In his summary of the Michigan - Bowling Green game, Roger Spurgeon
commented:
 
>Warren Luhning skated into the Falcon zone backwards and carrying the
>puck, passed to Matt Herr who got the puck behind Petrie and into the
>net.  My initial impression (and, it seemed, the impression of many
>of the other 5015 people in the arena) was that the play was
>offsides.  It was later explained to me that a skater in possesion of
>the puck can skate in backwards (thus entering the zone before the
>puck) and still be onside.
 
I've never heard of such an exception to the off-sides rule.   I
thought that rule was iron-clad -- the puck MUST precede any and all
attacking players.  Any comments from our hockey rules experts???
 
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Dr. Stephen E. Roth              [log in to unmask]
Dean of Student Services
Canisius College                    (716) 888-2522
Buffalo, New York 14208         FAX (716) 888-3190
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