Schedule and Items to Review

Items for review

Wanted to address some issues for everyone to pay attention too. Important that we are on the same page concerning the rules. Again, this creates uniformity and consistency in the officiating, which results in players having confedence and respect for the officials. Granted there are going to be some individuals that are never going to be content... We all know who those individuals are. This is why I will be addressing items as they come up. I know there will be times we miss something or forget something. But, we need to be all on the same page as much as possible so we avoid appearing like we don't know what we are doing and give fuel to those that are a bit more vocal a chance to divide us. It is important that we have each other's backs and present a unified front. 

First up is injured players. A lot of times some players start yelling at us when a player goes down. Here is the policy on injured players. The next item is concerning Captains and the policy on they are to address us and the procedure on discussions with the captains. No more players or captains losing thier tempers and venting thinking that this is the acceptable procedure. Then last item will be on where a face off takes place after the puck leaves the rink. 

Rule 8 8.1 Injured Players 

When a player is injured so that he cannot continue play or go to his bench, the play shall not be stopped until the injured player’s team has secured possession of the puck. If the player’s team is in possession of the puck at the time of injury, play shall be stopped immediately unless his team is in a scoring position. 

In the case where it is obvious that a player has sustained a serious injury, the Referee may stop the play immediately. 

When play is stopped for an injured player, the ensuing face-off shall be con- ducted at the last-play face-off location. When the injured player’s team has possession of the puck in the attacking zone, the face-off shall be conducted at the center face-off spot. When the injured player is in his defending zone and the attacking team is in possession of the puck in the attacking zone, the face-off shall be conducted at one of the defending team’s end-zone face-off spots. 

Rule 6 6.1 Captain & Alternate Captain

Only the Captain, when invited to do so by the Referee, shall have the privilege of discussing any point relating to the interpretation of rules. Any Captain, Alternate Captain, or any player who comes off the bench and makes any protest or intervention with the officials for any purpose shall be assessed a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct under Rule 38 – Abuse of Officials. Should this protest continue, he may be assessed a misconduct penalty, and if it further continues, a game misconduct penalty shall be warranted. 

A complaint about a penalty is NOT a matter “relating to the interpretation of the rules” and a minor penalty shall be imposed against any Captain, Alternate Captain, or any other player making such a complaint. The No goalkeeper shall be permitted to perform the duties of the Captain or Alter- nate Captain, but may be symbolically recognized as such by the team. 

Rule 73 Face-offs 

All face-offs must be conducted on one of the five (5) recognized face-off spots located on the rink or along one of two imaginary lines connecting the end-zone face-off spots (known as the “last-play face-off spot”), drawn perpendicular to the goal lines. 

When the puck is defects off of the cross bar or ethier post, without being touched by the goalie, the face-off shall be conducted at the center face-off spot.

If the puck is shot and comes to rest on the back of the net, and remains on the net for 3 seconds without being played, the face-off shall be conducted at the center face-spot. 

When a stoppage of play has been caused by any player of the attacking side in the attacking zone, the ensuing face-off shall be made at the center face-off spot. 

When the play is stopped for any reason not specifically attributable to either team, the ensuing face-off shall be conducted at the nearest last-play face-off spot. 

When players are penalized at a stoppage of play so as to result in penalties being placed on the penalty time clock to one team, the ensuing face-off shall be con- ducted at one of the two face-off spots in the offending team’s end zone. There are only two (2) exceptions to this application: 

• when a penalty is assessed after the scoring of a goal - face-off at center face-off spot; 
• when a penalty is assessed at the end (or start) of a period - face-off at center face-off spot; 
• When an infringement of a rule has been committed by players of both sides in the play resulting in the stoppage, the ensuing face-off will be made at the nearest last-play face-off spot. 
• When stoppage occurs between the end face-off spots and near end of the rink, the puck shall be faced-off at the end face-off spot on the side where the stop- page occurs unless otherwise expressly provided by these rules. 
• No face-off shall be made within fifteen feet (15’) of the goal or side  boards. 
• When a goal is illegally scored as a result of a puck being deflected directly off an official anywhere in the defending zone, the resulting face-off shall be made at the end face-off spot in the defending zone. 
• When the game is stopped for any reason not specifically covered in the official rules, the puck must be faced-off at the nearest last-play face-off spot. 
• For a violation of Rule 68 – Premature Substitution, the resulting face-off will take place at the center face-off spot when play is stopped beyond the center red line. When play is stopped prior to the center red line, the resulting face-off shall be conducted at the nearest last-play face-off spot. 
• When play is stopped for an injured player, the ensuing face-off shall be con- ducted at the nearest last-play face-off spot. When the injured player’s team has possession of the puck in the attacking zone, the face-off shall be conducted at the center face-off spot. 

