should checking from behind just be a ejection?

[kingofpain]

should it be or shouldnt, what do you guys think?

[Marty McSorely]

No then the Ref's would call BOARDING on every hit from behind.

[wbl92]

No, it's too much of a judgement call. Most of the checking behind that I see happening is actually the fault of the player being checked. Coaches need to teach kids to not leave themselves vulnerable to this along the boards. There's not much a player can do to stop when his opponent turns his back at the last second. Referees always have the option to call an intent to injure penalty in severe cases to disqualify someone.

[inthestands]

It already is depending on the type of hit and where it happens..

[rachgr]

a crosscheck in the back after the ref was already gonna call him for elbow , it was a cheap shot intentional, kid should have been tossed, Iam all for a clean hit but this kid should be out for a game

[5thgraders]

[quote="rachgr"]a crosscheck in the back after the ref was already gonna call him for elbow , it was a cheap shot intentional, kid should have been tossed, Iam all for a clean hit but this kid should be out for a game[/quote]

It sounds like a youthfull lesson an extra 2 for crosscheck unless
it was head first into the boards.

Rachgr what about the game you offered to pay for the ice for ??
Thought you went into hiding glad to see you are ok.......

[rachgr]

the kid got 2 penalties 7 second apart, hit was head first, other team didnt touch puck so ref was already watching him

[cajones18]

Most of the time it is the kid who's being checked from behind's fault, because kids tend to get scared and turn their back's to the oncoming player. It's just like diving when your not tripped.

[shoot_it]

what happens if the player gettin hit turns away from other player to try and get check from behind

[inthestands]

Most of the time it is the kid who's being checked from behind's fault, because kids tend to get scared and turn their back's to the oncoming player. It's just like diving when your not tripped.

Good one. Most kids I see crashing head first into the boards have it coming. That is the most asinine comment I've seen in a long time.

No doubt some kids turn while being hit, and create a problem. The smart players in that case will let up significantly on the hit, and make it good later on. For those few not smart enough to let up, they deserve what ever penalty is given.

If a player sees numbers on the back, they need to let up or lay off. Anything else is a big mistake.

[Hnut61]

You get tossed in Canada....

[cajones18]

This is Minnesota.. Not Canada..

[matthebat]

no it depends on how hard you hit the kid but it still shouldnt be an ejection

[wbl92]

hey inthestands, I don't know if you've ever played the game, but sometimes it is next to impossible to stop your full speed momentum when an opponent turns at the last moment. No one wants to see kids get injured, but blaming the checker regardless of circumstance isn't right. We teach kids defensive driving skills, but when it comes to hockey it needs to be the exact opposite. For a kid to be able to play at the top levels there can be no hesitation in his game and aggresion is of the utmost importance.

[Hockeyguy_27]

hey inthestands, I don't know if you've ever played the game, but sometimes it is next to impossible to stop your full speed momentum when an opponent turns at the last moment. No one wants to see kids get injured, but blaming the checker regardless of circumstance isn't right. We teach kids defensive driving skills, but when it comes to hockey it needs to be the exact opposite. For a kid to be able to play at the top levels there can be no hesitation in his game and aggresion is of the utmost importance.

The Canadians have far less trouble with checking from behind than we do. I say toss the kids but educate the refs so they're somewhat consistent in how they call this.

[inthestands]

hey inthestands, I don't know if you've ever played the game, but sometimes it is next to impossible to stop your full speed momentum when an opponent turns at the last moment. No one wants to see kids get injured, but blaming the checker regardless of circumstance isn't right. We teach kids defensive driving skills, but when it comes to hockey it needs to be the exact opposite. For a kid to be able to play at the top levels there can be no hesitation in his game and aggresion is of the utmost importance.

Like I said, the smart players...

Yes, I've played the game.

I didn't blame the checker regardless of anything. Go back and read a little slower. You will see a mention of some problems caused by the player being checked.

[hockscout88]

It all comes down to educating the refs in general. In all my years of watching hockey, I have never seen worse reffing than this year. I don't know if they are unable to comprehend the rule changes or what, but NO refs are consistent with their calls. They call slashing as holding, holding as interference, tripping as interference and their new one they love to call when they aren't sure why they blew the whistle in the first place is "head contact". If you have a kid that is 5' 7" check a kid that is 5 foot, there is going to be head contact every time. The bigger player is being penalized for a good clean check all the time. If the player that gets checked lays there for awhile, they love to give major penatlties and misconducts also, yet they aren't accountable for the horrible call in the first place. It doesn't matter the age level either, youth to high school, they are consistently bad.

