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Back to Hockey 101
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The three most common infractions you will see called in hockey are offsides,
icing, and offside pass (or sometimes called a two line pass.) Here are
their descriptions, along with a graphical representation of what happens on
the ice during these infractions. In all cases, the team with the puck would be
trying to score on the goal at the right of your screen.
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Offsides
A team is offside when any member of the attacking team precedes the puck
carrier over the defending team's blue line. The position of the player's
skates and not that of his stick is the determining factor. If both skates are
over the blue line before the puck, the player is offside. If he only has one
skate over the blue line and one on the blue line, he is onside. As long as a
player has a part of his skate touching the blueline, he is considered
“onside.” In the example below, notice how player B crosses the blue line
before player A who has the puck does. Player B is offside.
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Icing
Icing is not permitted when teams are at even strength. Icing occurs when a
player on his team's side of the red (center) line shoots the puck all the way
down the ice, it crosses the red goal line at any point other than the goal
itself and is first touched by a defending player. Play is then stopped and the
puck is returned to the other end of the ice for a face-off. Icing is not
called if the goalie plays the puck by leaving his net, if the puck cuts across
part of the goal crease, when a defending player, in the judgement of the
linesman, could have played the puck before it crossed the red goal line, when
an attacking player who was onside when the puck was shot down the ice manages
to touch it first, or when the attacking team is playing short-handed because
of a penalty or if the goaltender leaves his crease. In the example below,
notice how player A from the blue team manages to get to the puck before Player
A from the green team, the one who shot the puck down the ice, can get to it.
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Offside Pass / Two Line Pass
When a player passes the puck from his defending zone to a teammate beyond the
center red line therefore crossing both the blue and center lines, it is an
offside pass. The position of the puck and not the player's skates is the
determining factor. In the example (left) notice how player B gets the pass
after he has crossed the red line, and player A made the pass to player B
before he crossed his blue line.
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