Rick Comley made this point strongly during a December Blue Line luncheon. He said he's strongly for the two-referee system, but that right now (or then) the officials aren't/weren't positioning themselves properly and thus a lot of offsides are/were being missed. He said the trailing ref should set up on the blue line and immediately retreat when the puck changes hands so that he can be stationed on the other blue line in time to see if an offsides occurs. In the beginning of the seaso, Rick said the refs were (all of them) going too deep into the offensive zone and thus were caught out of position on the quick transitions. He did saythat it was accomplishing its main objective, the elimination of a lot of fouling behind the play. I agree! On another note. The two-line rule (i.e. no passes from behind a blue line over a red line) was in effect in the NMU game with the Czechs since international rules were in effect. I was very surprised that this IS an international rule. Everything else about the international game seems to emphasize speed and offense. Yet this rule puts a crimp in those aspects of the play. ********************************************************************** * Steve Christopher, NMU [log in to unmask] * * * * * * NCAA Division I Hockey National Champions 1990-91 * GO * * * NCAA Division I Hockey Final Eight 1991-92 * * * WCHA League Champions 1990-91 * 'CATS! * * * WCHA Playoff Champions 1989-90/1990-91/1991-92 . . . * * * * * **********************************************************************