Checking from behind

[Hockey Guy]

I’m curious to find out what some of you guys that played (or play) hockey think about the current way the NCAA calls checking from behind. Now I know I’m kind of an ‘Old School’ player, but I can’t stress strongly enough how much I disagree with the way they are calling this penalty. Notice I’m not saying I disagree with real checking from behind being a penalty, just the way they are calling it.

If a player is facing the boards digging for the puck and a guy comes out of nowhere and nails him in the back, that’s checking from behind. That is a dangerous play and definitely should be called. I have a problem when two guys are racing each other for the puck and one guy turns his back at the last second. In my opinion, the guy that turned his back should not only expect to get hit, but pretty much expect that he’s going to be put through the glass for having the nerve to turn his back in the first place. If you are in any situation where you know you can get hit, you should be expecting to get hit. The guy from Wisconsin that got ejected on Friday night should never have gotten a penalty for that. First of all, I think he hit the Gopher player more from the side if anything, and you can’t tell me that the Gopher player didn’t expect to get hit in that situation.

The way they are calling it now is a joke. The player that turns his back should get a penalty for being stupid or a penalty for diving. What’s next? If a goalies not facing you, you can’t shoot the puck? Like I said, I’m old school. We used to have concussions when I was growing up too. We called them bad headaches and went back in the game!

[tashit]

I'm 25 and played hockey my whole life. I agree that it is a joke. I don't want anyone to get hurt but that is going too far. I thought it was fine how it was before. Making the officials call a major and a game misconduct on any checking from behind is ridiculous.

[nolte]

ta[PoorWordUsage]

I agree completely. The worst part with these ticky-tac rules is players will over-exaggerate the actual hit to draw the big penalty. Refs should just pony up and call it a 2 min boarding. Only call the big one when it is blatant.

In my opinion there are way too many light penalties called anyway. After playing hockey all my life, I know the type of things that can take guys down. Sometimes it looks like a yard sale out there with guys flailing all over the place to draw penalties. A little hook on the arm and the guy will bring it up so it brushes his facemask and bingo off his feet. Gimme a break. Everybody knows that if you give that same guy a legitimate lane to the net, it would take a friggin train to take him down.

Let it go, Let em play, call the major stuff, or the things that really take away good scoring chances. Let the players decide who wins the game, not a whistle happy ref.

[Quackaddict9]

I like that they are calling more penalties because they just do stupid things and slashing sticks, holding, everything like that wouldnt be a fun game to watch and decide who wins... maybe deciding who wins doing the cheap stuff. I dont like it when players are in the corner faced to the boards and the opposite players behind the player cross checks in the back, it ticks me off, thats gotta hurt! But I like the way it is now even though there are some bad calls sometimes but we just have to deal with it, thats why we have legs to catch them up.

[NAPAFISH]

Quote:

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just do stupid things and slashing sticks, holding,

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Sounds like the Gophers last weekend lazy penalties, reaching not moving your feet. If you move your feet half the penalties wont be called.

[redlake]

Hockeyguy,

Well said. I couldn't agree with you more. I think the reason we have so many bad calls is that the referees are new to this call and cannot see what should be a 5 minute major, 2 minute call or non-call. It is a fast game and I think we need to let the refs have a year or so to make the right call. This can't go on forever, and I think it is only a matter of time before we see checking from behind for how it should be.

Look at diving calls or even interference calls. Obstruction? They still don't really know how to call that. That wasn't mastered overnight. Well, maybe in Grand Forks it was.

SIOUX!