Onsides and Offsides Rule - Control or No Control

[Rivalred 630]

So a few fellow Wing Fanatics were sitting around a table at a sports bar. Food was good, service was crap, yet the scene made up for it. So there was a real quick, but interesting debate on a play.

If a player has control of the puck, skates backwards into the zone, enters the zone before the puck, is it considered offsides or onsides?

Please discuss...

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Onside. You can enter the zone backwards if you have control of the puck.

[NGKEIB 32]

It's another of those rules where the wording is left very vague deliberately so that it's up to the linesman. I think that if you go in first but 'have control', it should be onside, and that would even apply if you were skating backwards, as long as you could show that you were handling the puck not looking for it at your feet. But most of the time it seems to get called offsides anyways...

[Opie 308]

Offsides, he cannot enter the zone before the puck regardless of control or not, the puck must enter first, seen it happen, player tries to keep a puck on his stick while making a move around the D, both of his feet enter the zone before the puck, play is blown dead.

[KrazyGangsta 79]

Offsides, he cannot enter the zone before the puck regardless of control or not, the puck must enter first, seen it happen, player tries to keep a puck on his stick while making a move around the D, both of his feet enter the zone before the puck, play is blown dead.

That's because they don't have full control of the puck.

[Doggy 130]

We need mindfly for this!!

I've seen players get called offsides a million times for entering the zone before the puck they have possession of. Seems like a no to me, but I'm no rules expert.

[Rivalred 630]

We need mindfly for this!!

He would clearly point out you need to update the number of wins in your signature too.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

I've seen players get called offsides a million times for entering the zone before the puck they have possession of. Seems like a no to me, but I'm no rules expert.

You can enter the zone in reverse, so long as that's what you intend to do. It is rare that a player is in a position to purposefully do this.

[maltbymaniac 13]

Offsides, he cannot enter the zone before the puck regardless of control or not, the puck must enter first, seen it happen, player tries to keep a puck on his stick while making a move around the D, both of his feet enter the zone before the puck, play is blown dead.

^this

i always thought the puck has to be coming in first

[Doggy 130]

You can enter the zone in reverse, so long as that's what you intend to do. It is rare that a player is in a position to purposefully do this.

Cool. I believe it.

[Guest Shoreline]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26497

Rule 83 - Off-side

A player is on-side when either of his skates are in contact with, or on his own side of the line, at the instant the puck completely crosses the leadingedge of the blueline regardless of the position of his stick. However, a player actually controlling the puck who shall cross the line ahead of the puck shall not be considered “off-side,†provided he had possession and control of the puck prior to his skates crossing the blue line.

[zata20 4]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26497

damn, you beat me too it

[Opie 308]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26497

I stand corrected! I have never seen anyone pull that move off and not get called though, I have seen guys try it and get called offsides!

[Rivalred 630]

Apparently during this play where said player entered the zone backwards with control of the puck led to a goal by the Ducks from the conversation. This all took place during Game #3.

[Frozen-Man 144]

According to the NHL Rule #83.1

However, a player actually controlling the puck who shall cross the line ahead of the puck shall not be considered “off-side,†provided he had possession and control of the puck prior to his skates crossing the blue line.

Therefore, a player is considered onsides if he has possession and control of the puck before his skates cross the bule line even if he is skating backwards.

[hoogs 8]

Yeah I knew that rule, but I bet at least 60% of the time he would be called offsides

[stormboy 47]

huh. i actually learned something today. i always thought it was offsides no matter what if any offensive player had both skates in the zone before the puck went in. like others, i feel like i've seen this called offsides, but i'm not actually sure now...

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

Yeah I knew that rule, but I bet at least 60% of the time he would be called offsides

I've actually seen this plenty of times. Typically when a forward has control and does the old spinarama at the blueline, oftentimes he goes ass backwards over the line before the puck goes over.

Other times I have seen it is a player will receive a pass along the boards that is a bit behind them, they corral the puck whilst skating backwards over the line until they can get turned around and pointed in the right direction. usually the player has to stickhandle the puck once or twice before going over the line, hence control.

In truth it rarely happens though. I recall Peter Forsberg doing it quite a bit back in the day, which is how I found out it was considered on side.

[ComradeWasabi 109]

Onsides. Rick Nash did this to us either this year or last year in a game. Not a big deal but he did get it into the zone.

[SiLkK19 67]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26497

Doesn't make sense to me. So lets say a team is on the pp in the offensive zone. Then lets say #5 has control of the puck and handles it to the outside of the blue line, does that mean he is still onside????? He has control of the puck....

Or lets say Player #40 is carrying the puck backwards towards the blue line and crosses the blue line before the puck, and at the same time player #13 crosses as well (but before the puck), would that make the play offside???

I always thought the puck must cross before anything else, but this brings up an interesting discussion.

Edited May 11, 2009 by SiLkK19

[Rivalred 630]

Doesn't make sense to me. So lets say a team is on the pp in the offensive zone. Then lets say #5 has control of the puck and handles it to the outside of the blue line, does that mean he is still onside????? He has control of the puck....

Or lets say Player #40 is carrying the puck backwards towards the blue line and crosses the blue line before the puck, and at the same time player #13 crosses as well (but before the puck), would that make the play offside???

I always thought the puck must cross before anything else, but this brings up an interesting discussion.

Your talking about 2 players, one already in the zone...

The rule is set up for only the puck carrier with control and no one else on his team in the zone.

[Doggy 130]

Doesn't make sense to me. So lets say a team is on the pp in the offensive zone. Then lets say #5 has control of the puck and handles it to the outside of the blue line, does that mean he is still onside????? He has control of the puck....

Or lets say Player #40 is carrying the puck backwards towards the blue line and crosses the blue line before the puck, and at the same time player #13 crosses as well, would that make the play offside???

I always thought the puck must cross before anything else, but this brings up an interesting discussion.

In both instances you're bringing other players into the picture and if someone else is in the offensive zone then is doesn't make a difference how the puck carrier enters it's still offside.

[pavyaz19 1]

Onside. You can enter the zone backwards if you have control of the puck.

This is 100% correct. There should be absolutely no debate on this. Anyone who listens to Mickey and Ken knows this since they bring it up at least 5 times per season. As long as you have control of the puck, it's on side. Period.

[HD30 6]

Zetterberg scored a goal like this a couple of years back (dont really remember when). He got the puck right out side the blue line as he was skating backwards, and he was dragging the puck with the toe of his blade as he was entering the offensive zone which gave him a breakaway(iirc) and put the puck at the back of the net. They reviewed the play and the call was that it was indeed a goal because he had control of the puck as he entered the zone even though he went in first.

[ComradeWasabi 109]

Zetterberg scored a goal like this a couple of years back (dont really remember when). He got the puck right out side the blue line as he was skating backwards, and he was dragging the puck with the toe of his blade as he was entering the offensive zone which gave him a breakaway(iirc) and put the puck at the back of the net. They reviewed the play and the call was that it was indeed a goal because he had control of the puck as he entered the zone even though he went in first.

They can review an offsides play but they can't review an early whistle blown to negate a goal?