Checking From Behind

[Docter Pepper 0]

So at our game tonight i was a couple strides behind a player skating for a puck at the hashmark. We both started near the slot. He had the puck about 1 foot off the boards and was facing the corner. I went to hit him, and right as i made contact he turned into the boards. It was an ugly hit because of that. The ref gave me a boarding penalty instead of a hit from behind, because he agreed that the kid turned and didn't want me to get a misconduct. Does this seem legit? I understand where he is coming from, but there was nothing i could do. The kid had time to react and knew i was coming hard at him. I don't know why he decided to turn. I always try to avoid facing the boards, and i can't imagine why anyway would turn towards the boards as they were getting hit.

[All Torhs Team 0]

Yea, it always pissed me off when that happens too.

Just so you know, whenever I have seen it done, the refs did call it a hit from behind. So I think you got off easy. There was probaly nothing you could have done either.

I dont know why people do that, unless they are drawing a penalty. But it is still a pretty risky move.

[hockeydoc 0]

Kind of sucks, but yes. Technically you could have been given the check from behind w/ the misconduct. Most refs don't call it around here, or if they do it will be like you stated. They give a rough, because they tend to feel that guys shouldn't just turn at the last second. (not that they shouldn't turn, but just that the one hitting couldn't have easily avoided the hit from behind, as they started to check before the turn. If they see someone continually turning to try to draw a hit from behind then they won't call anything. That's been my experience.

[Chadd 916]

The referee should have given you the CFB. It is up to the person delivering the hit to make a clean and legal hit. It is not up to the person getting hit to make sure they do the other guy a favor. Nobody wants to get hit from behind.

Any referee that minimizes CFB penalties should have his certification revoked. Referees are the reason USAH had to go to the new zero tolerance standards and it still isn't working.

[Docter Pepper 0]

The referee should have given you the CFB. It is up to the person delivering the hit to make a clean and legal hit. It is not up to the person getting hit to make sure they do the other guy a favor. Nobody wants to get hit from behind.

Any referee that minimizes CFB penalties should have his certification revoked. Referees are the reason USAH had to go to the new zero tolerance standards and it still isn't working.

I try to avoid those types of hits because i know how dangerous they are. He literally turned as i made contact. I didn't hit him at a weird angle causing him to spin. He just decided to turn at the worst time possible. Everyone agreed he turned. the scorekeeper, the penalty box guy, my coach, even the ref motioned to me that the kid turned when he called the penalty. Maybe the fact that the kid got up saying "try that shit again and i'll kick you ass, etc" swayed him to minimize the penalty. I've seen this happen a lot playing hockey, and i find it odd that they don't spend more time telling the kid who got hit what he did wrong rather than explain to me my bad luck.

[Chadd 916]

The referee should have given you the CFB. It is up to the person delivering the hit to make a clean and legal hit. It is not up to the person getting hit to make sure they do the other guy a favor. Nobody wants to get hit from behind.

Any referee that minimizes CFB penalties should have his certification revoked. Referees are the reason USAH had to go to the new zero tolerance standards and it still isn't working.

I try to avoid those types of hits because i know how dangerous they are. He literally turned as i made contact. I didn't hit him at a weird angle causing him to spin. He just decided to turn at the worst time possible. Everyone agreed he turned. the scorekeeper, the penalty box guy, my coach, even the ref motioned to me that the kid turned when he called the penalty. Maybe the fact that the kid got up saying "try that shit again and i'll kick you ass, etc" swayed him to minimize the penalty. I've seen this happen a lot playing hockey, and i find it odd that they don't spend more time telling the kid who got hit what he did wrong rather than explain to me my bad luck.

Regardless of what he did, you hit him from behind. What is he supposed to do, wait for you to hit him and not try to avoid the hit? I've read the book a number of times and there is no mention of it being ok if the guy turns. If someone drilled me from behind I would be pissed, and so would you. I'll repeat; It is up to the person delivering the hit to make a clean and legal hit. It is not up to the person getting hit to make sure they do the other guy a favor.

[Docter Pepper 0]

What is he supposed to do, wait for you to hit him and not try to avoid the hit

He didn't avoid the hit. He made it much worse. I understand what you're saying though. When you see this happen while reffing, do you speak to the player that got hit? Do you warn him about this stuff for his own safety?

[moose77 0]

The referee should have given you the CFB. It is up to the person delivering the hit to make a clean and legal hit. It is not up to the person getting hit to make sure they do the other guy a favor. Nobody wants to get hit from behind.

Any referee that minimizes CFB penalties should have his certification revoked. Referees are the reason USAH had to go to the new zero tolerance standards and it still isn't working.

I try to avoid those types of hits because i know how dangerous they are. He literally turned as i made contact. I didn't hit him at a weird angle causing him to spin. He just decided to turn at the worst time possible. Everyone agreed he turned. the scorekeeper, the penalty box guy, my coach, even the ref motioned to me that the kid turned when he called the penalty. Maybe the fact that the kid got up saying "try that shit again and i'll kick you ass, etc" swayed him to minimize the penalty. I've seen this happen a lot playing hockey, and i find it odd that they don't spend more time telling the kid who got hit what he did wrong rather than explain to me my bad luck.

