow down the game. I'm not sure they even need the offside rule, would teams really put a cherry picker in the offensive zone and give the other team a 5-on-4? If you must have offsides, then put a timer on it. If a player enters the zone within 1 second of the puck, then it doesn't matter who was first

Who counts the seconds and when do they start to count?
Who decides if the guy is involved in the play?
What if the defender moved to cover the guy who was offside, leaving someone else open and uncovered?
Offside is offside, and degrees of offside or amount of time offside adds a massive grey area.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by MrMike

So now that it is a plane, does that mean any part of your body can be in the plane to stay onside or will it still have to be one of your two skates?

We will see a large increase in players stretching back with their arms on every entry.

I can imagine skaters in figure skating poses with their leg stuck straight backwards, way in the air.

I’ve long thought a good solution was to have a different standard for when offside is called in real time, vs when it is reviewed on replay. In real time, the Linesman calls offside if the skate is not on the ice, however, if it goes to replay, than simply breaking the plane above the line is acceptable.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Other rules they should change:

When entering the zone the puck needs to be considered completely over the blue line to be in the zone, but when exiting the zone the puck needs to completely exit the blue line to be considered out. So in the two situations the way the "blue ice" is handled is different. They should make it the same, and once the puck hits the blue ice it should be considered in the zone, just like it's considered in the zone still as long as it's on the blue ice once already entered.

I don’t have an issue with the line itself being part of whatever zone the puck is coming out of - as it currently is.

However, what makes no sense is that for coming out of the zone, the puck has to come all the way across the line, but a player has to only skate on the line, not over it.

Whatever the rule is, make it the same for both puck and player.

[CaptainYooh]

Every game in NHL must end with interviewing players on both teams about their take on how good McDavid is regardless of which teams are playing. NHL never goes far enough to address what hockey fans really wanna know. Superficial changes only. Disappointed.

[Lubicon]

I like this proposed change. I would also like to see a further tweak to the offside challenge to eliminate the ability to challenge a play that may have been offside but didn't affect the play. For example the play is challenged as offside after a goal - if the defending team gained and then lost possession of the puck it is still a goal.

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Other rules they should change:

1) You still get the PP if you don't score on the penalty shot.

The penalty shot should be treated the same as a delayed penalty call to me. The penalty shot replaces the chance that was eliminated by the penalty, if you don't score you still get the 2 minute PP just like if a normal penalty was called on the play instead.

2) Align the rules of the blue line on what is considered in/out of the zone.

When entering the zone the puck needs to be considered completely over the blue line to be in the zone, but when exiting the zone the puck needs to completely exit the blue line to be considered out. So in the two situations the way the "blue ice" is handled is different. They should make it the same, and once the puck hits the blue ice it should be considered in the zone, just like it's considered in the zone still as long as it's on the blue ice once already entered.

#1 is something I have thought of every time Johnny hockey fails to score on a PS.

Also think a team should be allowed only, say 5, icings per period and then they get a penalty. I know it would be iffy with the Linesmans judgement on if the player is skating hard enough to get back, or if the offensive player could make it to the puck first, but something should be done about intentional icings.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by MrMike

So now that it is a plane, does that mean any part of your body can be in the plane to stay onside or will it still have to be one of your two skates?

We will see a large increase in players stretching back with their arms on every entry.

I can guarantee this won’t happen.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Breaking the plane is easier for sure, just like the NFL.

i think that they should rule out slow motion and limit the discussion to 1 min review. If you can't decide in a minute, the offside wasn't egregious enough to actually affect the play

[Resolute 14]

For offside calls, the review should take 3 seconds. If you can't tell it's off side by a single replay of the television feed, call on the ice stands. That would fit the spirit of the rule as it was intended.

Course, soccer is dealing with the same problem, as VAR was originally brought in for "clear and obvious" misses only. But now they too are measuring off-sides in millimetres and pausing multiple times every match to re-assess pretty much any carded foul.

[FlamingHabs Fan]

I feel like there is enough tech out there that there could be a real-time offside sensor created.
I hate to take the human factor out of the reffing (for good or bad) but this crap has to stop. They did well with the penalty for a wrong challenge, but still I think more could be done.

Only thing now is that the linesmen would only have icing, high sticks, minor stuff to call.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

I can guarantee this won’t happen.

The next argument would be that the stick is an extension of the arm.

[mrchristy31]

If you are looking at rule changes, how about making it icing regardless if the linesmen thinks the defensman can get to the puck or not. If the player clears the zone hard enough to cross the icing line and a defender doesn't touch it, it is automatically icing (if he beats the opposing player to the hash marks)...............take the judgement calls out of it.

[DeluxeMoustache]

I wish they would focus on what matters

Defining offside slightly differently - how does it improve the game?
Accelerating the review process - same question

I agree with resolute. A few seconds should be all the time granted for the review. Maybe 30 seconds, like a linesman’s timeout.

Catch the egregious errors that have a material impact, and don’t waste time splitting hairs.

Defining a plane vs skate on the ice is as valuable as splitting hairs.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

I wish they would focus on what matters

Defining offside slightly differently - how does it improve the game?
Accelerating the review process - same question

I agree with resolute. A few seconds should be all the time granted for the review. Maybe 30 seconds, like a linesman’s timeout.

Catch the egregious errors that have a material impact, and don’t waste time splitting hairs.

Defining a plane vs skate on the ice is as valuable as splitting hairs.

That’s exactly what this fixes. Most of the long offside reviews I’ve seen they have been trying to decide if the skate is off the ice or not.