As a youth hockey official I have run across this question many times from
coaches, parents and other officials.  Here is the criteria that I use to
determine if a player is in posession and/or control of the puck:
 
1)  Did the player come in contact with the puck in any way?  (this
includes the stick as well as the body)  If the answer is 'yes' then the
player is in possession of the puck.
 
2)Did the player intentionaly change the direction the puck was traveling?
(this can be done using the stick or the hand when plying a puck out of the
air and dropping it to the ice)  If this answer is 'yes' then the player is
said to have possession AND control.
 
As stated by many others, for the play to stopped in a delayed penalty
situation, the offending team must have possession AND control.
 
With regards to the goaltender, a rebound from a shot on goal is considered
possession but NOT control of the puck.  If the goaltender were to freeze
the puck, then that would be possession AND control.  Also, if the
goaltender were to make a save and the puck was laying directly in front of
him/her and used the stick to sweep the puck around the side of the goal,
then that would be considered possession AND control (intentionaly changing
the direction of the puck)
 
The key thing to remember is that a player can be in possession of the puck
but NOT have control of it.
 
I hope this helps,
Kevin
 
Kevin Coty                                      "Earth,  Go figure"
Molecular Genetics Dept.                   --John Lithgow
The Ohio State University
484 W. 12th Ave.                        "Education is what remains
Columbus,OH 43210                    after one has forgotten
[log in to unmask]                            everything he learned
(614) 688-4227                              in school. "
fax (614) 292-4466                          --Albert Einstein
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.