Paul Stewart: The Stew: Offside Rule Change, There Used to Be an Ice Rink, and More

I think the rule change is long over due. What you are arguing is extremely unlikely.

There is also another matter to consider: I do not think that extending the blueline up for offside purposes will create fewer disputes. I think it will create MORE. Adding parameters and potential permutations to what is/isn't offside is NOT going to alleviate the existing problems with the replay system as pertains to replay challenges for offside. It will simply complicate things even further.
- Paul Stewart

What about all those irritating reviews contending the guys skate was 1mm off the ice? I think worst case it'll be a wash # of replays wise and the rule makes so much more sense now so I'd consider this a big win for common sense at the very least.

I think the safety angle way overblown ... and how about we get rid of bench invoked reviews for offsides completely? Let the war room catch the egregious ones (Duchene) .. that way if the offense didn't actually affect the play on the ice (and the linesman didn't catch it) we could completely ignore it like we used to.

None of your reasons for the rule changes make any sense. I feel like you just don't like change. Guys aren't going to be throwing their legs in the air all whilly nilly around the blue line, they're not gonna be overstretching their legs to stay onside. People jumo to stop pucks in the air at the blue line all the time already. Expanding offsides to the other edge of the blue will also not just create Mass chaos. And coaches challenges are going to be used just like they always have.

I’d like to see the trapezoid gone behind the net also. Stop penalizing talent. Team dumps puck into corner and goes for a line change. Goalie races into corner fires puck up to winger for a breakaway. Nothing wrong with that.

I've been saying for years that changing the rule makes no sense.

It will make it more difficult for linesmen to tell if it is offside in the air than a skate on the ice. I predict more challenges than before and the challenge will be equally as difficult to determine the right outcome.

This does nothing to solve the problem, but I don't the safety issue will be that bad. I don't think players will start bending in weird ways and doing dance skating type of stuff to stay onside...but ya never know.

I've been saying for years that changing the rule makes no sense.

It will make it more difficult for linesmen to tell if it is offside in the air than a skate on the ice. I predict more challenges than before and the challenge will be equally as difficult to determine the right outcome.

This does nothing to solve the problem, but I don't the safety issue will be that bad. I don't think players will start bending in weird ways and doing dance skating type of stuff to stay onside...but ya never know.
- Njuice

How does this change make it harder on the linesmen? I say it'll make their job easier. Now they can just look down the line and if any portion of the skate is behind the line it will be onsides.

The only people this won't help is the team replay people who will be deprived of a (completely pointless) "gotcha" that sometimes takes forever to adjudicate.

Generally, I'm fine with the rule change but this doesn't fix the real problem. The issue is that we have replays that are not clear to judge the off sides and we are taking goals off the board when the potential off sides is inconsequential to the play resulting in the goal.

I think to overturn a goal you need both those factors to be satisfied. The play was clearly off-sides and the off-sides player was a factor in the goal. Otherwise call stands.

Generally, I'm fine with the rule change but this doesn't fix the real problem. The issue is that we have replays that are not clear to judge the off sides and we are taking goals off the board when the potential off sides is inconsequential to the play resulting in the goal.

I think to overturn a goal you need both those factors to be satisfied. The play was clearly off-sides and the off-sides player was a factor in the goal. Otherwise call stands.
- Queenie_5_hole

Right, so take this one away from the teams and let the war room handle it.

Right, so take this one away from the teams and let the war room handle it.
- farooge

I’m fine with that.