> The puck is not into or out of the zone until it crosses the outer edge of
> the line.  Thus, when the puck is headed into the zone, the blue line is
> considered a part of the neutral zone.  When the puck is headed out of the
> zone, the blue line is considered part of the offensive zone.
 
In short, the blue line is part of the zone in which the puck currently is.
 
> An interesting sidebar to the offsides rule is that there is one case when
> you are permitted to enter the zone BEFORE the puck - if you are carrying
> the puck *and* in full control of it, you can enter the zone ahead of the
> puck.
 
This definitely applies to NCAA and AHAUS rules.  I'm not sure about the NHL
though.  The problem with this exception to the off-sides rule is the "and
in control of it" part.  Many times a player, when coming up on the
defense, will quickly bring the puck to the side and slightly behind him.
This move can cause the player to skate over the blue line with the puck
trailing a bit.  And this is where the question of control comes in.  It's
a definite judgement call.
 
I'd prefer to see offsides without exception -- the puck MUST be the first
thing to cross the blue line.  Originally, I liked the exception, but after
a long talk with an RPI hockey player yesterday (ironically), he convinced
me that the rule should not have the exception.  As a hockey official, I'd
rather just have straight off-sides anyway.  There's too many exceptions to
worry about as it is.  :-)                             -- kennyz
 
---
Kenny Zalewski -- Information Technology Services at Rensselaer
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 83 Albright Court, Troy, NY, 12180
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