Officiating Schedule for Nov 15h to 19th

Rule of the Week

1. Rule of the Week - Interference
2. Issues of the Week - Face-off spot- Off goal post
3. Out of the Ordinary-  Hooking the stick or stick press
4. Ref Focus- Whistle before the face-offs

1. INTERFERENCE

RULE 53
53.1 Interference - A strict standard on acts of interference must be adhered to in all
areas of the rink.

Body Position: Body position shall be determined as the player skating in front of or beside his opponent, traveling in the same direction. A player who is behind an opponent, who does not have the puck, may not use his stick, body, or free hand in order to restrain his opponent, but must skate in order to gain or reestablish his proper position in order to make a legal play. A player is allowed the space in which he is standing (body position) and is not required to move in order to let an opponent
proceed. 
A player may “block” the path of an opponent provided he is in front of his opponent and moving in the same direction. Moving laterally and without establishing body position, then
making contact with the non-puck carrier is not permitted and will be penalized as interference. A player is always entitled to use his body position to lengthen an opponent’s path to the puck, provided his stick is not utilized (to make himself “bigger” and therefore considerably lengthening the distance his opponent must travel to get where he is going); his free hand is not used and he does not take advantage of his body position to deliver an otherwise illegal check.

Pick: A “pick” is the action of a player who checks or otherwise illegally prohibits the movement of an opponent who is not in possession of the puck. A player delivering a “pick” is one who moves into an opponent’s path without initially having body position, thereby taking him out of the play. When this is done, an interference penalty shall be assessed.
Free Hand: When a free hand is used to hold, pull, tug, grab, or physically restrain an opponent from moving freely, this must be penalized as holding. The free hand may be used by a player to “fend
off” an opponent or his stick, but may not be used to hold an opponent’s stick or body.

In the video below, please disregard the clips on body checking... no checking is allowed in inline hockey... Also, please notice in the video that body contact is allowed in regards to positioning for the puck.


VIDEO

•  Click here for video

2. FACE OFF SPOT - Off goal post
Any time the puck is shot by the attacking team in the defending zone, and it hits the goal posts without touching anyone of the defending team and goes out of play. The face-off will take place at center court. The AAU manual does not specifically mention this. But, anytime the attacking team puts the puck out of play, the face-off comes to center court.

I got clarification from the head official at AUU Joel Louer....

"The faceoff comes outside if it's off the goal post. The NHL keeps it down low but just started that last season. The new AAU/AIHL might add that when they revise and print the new rulebook next year but for now it comes outside."

 When and if this change is added to the 2015 rule book, I will advise everyone.

3. HOOKING OR REVERSE STICK CHECK
This had been an issue for some players and came up for conversation on Wednesday night. The main issue is the reverse stick press. Turning the stick blade over on top of an opponents stick. The rule in question is rule 52.1 Hooking.

Hooking is the act of using either end of the stick in a manner that
enables a player to restrain an opponent.

When a player is checking another in such a way that there is only stick-to-stick
contact, such action is not to be penalized as hooking.

Turning the stick blade over on top of the stick of an opponent for the purpose of pressing the stick and preventing the opponent from playing the puck is also allowable. If done, it must be on the lower portion of the stick and for the sole purpose of preventing the opponent from playing the puck. However, if done in a manner that impedes the progress of an opponent, or contact is made higher up on the stick, a penalty for hooking should be assessed.

I sough clarification and confirmation on this so as to make it clear that a reverse stick press is NOT a hooking penalty. 

Per Joel Louer head official at AAU:

"Stick on stick should never be considered hooking unless it gets up in the hands."


Still not seeing this done by some ref's... Please remember to single with your whistle 5 seconds before you drop the puck.

Whistle 
73.3 Procedure - 
As soon as the line change procedure has been completed by the Referee and he lowers his hand to indicate no further changes, the Referee conducting the face-off shall blow his whistle. This will signal to both teams that they have no more than five (5) seconds to line up for the ensuing face-off. At the end of the five (5) seconds (or sooner if both centers are ready), the Referee will conduct a proper face-off.