Thumbs Up: NHL’s new obstruction/interference rules

It looks like the NHL may be serious this time about enforcing obstruction and interference — and so far, given the results, I gotta say I love it, and I’ll be pissed if they stop enforcing it.

These aren’t rule changes per se, but a decision to change how the rules are interpreted and enforced. The league is moving back towards a more traditional, strict enforcement.

Interference and Obstruction are hockey’s names for what basketball calls charging and blocking, or football a pick. Contrary to some fans complaints, it doesn’t turn hockey into a no-contact sport. Players are still allowed to fight for the puck, just as they were before, and you can knock someone down in that fight.

Where interference and obstruction come into play are away from the puck. As a player, you have a right to try to get the puck. A player who prevents you from making that play is guilty of obstruction. It’d gotten pervasive that players were doing this, both offensively and defensively. Offensively, just like a pick in other sports, one player would attempt to get in the way of a defenseman to spring a teammate free, but the other most common place for interference is when the defenseman goes behind their own goal to pick up a cleared puck. through last year, their teammate would invariably interfere with a forechecker to give their partner free access to the puck. Now, they can’t.

Defensively, most of the interference happens when a defender does something to prevent an offensive player from getting into position. Since hockey is such a timing-oriented game, things that slow down a player, even a bit, can destroy a developing play. As the trap became endemic in hockey over the last few years, it brought with it a strategy to prevent players from moving freely on offense. It’s hard for a player to join an odd-man rush when a defenseman is standing on them.

Interference and obstruction are subjective judgements. While a player can’t prevent another player from getting to the puck, a player doesn’t need to give up position to another player, either. This is where the judgement comes into play, and where the comparison to charging and blocking in basketball becomes most visible. When you add in the fact that hockey players are rarely standing still, figuring out a player’s space can be difficult. As in basketball, sometimes two players come together and you call the penalty on the defensive player (blocking), and sometimes it’s on the offensive player. who gets called for what (if anything) all comes down to position. If the defensive player was there first, it’s the responsibility of the offensive player to go around them (if they can). If the defensive player has to make a move to prevent the offensive player from making a play, the defensive player is guilty.

When I’m watching hockey, here’s how I judge interference. If the defensive player has set a lane (is in motion in a given direction) any contact that happens in that lane shouldn’t be called interference. Rob Blake taking a player into the boards is a classic example of this: he’s a master of setting a lane that the player has no choice but to enter, and then Blake is able to check him. If the defensive player has to adjust the lane to make a play on the offensive player, it’s interference. The difference is — subtle and subjective.

Fortunately, I think the NHL is doing a good job of calling it so far. More important, I think the players adapted to it quickly and have done a good job of understanding the way the rules would be called and changing their style to fit in.

I’ve heard a couple of fans complaining that the new rules are a failure, because (according to them), only 1 extra penalty a game is being called (I’m not entirely sure where they got that number, either. I don’t buy it). In reality, even if that number is correct, it’s irrelevant — the idea of these rule changes isn’t to cause lots of penalties. Penalties happen when players don’t adapt to the rules or ignore them. Since it’s quite clear the players have adapted, there’s no need for lots of penalties. Referees, after all, aren’t there to call penalties. they’re there to call penalties when players don’t abide by the rules. If the players do abide by the rules, there are no penalties to be called, which is what everyone really wants. good hockey, played well.

The difference between last year and this year is amazing. Hockey last year was like watching a couple of good football teams play each other using their fullbacks. I happen to enjoy three yards and a cloud of dust football, so I don’t particularly mind, but this year, hockey’s gotten back to the open, quarterback throwing long style instead. No offense intended, but who’s more fun to watch, Brent Jones or Jerry Rice.

Here’s one person hoping the players, coaches and league stick to this. Hockey was a good game before. now, it’s a good, exciting game. Scoring is up, which makes for a better game, and they found a way to improve scoring back to more traditional levels without artificial changes or gimmicks. They simply have decided it’s time to go back to hockey where talent has a fair chance against brawn. The big, slow guys are now at a disadvantage, because they can’t simply grab someone and hang on any more. And that’s good for the game.

Long overdue, here’s hoping the league sticks with it.

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