USA Hockey rules for 06/07

[sabre09923 0]

As for lifting sticks and stealing the puck - it's totally fine IF the players who's stick your lifting has the puck.  A penalty was called on a guy last night when he was lifting my stick in front of their net preventing me from taking a pass.  Things like that are going to be hard to stop doing after all these years.

That's not a good thing to hear. I expect to set a career high in penalty minutes this year... It's my best tactic to use against those pesky forwards in front of my net (lifting their stick up), and they are going to eliminate it, after I've been taguth to do that since squirts <_<

Exactly - it's sad after all these years they decided to finally apply the rules after letting us get away with this stuff for our whole careers. We can probably thank the NJ Devils for taking it to the ultimate level and sending hockey into snoozeful 1-0 affairs. I love that the game is much more open now, as long as they keep calling it properly.

Hell, before last year, I went to a defenseman's camp run by the Jr. Bruins (I'm 14, but I've been playing since I was 2 1/2), and all we did was focus on one on one battles in front of the net and In the corners. And one thing that the instructor said that really sticks in my mind is, "Do whatever you can to get that guy out of the front of your net. Lift up his stick, jab him in the back, whatever. The ref's not gonna call it; if he does, he can go ref soccer."

I bet that guy's gonna assault the ref once one of his guys gets called for lifting up his opponent's stick in front of the net.

EDIT: And, plus, if we can't even do that, we might as well just let them walk in front of the net and score.

[ctaz 0]

I just don't see refs, at least here, going that overboard with it. I'm sure they'll call a few more penalties, but I don't see them going crazy with the calls. They pretty much have to let the D get away with it in front of the net a little bit, I can understand if it gets excessive them calling it though.

What would I know though, I'm still not sure how a tap to someone's arm (about elbow level) after they slash you without getting called is a slash, but when 2 weeks later someone swings at someone and it looks like they could have snapped the guy's arm in half it's let go. Sure it was different refs, but that is quite a night and day difference.

I would like to have the refs explain their calls sometimes, specially when as a player you get confused, maybe that's just me.

[hocckey77 0]

It's pretty straightforward, they're gonna call everything (or atleast should). As for the front of the net, you can still push the guy. you just can't crosscheck them or slash them or try and trip them.

[sonsplayhockey 0]

Well the ref after tuesday's game said that with the new rules he would have put me into the box about 4 times that night. I got an interference call right off the 2nd faceoff. I won the draw but it was weak. I held the guy up a little (ok, alot) with the blade of my stick (but still close to my body). I usually get away with it if I"m not doing it too long. He said they have already been asked to crack down on this. Maybe the new rules will favor the quicker people. Maybe it will also get people to actually catch up on a backcheck before putting a stick on the guy instead of just catching up slightly then coasting with a love tap to the arm like most of my teamates (ok, me too) do.

[jcp2 2]

Maybe it will also get people to actually catch up on a backcheck before putting a stick on the guy instead of just catching up slightly then coasting with a love tap to the arm like most of my teamates (ok, me too) do.

You mean, no more waterskiing? :(

[hockeyherb 1]

Well the ref after tuesday's game said that with the new rules he would have put me into the box about 4 times that night. I got an interference call right off the 2nd faceoff. I won the draw but it was weak. I held the guy up a little (ok, alot) with the blade of my stick (but still close to my body). I usually get away with it if I"m not doing it too long. He said they have already been asked to crack down on this. Maybe the new rules will favor the quicker people. Maybe it will also get people to actually catch up on a backcheck before putting a stick on the guy instead of just catching up slightly then coasting with a love tap to the arm like most of my teamates (ok, me too) do.

Yeah I got warned by a ref that on the faceoff I was getting close to interference calls if the other center would try to get past me and go for the puck. I was taught to tie the guy up at the faceoff but I guess that won't happen anymore at the risk of a penalty.

I think in front of the net now you just have to get good positioning. It will be more like basketball where you need to use your body to get between the guy and your net. Or should you be between the guy and his guy with the puck??? I can see pros and cons both ways...