Kenny Z writes:
>I talked with my friend a bit more, and he rehashed some of his reasons for
>not liking the rule as it stands.  He also asked why the exception was put
>into the off-sides rule anyway, and I didn't know.  So if anyone knows why
>it was added, please let me know.  OK, on with the reasoning:
 
I am pretty sure this is why the exception was put in:
 
The reason for the offsides rule in the first place was to prevent
goal-hanging.  If a player is carrying the puck into the zone himself, of
course he cannot be goal-hanging.  Therefore some latitude was allowed for
the player carrying the puck.  The general intent of the rule is not
abrogated by allowing this exception.
 
>Number one, "control of the puck" is very hard to determine.  If a player
>is on a breakaway, with no one between him and the goalie, and in full
>control of the puck, he would never cross the line before the puck.  And if
 
True, but just because the player with the puck is the first one into the
zone doesn't mean he is on a breakaway.  He may be challenged by an opponent.
 
>the player is forced to cross the line before the puck, "control" becomes
>too questionable.  In fact, he doesn't know of any situations where a player
>would cross the blue line ahead of the puck AND be in control of it, and he's
>been playing hockey for 15 years.
 
The situation given in the NCAA rule book is skating backwards into the
zone with the puck.
 
Another, more likely one I can think of is a player carrying the puck and
the defenseman steps up on him at the line.  The puck-carrier head fakes
one way and then rolls the other way around the defenseman with his back to
him to protect the puck - which he maintains control of.  If this happens
right at the line, he could enter the zone before the puck.
 
>Which brings us to the second reason, frequency.  It seems that this situation
>does not occur often enough to justify having it in the rule book as an
>exception.
 
I cannot recall seeing it at least recently, but I have seen old films where
#4 would hold the puck far from his body, still in control, and simultaneously
fend off a defender as he entered the zone before the puck, which was at about
a 45 degree angle behind him.  In a way, puck carrying is a lost art, and so
we don't see many players do things like this anymore.  But the rule was
written a while ago when it was more common.
 
 
- mike