Un-Written Rules of Hockey

[zebra_steve 11]

The best example for anyone who still isn't sure which is which is Womens hockey.

There is no Body CHECKING allowed.

But body CONTACT is.

Yeah, most folks are absolutely shocked at just how much body contact is actually allowed under the rules..... Kinda why I hate it when I see other schedulers assigning kids to officiale mite and squirt games. They can barely get icing and offsides correct and they're expected to decide if the kids ran into each other or if it was intentional... add to that, the parents and coaches scream for a penalty every time they bump together.....

But I digress... the rules for this are written.... and mis-understood.

thats why you have to pair a QUALIFIED veteran ref with a new ref regardless if they are kids or not. The kid has to learn sometime and I would rather a ref learn correctly on a mite or squirt game than a rookie adult learning in a checking PeeWee or Bantam game. You should also have to have a few seasons under your belt before reffing an adult game.

Yep... add to that, that USA Hockey considers the Women's levels equivalent to the men's for the most part - ie: U19 girls = Midget, U14 girls = Bantam, U12 girls = PeeWee.... and are to be shceduled accordingly. The levels that USAH "recommend are listed as "guidelines", but once you get into State, District, and National playoffs they are followed. USAH says that you can officiate one level below what you play as long as you are certified to the appropriate level. When I schedule the women's games, I make every effort to put a veteran crew on the game. I have used a vet with a midget age player that was in his 3rd year as an L3... in short he was well qualified to skate it. I will also schedule the newbies on Mites and Squirts with a vet to mentor them.... in fact, our local RIC skates games for me and specifically requested that I NOT schedule him for any games above PeeWee unless absolutely necessary.

Just curious, CHK_HRD what district do you live in?

[MR MIZUN0 0]

thats why you have to pair a QUALIFIED veteran ref with a new ref regardless if they are kids or not. The kid has to learn sometime and I would rather a ref learn correctly on a mite or squirt game than a rookie adult learning in a checking PeeWee or Bantam game. You should also have to have a few seasons under your belt before reffing an adult game.

I was a ref for two years, but I quit this year because of this. At first I was assigned mites, and squirts, with another first year. We didn't have a clue as to what to call, if it was an accident or intentional. It was a real mess out there...

[Hidious 0]

I was reading about playing all-out when other guys are just there for fun and i have to say that it's totally acceptable as long as you keep physical contacts at a minimum or know your opponent doesn't mind and likes a little battle for the puck. Take outdoor hockey for example. Whenever i play outdoor hockey, i usually join a very intense game where most people give all they have. I cannot resist giving 100% myself, why wouldn't i? Even in these conditions, physical contacts are very mild and the puck always stays on the ice. I understand that the rink is a lot smaller and it's a different kind of game yet it's very intense and enjoyable.

Oh and speaking of that, here's a pond hockey rule: Never, ever lift the puck unless you have huge space and there is absolutely no chances of hitting someone. They puck-on-shins are so painful :D

[Phantom 19]

As a goalie, my main stick and puck rule is that if I'm in net, you don't get to shoot unless I tell you to.

I was at a stick and puck today, and some teenager was there just letting slap shots and snap shots rip from either side of the ice while I (and the other three goalies there) was busy with other shooters. He wasn't waiting for clearance, he wasn't waiting his turn, and he had absolute no regard for the goalie or any one else that was in the area of the net. And like most stick and pucks, very few people had full gear on.

I let someone come in on me one-on-one. As I was just beginning to recover from that shot, this idiot let a slap shot fly from my left, and I never even saw it. It hit me in the throat, broke my lexan neck shield, and impacted into my Maltese neck guard. It felt like I got punched in the throat. I hit the ice immediately knowing what had just happened, but it didn't take me long to figure out that I was ok. A little sore and extremely angry, but ok. The alternative was a hospital visit of unknown severity. I'll take pissed off over a collapsed airway, thank you very much.

I was absolutely livid. Yes, I get to now replace my shield, but more importantly this kid had absolutely no regard for people's safety. If I hadn't had that Maltese on, Lord knows how bad it could have been for me. He didn't own up to it either. I was down on the ice and someone else skated over to see if I was ok. The guilty kid continued to shoot for another couple of minutes until I skated over to him, mask and broken shield in hand, and looking pretty pissed. He apologized, but that was too little, too late. I informed him that he couldn't just shoot on the goalie unless that goalie cleared him to shoot. Especially since there were a TON of people there today, someone else could have been hurt too. Pure idiocy. It's frustrating as hell.

[LivHockey84 0]

thats unfortunate man, dangerous behavior too

[Law Goalie 147]

I once fought one of my prospective teammates at a pre-season game for doing that in a warmup. It's one of the few things I absolutely don't stand for.

