Hockey's Offsides Rule - What is Hockey?

In ice hockey, if a player on the attacking team does not control the puck and is in the offensive zone, a play is not allowed.The puck cannot enter the attacking zone after attacking players.If a player on the attacking team is in the offensive zone before the puck, they must retreat to the neutral zone.

The neutral or offensive zone is where the puck and players should be.When the puck crosses the blue line, it usually enters or leaves the offensive zone.If a player touches the blue line or the neutral zone, he is in the offensive zone.

A linesman will stop play when there is a violation.To restart play, a faceoff is held at the ice spot closest to the infraction, usually a neutral spot, or if there is a delayed penalty, at a spot in the defending team's zone.The faceoff will continue even if the linesman makes a mistake.

When a play is offside and any attacking player touches the puck or checks a player in the offensive zone, an infraction occurs under the delayed offside rule.When an attacking player carries the puck into the zone while a teammate is already in the attacking zone, or when the opposing player completes a pass to his teammate, play is stopped immediately.When the attacking team causes the puck to enter the zone without the other team having possession, there is a delayed offside.When a delayed offside occurs, the linesman will keep an arm up to signal it, and all attacking players must retreat back into the neutral zone without touching the puck or checking an opponent.If an attacking player touches the puck, play is stopped.

The National Hockey League and the International Ice Hockey Federation have the same rules.If both of a player's skates completely cross the blue line dividing their offensive zone from the neutral zone before the puck completely crosses the same line, they will be judged to be in an area where they shouldn't be.The position of a player's skates is important in both organizations.They can't use their stick to stay onside.The only exception to this rule is that an attacking player's skates may precede the puck into the attacking zone if they are in control of it.The position of the puck is used.When the puck crosses the blue line, Offside is determined by the skate positions.The puck is considered to have been in the attacking zone the entire time if it touches the blue line and then completely leaves it back into the attack zone.

The entire team is not in an upright position.An attacking player is not touched by a member of the opposing team if the puck is passed or shot into the offensive zone.The attacking team may "tag up" by having all of their players leave the offensive zone.They may return to the offensive zone after the offside is waved off.A faceoff will be held at the spot nearest to the point of the infraction if a player on the attacking team controls the puck while in the neutral zone.This means the spot closest to the blue line if the puck is carried into the zone or in the case of a pass.The faceoff can be moved into that team's defensive zone if the linesman judges that the attacking team acted to force a deliberate stop in play.Even if the attacking team clears the offensive zone before the puck enters the goal, a goal will be denied if it is scored from a shot at the neutral or defensive zone.

If the attacking team does not control the puck, an infraction occurs under the immediate offside rule.This rule is used by some levels of hockey to stop play.

The linesman will stop play as soon as a play goes offside, regardless of whether or not the attacking team is in possession of the puck, at some levels, such as younger divisions of minor hockey.[4]

There is one condition under which an interference can be waved off if players are in the attacking zone ahead of the puck.

If a player is lined up within 15 feet of the centre before the puck is dropped, they may be judged to be in an ineligible position during a faceoff.The official dropping the puck will wave the centre out of the faceoff spot and require that another player take their place.A delay of game will be assessed if one team commits two violations during the same attempt to restart play.[5]

A two-line pass is when a pass from inside the defense 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.

The pass rule is not observed by all leagues.In 1998, it was abolished by the IIHF and its member countries' leagues.Under the terms of their 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the National Hockey League adopted the version used by the top minor league, in which the centre line is no longer used to determine a two-line pass.One of the rule changes intended to open up the game was this one.