Paul Stewart: Cross-Checking Crackdown Will Be Short-Lived

Until the refs are given free reign to call diving/embellishment as a penalty on it's own, it will only keep growing.

The fact that it is only called as a coincidental while penalizing the other team too just means that there is no downside to embellishing.

If the league would start making teams play shorthanded for embellishing, then it wouldn't be such a popular tactic and hockey would stop looking like soccer at times.

The officiating Is EGREGIOUS In the playoffs that's what they need to clean up!

The officiating Is EGREGIOUS In the playoffs that's what they need to clean up!
- Shady1962

Gotcha. So I take it you'll be trying out officiating so you can be part of the solution? I'll help you out.

Have seen a few of the preseason calls that were a joke. The thing that needs to be reined in is the savage, clear cut cross checks from behind that have no place in game. I’m as big a dinosaur as there is, nut watching D-men almost break a guy in half is not a hockey play. Not guiding, steering or even battling for position, just out and out assault on a stationary player in front of them. Love the concept of inflicting pain and intimidating those that are susceptible, but do it with clean bodychecks and physicality, not vicious cross checks to back and ribs. Not as hard a line to walk, IMO, for refs. I think easy calls, and let the other stuff (push, guide, battle) go. I see no subtlety there.

Yeah the whole cross checking crackdown might last a month. It’s probably the least called penalty in the league if you’re going to call it by the rule book. Then like Paul said there’s a ton of vague crap up to the refs discretion in there. Honestly that vague crap needs to be gone. My only complaint is consistency needs to be better. I’m not going to delude myself into thinking two different groups of refs will call the same way theyre not robots. But when one team is getting all kinds of a ticky tack crap and the other team is being deemed as jockeying for position that’s a problem. Or in the playoffs where generally speaking the same crew calls the games for each series they need to be consistent from game to game within a series. It’s incredibly frustrating to be watching a game with a new fan to the sport trying to explain the rules and identical plays are called differently. I expect things to be missed but when they’re consistently missed one way it’s obviously not being missed.

Hi Paul! I’m interested in officiating!

Hi Paul! I’m interested in officiating!

I'm with you Stew! The cup is earned one inch at a time. The most "skilled" team doesnt always win it and that's fine by me.

Paul, in general I agree with you here and yes, I am sure the crackdown will be short-lived. However, I think of all penalties crosschecking tends to be called the least. Usually it takes something very bad for the refs to actually call it.

While I agree that calling it by the rule book is impractical I think it should be called more than it is. I think the focus should be on whether:
1. Did it apparently cause injury?
2. Did it move the receiving player away from the play or prevent them from being able to contribute to the play?
3. Is the offending player doing it frequently and taking significant advantage of minor crosschecking penalties not being called?

Also, the refs should be given the discretion on deciding whether the receiving player embellished and then be allowed to call that.

Gotcha. So I take it you'll be trying out officiating so you can be part of the solution? I'll help you out.
- Paul Stewart

Before you get too snarky with his post there Paul, can you explain why the reffing in the playoffs is so different than the regular season? Wouldn't continuity throughout not make some of those fuzzy lines around the edges of the rules a whole lot more clear to everyone involved; fans as well as players and coaches.

Before you get too snarky with his post there Paul, can you explain why the reffing in the playoffs is so different than the regular season? Wouldn't continuity throughout not make some of those fuzzy lines around the edges of the rules a whole lot more clear to everyone involved; fans as well as players and coaches.
- Beergu

Good Post!