My one suggestion, short of actually attacking him (probably not advisable at a public session), is to hit him with a puck when he's unprepared. Make it look accidental, blame the hockey gods, etc., - "Oh, I was just try to fire it off the glass. Maybe we should all do a better job of looking before we shoot, eh?"

[Phantom 19]

Haha Law, I wanted to do that. Oh how I wanted to. I also was fit to skate after him and put my blocker in his throat, but managed to restrain myself. Later on, the tool was skating by me, backward, when I was over by the boards, and it was all I could do to not put my stick out there and trip him.

So many opportunities.

[Ahriman 1]

Sad. You should have.

[dsjunior1388 81]

As a goalie, my main stick and puck rule is that if I'm in net, you don't get to shoot unless I tell you to.

I was at a stick and puck today, and some teenager was there just letting slap shots and snap shots rip from either side of the ice while I (and the other three goalies there) was busy with other shooters. He wasn't waiting for clearance, he wasn't waiting his turn, and he had absolute no regard for the goalie or any one else that was in the area of the net. And like most stick and pucks, very few people had full gear on.

I let someone come in on me one-on-one. As I was just beginning to recover from that shot, this idiot let a slap shot fly from my left, and I never even saw it. It hit me in the throat, broke my lexan neck shield, and impacted into my Maltese neck guard. It felt like I got punched in the throat. I hit the ice immediately knowing what had just happened, but it didn't take me long to figure out that I was ok. A little sore and extremely angry, but ok. The alternative was a hospital visit of unknown severity. I'll take pissed off over a collapsed airway, thank you very much.

I was absolutely livid. Yes, I get to now replace my shield, but more importantly this kid had absolutely no regard for people's safety. If I hadn't had that Maltese on, Lord knows how bad it could have been for me. He didn't own up to it either. I was down on the ice and someone else skated over to see if I was ok. The guilty kid continued to shoot for another couple of minutes until I skated over to him, mask and broken shield in hand, and looking pretty pissed. He apologized, but that was too little, too late. I informed him that he couldn't just shoot on the goalie unless that goalie cleared him to shoot. Especially since there were a TON of people there today, someone else could have been hurt too. Pure idiocy. It's frustrating as hell.

Crap like that is why I hated when my two little brothers would play goalie in sticks and pucks. Hate to say it but I kind of chased them away from playing goal because I was sick of yelling at people who would fire while there back was turned on another guy. Plus the whoe Sticks and pucks line would dissolve into a shootout line, how is a goalie supposed to lean the position facing over a hundred breakaways from guys who have way more experience at their position then he does at his.

[AdamCV 0]

I was at a stick and puck today, and some teenager was there just letting slap shots and snap shots rip from either side of the ice while I (and the other three goalies there) was busy with other shooters. He wasn't waiting for clearance, he wasn't waiting his turn, and he had absolute no regard for the goalie or any one else that was in the area of the net. And like most stick and pucks, very few people had full gear on.

Had a kid like this try out for our team last year. Went 300% in warmups and would fire pucks from everywhere when people were skating through and the goalie wasn't looking. Want an A@@ he was. Needless to say he was cut after the first practice as he was not a strong player, but he did get in a fight over this as everyone on the ice got fed up with these actions.

Funny part he kept wanting another shot and would come and watch our practices. Funniest thing I ever heard and seen. Asked the coach if he could get another shot, and a fellow player told him he got a helmet without the big built in earpieces. Next practice he shows up with a new helmet with removable ear flaps. I just about died laughing

He still didn't get another shot

[shotty 7]

almost every stick and puck venue i go to restricts goalies. i'm sure it's to limit the competitive nature that a goalie brings out in the skaters, but also to prevent the kind of bs described by phantom.

what pisses me off the most about the stick and puck sessions is the selfish little bastards that will gladly accept a pass from you, but never think twice about fishing your shot out of the net and tooling off with it, or picking up your rebound as their own, or skating past a collection of pucks without distributing them. i understand that the concept of stick and puck is to work on your own skills, but returning the courtesy is nice, too. i always look around to see who doesnt have a puck if i'm approaching a pile of them. luckily i haven't seen anyone trying to pick corners from the blue line with a slapshot while there's people in and around the net in a long time... i usually get pretty vocal when that happens.

[Laars 0]

YOU GUYS JINXED ME!!! so I read this post yesterday, and then what happens LAST NIGHT!!!!!

