NC$$ MEN'S ICE HOCKEY RULES COMMITTEE 1993 ICE HOCKEY RULES CHANGES Rule 1-3: Goal Posts and Nets - New rule. The goal posts shall be affixed in the ice or floor with a release-type fixture. Rule 1-4(b): Goal Crease - Add new wording. The goal crease area shall be painted a light blue color. Rule 2-5(h): Change of Players - Add new wording. If, in the last two minutes of regulation time or any time during overtime, there is deliberate illegal substitution (too many men on the ice), a penalty shot/optional minor shall be awarded against the offending team. No additional penalty shall be assessed. [the new wording adds the provision for this to be called during overtime. - mike] Rule 3-4(b) Note: Protective Equipment - New note approved for 1993-94 season. NOTE: It is recommended that all players, including goalkeepers, wear only a HECC-approved helmet. Rule 4-2(e): Coincidental Minor Penalties - New rule. When coincidental minor penalties are imposed against players of both teams, the penalized players shall take their place on the penalty bench and such penalized players shall not leave the penalty bench until the first stoppage of play following the expiration of their respective penalties. Immediate substitutions shall be made for an equal number of minor penalties or coincidental minor penalties of equal duration to each team so penalized and the penalties of the players for whom substitutions have been made shall not be taken into account for the purpose of a delayed penalty (see 4-8). [previously, the coincidental minors rule would only come into play when one team was short-handed. - mike] Rule 4-3(b): Major Penalties - New rule. When coincidental major penalties or coincidental penalties of equal duration, including a major penalty, are assessed against players of both teams, all penalized players shall take their place on the penalty bench and such penalized players shall not leave the penalty bench until the first stoppage of play following the expiration of their respective penalties. Immediate substitutions on ice shall be made for an equal number of major penalties or coincidental penalties of equal duration, including a major penalty, to each team so penalized and the penalties of the players for which substitutions have been made shall not be taken into account for the purpose of the delayed penalty (see 4-8(a)). Where it is required to determine which of the penalized players shall be designated to serve the delayed penalty under Rule 4-8, the penalized team shall have the right to make such designation not in conflict with Rule 4-2. [previously, there was no provision for coincidental majors. - mike] Rule 4-5(c): Disqualification Penalties - New rule. The team of the disqualified player or players shall be permitted to dress a substitute player or players (equal to the number of disqualified players) in the next scheduled game. [previously, when a team was playing the same opponent in consecutive games, players disqualified in the first game of the set could not be substituted for. - mike] Rule 5: Officials - New rule for 1993-94 season. The three-man officiating system (two referees - one linesman) will be the exclusive officiating system for the 1993-94 intercollegiate hockey season. The one referee, two linesmen, and two-referee systems will not be allowed for competition. Rule 5-6(b) Note 2: Penalty Timekeeper - Add wording. Misconduct penalties, coincidental minor penalties, coincidental major penalties and coincidental disqualification penalties will not be recorded on the timing device. Players serving these penalties will be alerted and released at the first stoppage of play following the expiration of their penalties. [the addition here is of the coincidental minors and majors to not be recorded on the scoreboard. - mike] Rule 6-1(f): Abuse of Officials and Other Misconduct - Delete wording. Delete "after warning by the referee." [referees can now assess misconducts without warning the player first. - mike] Rule 6-6(b): Charging - Add new wording. A major or minor penalty, at the discretion of the referee, shall be imposed on a player who charges or otherwises fouls a goalkeeper while the goalkeeper is within the goal crease or privileged area. [the addition here is of the privileged area, thereby increasing the area in which a charging penalty can be assessed for hitting the goalie. The privileged area extends from the end faceoff dots to the back boards and is bounded in front by an imaginary line connecting the two dots. - mike] Rule 6-6(c): Charging - Delete. [now included in new 6-6(b). - mike] Rule 6-9(d) Note: Delaying the Game - New note. NOTE: A penalty shot/ optional minor shall be awarded against the offending team when, with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time or any time during overtime, a player or goalkeeper delays the game by {deliberately batting or shooting the puck out of the rink, holding or freezing the puck,} deliberately displaces the goal post or a goalkeeper deliberately removes the