Regardless of what he did, you hit him from behind. What is he supposed to do, wait for you to hit him and not try to avoid the hit? I've read the book a number of times and there is no mention of it being ok if the guy turns. If someone drilled me from behind I would be pissed, and so would you. I'll repeat; It is up to the person delivering the hit to make a clean and legal hit. It is not up to the person getting hit to make sure they do the other guy a favor.

Gotta agree with Chadd on this one, and I know it sucks for the player that gets dinged with the penalty. While I do know it's unfair for the checker when the player about to be hit turns his back at the last second, the CFB still needs to be called as per the rulebook. We have no discretion in the book for a player turning his back while taking a hit. I wish something was in there to give the officials some discretion on this, but as of now it just doesn't exist.

At least in USA Hockey, a minor CFB is 2+10...under Hockey Canada rules ALL CFBs get a Game Misconduct whether they're minors or majors.(Or a match if a player goes into the wall headfirst unable to protect themselves). Coaches just LOVE it when they lose a player for a minor CFB. I had one a couple months back just go apeshibit when I tossed his player for a minor CFB when he just nailed his opponent right on the stop sign on the back of his jersey and sent him sliding along the ice on his stomach. Coach claimed his player just "pushed" him and didn't check him. I replied that a push wouldn't send a player from the area near the bottom of the face off circles to almost the end boards on his stomach. I got told afterwards I was a disgrace of an official but I knew I'd called it right! ;)

[Docter Pepper 0]

I'm not sure what the rules are for us. I just joined the team this week. I think it's a D3 team

[Chadd 916]

I'm not sure what the rules are for us. I just joined the team this week. I think it's a D3 team

USAH rule:

2+10 for CFB

5+game for CFB that propels a player headfirst into the boards or goal frame or is extremely violent in nature.

College rules are different.

[Docter Pepper 0]

is 5 and a game new?

[Chadd 916]

is 5 and a game new?

Been there for a long time. A lot of refs refuse to call it because they don't like the rule.

[Docter Pepper 0]

im 21 so i've been out of youth hockey for 3 years, but i never saw anyone get a 5+game for CFB. And if you could just answer that question for before, do you warn players who turn as they get it? At least like a, "be careful or you will get seriously hurt."

[Chadd 916]

im 21 so i've been out of youth hockey for 3 years, but i never saw anyone get a 5+game for CFB. And if you could just answer that question for before, do you warn players who turn as they get it? At least like a, "be careful or you will get seriously hurt."

I've had more CFB this year than any year before and I had to give a 5+game my last time out. I tell them to keep their head up that way if they do get hit from behind they won't break their neck.

In every CFB I've had in one of my games the opposing player had a chance to not make the hit from behind. In a lot of the cases going for a big hit wasn't even the best play to make but in the US way too many coaches focus on teaching big hits all over the ice.

[hockeydoc 0]

im 21 so i've been out of youth hockey for 3 years, but i never saw anyone get a 5+game for CFB. And if you could just answer that question for before, do you warn players who turn as they get it? At least like a, "be careful or you will get seriously hurt."

I've had more CFB this year than any year before and I had to give a 5+game my last time out. I tell them to keep their head up that way if they do get hit from behind they won't break their neck.

In every CFB I've had in one of my games the opposing player had a chance to not make the hit from behind. In a lot of the cases going for a big hit wasn't even the best play to make but in the US way too many coaches focus on teaching big hits all over the ice.

I agree. The coaches teach it and the ref's do a poor job of not unteaching it. If the refs would call it all the time and consistently among them players would learn to not do it. Like Chadd says the head and neck injuries should be the primary concern.

I believe that's why they call them like that around here, because a lot of refs think their discretion means to make up the rules as they personally see fit. In our inline leagues they never call CFB, and it's supposed to be a non-check league.

[Docter Pepper 0]

So we played the same team tonight. It was a physical game last night, and it was again tongiht. each team had 15-20 penalties. In the 2nd period, their guy hits our guy from behind into the boards. There's no call and as our bench yells in protest as the hit happens the ref says to us, "he turned." This was the same crew from last night, except a linesmen traded spots with the head official. What a bunch of bullshit. I even yelled to him after the play "how was that different from last night when i got a penalty and you guys told me he turned." Since i was on the bench he told me not to say another word. What a bunch of shit.

[#44wannabe 4]

Here in the UK referee's have the discretion that if they believe the player turned intentionally then there will be no call.

[moose77 0]

So we played the same team tonight. It was a physical game last night, and it was again tongiht. each team had 15-20 penalties. In the 2nd period, their guy hits our guy from behind into the boards. There's no call and as our bench yells in protest as the hit happens the ref says to us, "he turned." This was the same crew from last night, except a linesmen traded spots with the head official. What a bunch of bullshit. I even yelled to him after the play "how was that different from last night when i got a penalty and you guys told me he turned." Since i was on the bench he told me not to say another word. What a bunch of shit.

And stuff like this is what makes life difficult for those of us who WILL call the book! If how you described it it accurate, I have to totally agree with your last sentence. ;)

[Docter Pepper 0]

And stuff like this is what makes life difficult for those of us who WILL call the book! If how you described it it accurate, I have to totally agree with your last sentence. ;)

Had i not been "ejected" (10 min misconduct with 8 mins left) i was going to ask them what the deal was after the game. Instead i just asked my coach to talk with them. I don't mind that he didn't get a CFB penalty, but it should have at least been treated the same way it was in the previous game.