As part of my BU hockey research I have obtained most of the
NCAA ice hockey guides & rules books from 1928-29 thru 1982 (81-
82 season).  In order here is what I have found about the various
rules mentioned in this thread.

Regarding two line passes, here are the following rules I have found.

1928-29: Players are on-side or off-side based on where they are in
relation to the last player on their team to touch the puck.  On off-
side player cannot touch the puck unless 1) he is attempting to, ot
takes the puck from an opponent, or 2) he is in his End Zone, or 3)
he was in his End Zone when the puck was propelled from the
zone by an opponent.  The short of the rule is no forward passes,
unless in the defensive zone.

1930-31: Off-side play was modified so a forward pass is allowed in
the neutral zone, as well as the defensive zone.  A forward pass is
also permitted from the defensive zone into the neutral zone, as
long as the puck precedes the player across the blueline.

1931-32: Off-Side play was replaced with Zone Play. A forward
pass is allowed from the defensive zone to the neutral zone or the
neutral zone to the attack zone, as long as the receiving player
was in the same zone when the puck left the passed and the puck
must preceded the receiving player into the zone (defensive to
neutral, neutral to attack).

1937-38: A player in the defensive zone when the puck was passed
can preceded it into the neutral zone and still play it.

1943 (1942-43): Forward passes from the defensive zone to the
neutral zone and attack zone are allowed.  The puck must precede
the player into the attack zone.  There is a nice article, "The New
Forward Passing Rule," by Princeton head coach Dick Vaughan in
the 1944 guide on this rule change.

A quick check of the 1950, 1960, and 1970 rules shows that the
rule was the same.  The 1972 rule book was rewritten and many
rules were renumbered, but the rule itself remained the same until
1980.  In 1980 the Zone Play rule was replaced with a Passes rule,
which allows the same passes as the zone rule.


Next;

The icing rule was changed from a player's defensive zone to a
player's half of the ice (the red line dividing the ice into halves) for
the 1981-82 season.

Next;

Regarding the no-checking/anti-checking rule (called Personal
Fouls in the rule book):

1967: No player may be body-checked unless he is in possession
of the puck and the defending player has both skates entirely
behind the red line.

1969: The rule was changed so the defending player has both
skates entirely behind his attacking blue (or zone) line.

1973: The zone restriction on checking was eliminated for a one-
year trial.

1974: The modified rule was adopted permanently

Personally, I am fascinated by the anti-defense rule which appears
to have been eliminated in the 1980 rule book.

Sean


Sean Pickett            E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Go Terriers             Boston University Hockey