From the May 19, 1993 edition of the NCAA News:
 
ICE HOCKEY COMMITTEE TAKES HARD LINE ON INTERFERENCE
 
The NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Rules Committeee highlighted three areas of
interference that it claims will be enforced strictly during the 1993-94
season.
 
The committee, which met May 11-14 at Hilton Head, S.C., stressed the
following situations would be cause for an automatic penalty:
 
* Holding, picking, or pinching a player excessively against the boards after
the puck has been played;
 
* Interference that affects a prime goal-scoring opportunity, and
 
* Holding an opponent's stick anywhere on the ice.
 
The committee also noted that these types of interference will be demonstrated
in detail at the four officiating improvement clinics this fall.
 
The committee expressed its concern that because interference infractions
often take place away from the play, officials sometimes think they cannot
call a penalty. The committee hopes that taking a hard line on three specific
areas of interference will decrease the number of interference incidents.
 
With regard to the clinics, the committee issued a strong statement of support
for the officiating-improvement program and the officiating mechanics that
have been developed for all college ice hockey officials. The committee
stressed that to achieve a national consistency in officiating, all hockey
conferences would have to work together to implement the officiating
mechanics.
 
In another important matter, the rules committee developed and approved the
following statement for dealing with the aggressive treatment of blood-related
injuries:
 
"Aggressive treatment of open wounds or skin lesions should be followed. In
particular, whenever a player incurs a wound that causes bleeding, the
official must stop the game at the earliest possible time and make the player
leave the game for treatment.
 
"When a player's uniform has blood on it (whether it is the player's own blood
or someone else's blood), the official must stop the game at the earliest
possible time and make the player leave the game to have the uniform evaluated
by medical personnel. If the team's medical personnel determine that blood has
saturated the uniform, the player must change the bloodied part of the
uniform. If saturation has not occurred, the player may continue to wear the
uniform.
 
"If a change in uniform causes a number change, the player must report that
change to the official scorer before being permitted to reenter the game."
 
The committee voted again to recommend to the NCAA Executive Committee that
the half-shield face mask be allowed for intercollegiate competition.
 
In terms of major playing rules, the committee made the following changes:
 
* Added wording to the fighting rule (6-14-a) to define fighting as any
attempt to punch an opponent.
 
* Added wording to Rule 6-15-c-10 so that a goal shall not be allowed if the
goal cage has been moved or dislodged.
 
* Added wording to Rule 6-1-1 to state: "After a game, any verbal or physical
abuse directed at an official shall result in a disqualification penalty and
is subject to the progressive game-disqualification structure."
 
* Added a new rule (Rule 6-30-f) so that if a player intentionally is pushed
offside, the offside violation shall be nullified and play will continue.
 
* Noted the Executive Committee's approval last August of Rule 3-4-b, which
will read: "It is recommended that all players, including goalkeepers, wear
only a HECC-approved helmet."
 
In other actions at its May 11-14 meeting in Hilton Head, S.C., the Men's Ice
Hockey Rules Committee:
 
* Recommended that the hockey conferences review Rule 1-3-a (release-type
goal-post fixtures) to ensure the safety of all ice hockey student-athletes.
 
* Added a recommendation to Rule 1-3-g that the interior metal of the goal
cage be padded (excluding the goal posts and cross bar).
 
* Added a note to Rule 1-11-b so that a backup timing device must be provided
by the home team for each contest.
 
* Revised Rule 3-1-a to include fiberglass as a recommended stick material.
The committee also recommends wood or a combination of wood and aluminum.
 
* Deleted a sentence from Rule 4-2-d that states: "This rule also shall apply
when a goal is scored on a penalty shot."
 
* Defined coincidental penalties for Rule 4-2-e and Rule 4-3-b to include
penalties assessed at the same stoppage of play.
 
* Added a sentance to Rule 5-6-b-2 that states: "A referee shall inform the
offending team's captain as to the violation that caused the misconduct
penalty."
 
* Revised slightly Rule 6-6-b so that a minor or major penalty, at the
discretion of the referee, shall be imposed on a player who charges or
otherwise fouls a goalkeeper while the goalkeeper is in the goal crease.
 
* Revised Rule 6-7-b to state that a disqualification penalty may be imposed
on any player who injures an opponent by cross-checking.
 
* Revised Rule 6-10-a and b so that: a. A minor or major shall be imposed on
any player who uses the elbow or knee in such a manner as to foul an opponent,
and b. A disqualification penalty may be imposed on any player who injures an
opponent as the result of a foul committed by using the elbow or knee.
 
* Revised the wording slightly in Rule 6-15-c-8 so that a goal shall not be
allowed if an attacking player intentionally propels or deflects the puck
other than with the stick, or illegally with the stick, and it bounds or
deflects off the person or equipment of any defensive player into the net.
 
* Deleted part of a sentence in Rule 6-17-b-2-d to include "but may not pass
it to a teammate."
 
* Eliminated the reference point on the boards (Rule 6-20-b-Note) at the top
of the face-off circles.
 
* Voted to recommend to the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee that
television monitors be used in championship competition to resolve disputed
goals at the request of the referee.
 
* Voted to allow the Hockey East Conference and the Western Collegiate Hockey
Association to experiment with shoot-outs to decide games that are tied after
overtime.
 
 
END OF QUOTED MATERIAL:
\
Upcoming dates of ice hockey significance:
 
June 8-11 Divisions II/III Men's Ice Hockey Committee meeting at Hilton Head,
          S.C.
 
June 13-16 Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee meeting at Hilton Head, S.C.
 
 
Craig Cheslog
Bowdoin College Sports Information Intern