helmet and/or facemask. [the new note as it reads in this year's rule book includes the part in {}. However, the list of rules changes provided to the media on Oct 14 noted that the part in {} should be deleted. - mike] Rule 6-12(a): Faceoffs - New rule for third paragraph. No other player shall be allowed to have the skates (on or off the ice) inside the faceoff circle or beyond the parallel face-off lines extended or come within 15 feet (4.57m) of the players facing off the puck. If a violation of this subsection occurs, the official shall order the individual(s) taking the faceoff replaced for that face-off by any teammate on the ice. [this rule now provides for players taking the faceoff to be tossed out of the draw if their teammates violate the rule above. It was noted that Northeastern coach Ben Smith was the driving force behind this new rule. - mike] Rule 6-30(b) Note: Offsides - Add wording. NOTE: A reference point is required for the imaginary lines. A red line 2 inches by 1 foot shall be placed at the top of the boards indicating the imaginary line connecting the top of the face-off circles. ["shall be placed" replaces "should be placed" and makes the placing of such a line on the boards mandatory now. - mike] Rule 6-43(a)-1: Tied Games - New rule. 1. There shall be a two-minute intermission. [it was formerly three minutes. - mike] Rule 6-44: Ties in Tournament Competition - New rule. Where advancement in a bracket or the determination of a tournament champ is necessary, any series in a format (e.g., total-goals series, single game, minigame series) that results in a tie will be broken by 20-minute, sudden-death overtime periods. The ice shall be resurfaced upon completion of regulation play. The teams shall not change ends (except as indicated in Rule 6-41(b)). Consolation games may follow the overtime procedures as described in Rule 6-43. [formerly, 10-min ot periods were to be played. - mike] The committee voted to eliminate the interpretations from the rule book. [Also, it was noted that with the two-referee system now being used nationwide, it was necessary to add two new signals to discriminate between the calling of offsides/icing by an official wearing the referee's armband and the calling of a penalty. Note that whenever a referee only raises one arm straight up, it can mean nothing other than a penalty. To signal a delayed offsides, a referee must raise one arm straight up and point down at the line with the other arm. To signal icing, the new signal by the back official is to raise one arm at a 66-degree angle, not straight up. Neither of these signals is in the rule book. - mike] POINTS OF EMPHASIS The "Points of Emphasis" section calls attention to certain areas of the game that the NC$$ Men's Ice Hockey Rules Committee believes need to be improved, not through additional rules but by a stronger emphasis on existing rules. This year, the rules committee requests that players, officials and coaches concentrate on the following areas: 1. Interference (Rule 6-24) A minor penalty must be imposed on a player who interferes with or impedes the progress of an opponent who is not in possession of the puck. NOTE - Officials must penalize any player who deliberately forces an opponent offside, impedes or seeks to impede the progress of an opponent by hooking with the stick (Rule 6-22(a)) or holds the stick (automatic penalty) or any piece of equipment or clothing with the hand or arm (Rule 6-21). 2. Hitting From Behind (Rule 6-20) A major or disqualification penalty must be imposed on a player who hits an opponent from behind into the sideboards, end boards or goal cage. 3. Face-offs (Rule 6-12) All face-off procedures must be strictly enforced, including imposing minor penalties on players for encroachment with skates into the face-off circles or into the area between the face-off parallel lines extended. 4. Player Conduct (Rule 6-1) A misconduct penalty must be imposed on any player who uses abusive language or acts disrespectful to other players, officials or fans. A game misconduct penalty must be imposed on any player who persists with these actions. 5. Deliberately Falling to the Ice Referees will use the "wash-out" signal to indicate they have observed a player deliberately falling to the ice in an attempt to draw a penalty against an opponent. NC$$ MEN'S ICE HOCKEY RULES COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR 1992-93 DivIII Chair: Sidney J. Watson, Bowdoin (term expires 9-1-93) DivIII Secretary-Rules Editor: Paul J. Duffy, SUNY-Geneseo (reelected without restriction) DivI Michael W. Gilligan, Vermont (term expires 9-1-94) DivI Michael McShane, Providence (term expires 9-1-94) DivIII Steven E. Nelson, Wisconsin-Superior (term expires 9-1-95) DivI J. Richard Yeo, Michigan Tech (term expires 9-1-95) DivI Jerry York, Bowling Green (term expires 9-1-95, not eligible for reelection) --- Mike Machnik [log in to unmask] Color Voice of the Merrimack Warriors (Any opinions expressed above are strictly those of the poster.) *HMN*