Question on USA Inline rules?

[Bravada 442 0]

So a friend of mine that I play ice with is also a roller player. As the story is told to me by him (and by a mutual friend who was watching the game before playing his next game afterwards) he was in front of the net and getting worked over pretty good. As a player on his team rolled towards the middle of the deck and loaded up a slapper, he went to lift the kids stick that is pushing him around, knocks it out of his hands, and the stick continues up and catches the kid somewhere around the upper thigh/groin area (player said he thought he got him in the groin but wasn't sure). Apparently it was a wierd situation they were in and I'm not really sure how that happens but I have the same story being told to me by 2 different guys that don't know each other.

Anyways, after that happens, he gets punched twice in the face in short order. My friend gets tossed and supposedly suspended while the punch thrower just got a game misconduct.

Is this how USA Hockey Inline rules work? Apparently it wasn't a malicious butt end or shot away from the puck, but he did knock the kids stick out of his hands with a stick lift and follow through a little bit high. Any ideas?

[Chadd 916]

Spearing is a major and game misconduct

[fieldofdreams 0]

It sounds to me that it wasn't a spear, more so a stick lift follow through. At least that's how I interpreted it.

Regardless, if you punch someone, no matter the reason, I believe it is a Major, Game Misconduct, and you are supposed to be suspended for at least your next game.

[Chadd 916]

It sounds to me that it wasn't a spear, more so a stick lift follow through. At least that's how I interpreted it.

Regardless, if you punch someone, no matter the reason, I believe it is a Major, Game Misconduct, and you are supposed to be suspended for at least your next game.

If you come up under a guy and into his crotch, it's usually called a spear. That carries one possible penalty, a major and game misconduct. There is no requirement for a penalty for punching someone, let alone a major, game misconduct and suspension. It's up to the referee to determine how much roughing is permitted before there is a penalty.

[mrusse01 0]

It can still be a spear if you are in the act of lifting another player's stick.

[fieldofdreams 0]

It sounds to me that it wasn't a spear, more so a stick lift follow through. At least that's how I interpreted it.

Regardless, if you punch someone, no matter the reason, I believe it is a Major, Game Misconduct, and you are supposed to be suspended for at least your next game.

If you come up under a guy and into his crotch, it's usually called a spear. That carries one possible penalty, a major and game misconduct. There is no requirement for a penalty for punching someone, let alone a major, game misconduct and suspension. It's up to the referee to determine how much roughing is permitted before there is a penalty.

When he said punched, I immediately thought glove off, closed fist. When I'm working, that's considered fighting. Glove on, a little more leeway. Without the details in the original post, I guess we think of different things.

[Bravada 442 0]

I didn't know if there had to be an intent to injure as far as a spear penalty goes or not. I know very little about the technical details of the rules of hockey, I know all the basic stuff but the real fine line stuff like intent and tight specifics I'm not sure of. I also thought a spear was only with the butt end of the stick, I was unaware it could be a spear with the blade end as well.

As far as the punch, the glove was off, but it was a punch to a helmet with a cage on it, so I'd assume there was more injury to the hand than my buddy who got punched.

[mrusse01 0]

I didn't know if there had to be an intent to injure as far as a spear penalty goes or not. I know very little about the technical details of the rules of hockey, I know all the basic stuff but the real fine line stuff like intent and tight specifics I'm not sure of. I also thought a spear was only with the butt end of the stick, I was unaware it could be a spear with the blade end as well.

As far as the punch, the glove was off, but it was a punch to a helmet with a cage on it, so I'd assume there was more injury to the hand than my buddy who got punched.

I thought a spear, by definition, is with the blade of the stick. If you hit someone with the butt end, I thought it was just called a 'butt end'.

Any glove off punch you should be tossed for, especially to the head. If you are dumb enough to punch a guy's cage with your bare hand, you should just be kicked out of the game for being stupid.

[ncbrock 0]

2 tournaments ago i punched a kid in the face (my gloves on, and his helmet on) knocked him to his butt. there were only 10 secs left in the game, and got no suspention

[Chadd 916]

I didn't know if there had to be an intent to injure as far as a spear penalty goes or not. I know very little about the technical details of the rules of hockey, I know all the basic stuff but the real fine line stuff like intent and tight specifics I'm not sure of. I also thought a spear was only with the butt end of the stick, I was unaware it could be a spear with the blade end as well.

As far as the punch, the glove was off, but it was a punch to a helmet with a cage on it, so I'd assume there was more injury to the hand than my buddy who got punched.

I thought a spear, by definition, is with the blade of the stick. If you hit someone with the butt end, I thought it was just called a 'butt end'.

Any glove off punch you should be tossed for, especially to the head. If you are dumb enough to punch a guy's cage with your bare hand, you should just be kicked out of the game for being stupid.

Butt ending is also a mandatory major and game misconduct in USA Hockey/Inline.

2 tournaments ago i punched a kid in the face (my gloves on, and his helmet on) knocked him to his butt. there were only 10 secs left in the game, and got no suspention

Most of us could make long lists of things we've done that were against the rules but went uncalled. Just because you didn't get a penalty doesn't make it legal.

[Bravada 442 0]

Butt ending is also a mandatory major and game misconduct in USA Hockey/Inline.

Thanks for clearing all this up with the spearing and butt-ending.

One more question, so what exactly then designates the difference between a slash and a spear? Is it the motion of the stick, where the blow lands, the intent, etc...?

I guess you learn something everyday.

[Chadd 916]

Butt ending is also a mandatory major and game misconduct in USA Hockey/Inline.

Thanks for clearing all this up with the spearing and butt-ending.

One more question, so what exactly then designates the difference between a slash and a spear? Is it the motion of the stick, where the blow lands, the intent, etc...?

I guess you learn something everyday.

Spearing is with the toe of the stick but many instructors used to teach that any time the stick came up between the legs with significant force that it could be called a spear. I'm on the road and don't have the full rulebook and casebook with me.