The American Hockey League’s Board of Governors has approved the implementation of the
following rule changes, effective beginning with the 2004-05 season:
- In a delayed offside situation, the offending player(s) will be permitted to negate the offside by "tagging up" with the blue line. This rule was in effect from 1986-96 and will enable more flow in the forechecking aspect of the game while reducing the number of stoppages.
- "Automatic icing" has been implemented, with icing infractions to be called and the play whistled dead when the puck crosses the goal line.
- Goal lines will be moved from 13 feet to 11 feet out from the end boards, and blue lines will be moved back accordingly to maintain a 60-foot attacking zone. This will increase the size of the neutral zone and reduce play behind the goals.
- The width of the blue lines and the center red line will be increased from 12 inches to 24 inches each, and passes will be permitted from the defensive edge of one blue line to the offensive edge of the other blue line, adding additional space to the neutral zone.
- For the first seven weeks of the 2004-05 regular season there will be a limited test of a rule restricting the areas where goaltenders may play the puck. This is a step designed to increase offensive opportunities without wholly eliminating a goaltender’s ability to assist his defensemen. Following the completion of the test period, the AHL will evaluate the results and determine whether the rule’s application will continue.
- A shootout has been implemented to decide regular-season games which are tied after a five-minute overtime period. In the AHL standings, teams will receive two points for a win, one point for a loss in overtime or in a shootout and zero points for a loss in regulation time.
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Player 1 shoots the puck from behind the center line to a point beyond the opponent’s
goal line
(into the offensive zone).
* "Automatic icing" has been implemented,
meaning that icing infractions will be called and the play whistled dead when the
puck crosses the goal line.
Icing is not called when a team is short-handed.
Sometimes icing benefits a team trying to break up an attack on its goal. When the defense is
disorganized and under heavy pressure, icing is a better alternative to a goal scored.
Icing may also prove a wise strategy when the skaters tire and a line change is needed
but cannot be performed smoothly without stoppage of play.
Player 1 and Player 2 are on the same team. Player 1 has the puck in what is called the
neutral zone. Player 2 crosses the blue line before the puck is in the offensive zone.
Thus, Player 2 is off-side if Player 1 either passes the puck to Player 2 or crosses the
blue line with possession of the puck. Basically, no player may precede the puck into
the offensive zone.
* In a delayed offside situation, the offending player(s) will be
permitted to negate the offside by
"tagging up" with the blue line. This rule will
enable more flow in the forechecking aspect of the game while reducing the number of
stoppages.
When Player 1 passes the puck from his defensive zone to a teammate (Player 2) beyond
the center red line, the linesman signals a two-line offside and orders a face-off
at the originating point of the pass. The puck's position and not that of the player's
skates (the criteria used in offside calls) determines from which zone the pass was
made.
* New AHL Rule Change for 2004-2005
Hockey 101 / Hockey 201 / Hockey 301 / Hockey 401 / Hockey 501
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