I get off the ice, and my gear bag is pushed from the corner spot , to a spot where there is a support poll in the way. This has been my spot for 6 weeks (Adult practice for the league) . I'm the first one in the locker room each week since we started this. New guy comes in after I had dressed, and pushed my stuff out of "his way". I had all I could do from taking his shit and throwing it out into the hall way.

Instead I barked at him not to ever do it again. I think he got the message.

[dsjunior1388 81]

almost every stick and puck venue i go to restricts goalies. i'm sure it's to limit the competitive nature that a goalie brings out in the skaters, but also to prevent the kind of bs described by phantom.

what pisses me off the most about the stick and puck sessions is the selfish little bastards that will gladly accept a pass from you, but never think twice about fishing your shot out of the net and tooling off with it, or picking up your rebound as their own, or skating past a collection of pucks without distributing them. i understand that the concept of stick and puck is to work on your own skills, but returning the courtesy is nice, too. i always look around to see who doesnt have a puck if i'm approaching a pile of them. luckily i haven't seen anyone trying to pick corners from the blue line with a slapshot while there's people in and around the net in a long time... i usually get pretty vocal when that happens.

Conversely, nothing more annoying than trying to fire deep shots, and people just blow past you to the net, three or four of them, and then hang around by the net. Meanwhile I wait for them to get out of the way, and by the time I do two more people are rushing in for their super awesome dangle goal.

[SouthpawTRK 1]

What's the general consensus if a player is at a stick and puck session and declines an invitation to scrimmage with other players at the same session?

[Krev 86]

Perhaps he wanted to work on some stuff by himself and didn't feel like scrimmaging. Seems fine to me.

[skyscrape 5]

Perhaps he wanted to work on some stuff by himself and didn't feel like scrimmaging. Seems fine to me.

I agree. It is a stick time not designated as a scrimmage. But he or she better make use of the time in my opinion.

[puckhoggy 0]

Please STOP taking my pucks when the ice session is over, especially when we both know you never came in with any.

[jjmills22 0]

Please STOP taking my pucks when the ice session is over, especially when we both know you never came in with any.

look at the example Pronger's setting

[JoeyJ0506 192]

Please STOP taking my pucks when the ice session is over, especially when we both know you never came in with any.

Amen! It got so bad this winter that I started taking one puck on the ice with me. Pucks are like $.99 at the local sporting goods store... I really do not get it, and it wasn't like it was a kid taking them. Full-grown men were walking off the ice with my extra pucks. I'd call them out for it and the response I once got was, "Oh, you had seven or eight, I didn't think you'd miss one or two." Really? If you need a puck that bad... ask. But seriously, I've seen you at stick and puck three times this week; take a day off and buy eight pucks with the money you save.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

The only time I take other peoples pucks is when the rink manager just tells me to take whatevers left. I'm usually the last one off.

[xrickyb86x 1]

I've had so many pucks stolen from stick time. I don't mind too much since they're only a buck. I get pissed when my 6 dollar inline pucks get stolen.

[puckhoggy 0]

also hate it when ppl leave to go hit the showers, but decide not to close the bench doors on their way out. They do this when they know there's no one on the bench in the first place to close it for them. So then everyone circles around the unclosed door, seeing who will be the one among us to close it lol

[doodman 0]

here's one,

At stick time there's a goalie who often shows up with a couple of his friends. He will ONLY play them, and totally ignore all the other shooters. Sometimes they even get a little 2 on 2 going, playing through everyone else.

The problem is, we only get half ice-so one net.

I don't think its cool that one goalie and his few friends should lock down the whole session.

I finally said screw it and started taking wristers on net anyway, which pissed him off (he threw a couple F-bombs my way).

[Hradsky 1]

Wow you all have some serious problems at shinny. Mine is actually pretty alright. Of course we got the usual puck hogs and the guys who think they're the next great one, but nobody really THAT bad.

I just don't get why people have to hog the puck so much really? I mean...it's pick up. I have no problem passing the puck, especially if there's a guy wide open for a breakaway, or when I'd have to go through 5 guys to get a shot away. I mean how about passing it? When nobody passes it to me, I don't pass it to them, because there is no way in hell I'm getting the puck back after.

At least nobody wants to play defense, so I play defense and break up the opposing team's rush, then I get the puck and rush it back myself :)

And I don't know about being the guy who doesn't participate in the scrimmages, I'd actually like to just work on my stick handling for an hour or so but I don't know... I don't really want to get in the way of the game that's going on, ya know?

Ahh if only more people were as nice as me...:P

[elevation 1]

Girlfriends, wives or similar stay off the bench! My teammates suddenly morph from superheroic idiots to permanently self-declaring ..., whatever you name it, and vice versa...so get out of MY bench! ;-)