National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA News Archive - 2000
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The NCAA News
The NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Rules Committee altered its video protocol and added a penalty for obstruction at its annual meeting in Indianapolis May 22-25.
After discussing the video replay system, the committee voted to make a change that will allow the instant replay official to alert on-ice officials of a questionable goal. The committee decided that all goals will be reviewed and that the on-ice official will not resume play until the instant replay official has reviewed the goal.
Also, the committee voted to allow coaches to use their timeout for the purpose of reviewing situations that are in the video replay criteria or a potential goal that was not observed by the on-ice officials. Regardless of the outcome of the review, the team will be charged a timeout.
Instant replay is allowed only during regular-season tournaments and postseason tournament competition, including the NCAA Frozen Four.
"The instant replay system works when it is used properly," said Mike Sertich, committee chair and men's ice hockey coach at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. "The committee felt these changes would give the officials as many tools as possible to ensure the correct call is made."
Interference, a point of emphasis a year ago, helped create a new rule for obstruction. The committee was pleased with the improvement in this area, but felt more progress would be made with a specific penalty call. The rule relates to interference away from the puck in any way.
The rule reads: "Any player who interferes with a non-puck carrying player will receive a minor for obstruction. Obstruction will be called in front of the infraction (i.e. obstruction -- holding)."
A new signal will also go into effect, which mirrors the National Hockey League's signal for obstruction.
"The emphasis on cleaning up the stick work and interference away from the puck has improved," Sertich said. "The committee feels making a rule relating to obstruction will continue that improvement."
The committee also altered its rule relating to relief in some short-handed penalty situations. For example: Team A has a major and a minor penalty assessed, and Team B also has a minor penalty. Team B scores. The minor penalty to Team A would be erased and a player would return to the ice.
The rule will read: "If a short-handed team is scored upon while serving a major and a non-coincidental minor penalty (two different players), the minor penalty shall terminate."
"I think there is a general consensus that when a team is short-handed and is scored upon, they deserve relief," Sertich said. "The committee felt this was the best way to address that."
The committee outlined its points of emphasis for the 2000-01 season. Obstruction, diving, hitting from behind and cross-checking/slashing will be emphasized in the rules video and in officiating clinics.
Other highlights
Men's Ice Hockey Rules Committee
May 22-25/Indianapolis
In addition to the rules changes described in the accompanying article, the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Rules Committee took the following actions that impact the 2000-01 season:
* Recommended that goal pins be used whenever possible.
* Re-emphasized that a deliberate illegal substitution to stop a scoring chance shall be awarded a penalty shot.
* Applauded the efforts of officials to call diving and encouraged footage on the annual rules video to clarify the rule.
* Recommended that goal judges be officials when possible.
* Deleted a portion of the offsides rule, which allowed officials to ignore an offsides when a player was pushed across the blue line. Now, the player is either offsides or the player that pushed the opposing player should be called for interference.
* Incorporated the punching rule into the rule for fighting. Also, the committee changed the wording relating to fighting to penalize players that participate in an altercation.
* Defeated a proposed overtime format that incorporates a five-minute period with four skaters to a side.
* Changed the wording relating to forfeits and refusal to start play and added a section for removal of a team from the ice. The referee shall assess a minor penalty to a team that does not start play for delay of game. If this continues, a major penalty will be assessed and, if the behavior persists, the game will be forfeited. If a coach removes all or part of a team in protest of a referee's decision, this will be an automatic forfeit.
* Stiffened the penalty for spitting, making the offense a game misconduct penalty. The committee also made taunting a more serious penalty, voting to make it a misconduct or game misconduct penalty, at the discretion of the referee.
* Put in place a provision to allow play to continue in the case of a goal cage becoming dislodged. If there is an offensive opportunity for the non-offending team, and the goal cage is that team's defensive goal, play shall continue until the offensive opportunity has ended.
* Voted to allow the Central Collegiate Hockey Association to continue limited use of the two-referee, two-linesman system.