"[log in to unmask]" writes:
>As to the faceoff circle rule 6-12(a), I don't know how well that will work.
>Just to be silly, what would happen if some member of a team kept touching the
>circle until all members for his side had been thrown out?  Forcing a
>throw-out is only going to slow things down.  If you are serious about
>stopping this most common of all infractions, make it a minor penalty to touch
>the circle during the faceoff.  I would not support that, BTW.
 
Good point, but there is already a provision for this in the rule book (I
should have pointed this out).  Rule 6-12(e) provides for a minor penalty
if any team commits a 2nd violation of 6-12(a) during the same face-off.
The idea of the rule is to stop the delaying of the faceoff if teams know
their center will get thrown out.  I think it's a good change.  We'll have
to see if it works.
 
>One point of emphasis I would like to see added is an additional minor penalty
>for the instigator of roughing or fighting.  I know its often very hard to
>tell who the instigator is, but by gollys, if someone starts the rough stuff,
>his team ought to be a man down even if the other player retaliates!
 
Well, it isn't specifically in the book, but if one player commits an act
that is seen by a referee that starts a battle, he can be penalized for
that in addition to the offsetting roughing/fighting penalties that might
be called.  From what I have seen, this is usually what happens, so I don't
think it is that big of a problem although your experience may be different.
---
Mike Machnik    [log in to unmask]   Color Voice of the Merrimack Warriors
(Any opinions expressed above are strictly those of the poster.)    *HMN*