[inthestands]

"It all comes down to educating the refs in general"
Yes, agreed.

"I have never seen worse reffing than this year"
Where?

"If you have a kid that is 5' 7" check a kid that is 5 foot, there is going to be head contact every time."
Yes there will, and it should be called every time. I tell my players to keep both hands on their stick, and stick on the ice. If that happens those situations are minimized.

"yet they aren't accountable for the horrible call in the first place"
Can't agree with this one. If the same officials are making bad calls game after game, why not report them to the local supervisor? Not quite as easy as complaining on a message board, but the end result should be better?

[spin-o-rama]

wbl92 and hockscout88:

Most checking from behind incidents are against the boards. Why should a player be barreling full speed into another player who is against/near the boards? It doesn't even matter if the player is facing you. The rules state:

Rule 604 - Board Checking:

A minor or a major penalty, at the discretion of the Referee
based upon the degree of violence of the impact with the
boards, shall be imposed on any player who body-checks,
cross-checks, elbows, charges or trips an opponent in such a
manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently into
the boards.

They go on to further explain Checking From Behind and Boarding. It is a good read. FYI, size difference is not an excuse. You will not find an exception for that or for a player who turns his back, but rather that the checker is 100% responsible.

If you are a coach then teach your kids to skate better so they can read and react to the game.

Cajones18: There is a penalty for diving. There is not one for "turning your back." Poor analogy.

[cajones18]

Exactly what I'm saying, most of the time refs don't catch the diving penalty.. That's where the turning your back comes in too. If you don't want to get hit... DONT PLAY HOCKEY!

[inthestands]

Isn't the diving penalty only in place at the NHL level?

I've never seen one called anywhere else.

[spin-o-rama]

inthestands: you are correct. My miss. Been reading too many books.

[double minor]

someone needs to read the rule book there is not a penalty for diving, the ref is to go to the team and talk to the coach.

[hiptzech]

It all comes down to educating the refs in general. In all my years of watching hockey, I have never seen worse reffing than this year. I don't know if they are unable to comprehend the rule changes or what, but NO refs are consistent with their calls. They call slashing as holding, holding as interference, tripping as interference and their new one they love to call when they aren't sure why they blew the whistle in the first place is "head contact". If you have a kid that is 5' 7" check a kid that is 5 foot, there is going to be head contact every time. The bigger player is being penalized for a good clean check all the time. If the player that gets checked lays there for awhile, they love to give major penalties and misconducts also, yet they aren't accountable for the horrible call in the first place. It doesn't matter the age level either, youth to high school, they are consistently bad.

Mr. Scout,

In all of your years of scouting hockey I would think that know that it isn’t a ref that causes the infractions in the first place. Refs call the game, and like your scouting ability (I assume you have gotten a few wrong) sometimes they don’t get it right. I am not sure where referee education comes into play with whether checking from behind should be a game ejection. Furthermore, I am not sure what your beef is. In your thread you point out that they call the wrong penalty but you are not disagreeing that there was a penalty in the first place, I find this a bit of a relief. But, you go on ranting about contact to the head calls…pick a topic, preferably the one that is attached to the thread that you are on. Additionally, not many rule changes have been made you must be talking about the standards of play being changed. One rule that hasn’t changed is when a player is injured from an infraction a major penalty plus a game is issued. It is automatic, but you probably already knew that.

If you are truly scouting you maybe looking at checking and body position from a totally different perspective, for the upper levels like D1, D3 or pro. In youth hockey (I hope that you are referring to youth hockey and not high school, if not you may be on the wrong forum) contact to the head is contact to the head regardless of who is bigger or smaller.

Take the advise from other posters, if you see a problem ref report them. Start to document the fact that there is a ref out there that needs education. You see Mr. Scout; at the youth levels the people in charge look up to professionals such as yourself for feedback and how we can all improve US, and especially Minnesota hockey. Use you assumed authority in hockey to better the situation. In short, If you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

[cajones18]

someone needs to read the rule book there is not a penalty for diving, the ref is to go to the team and talk to the coach.

Did you actually find this in the rule book? Because it gets called all of the time at my sons bantam b hockey games.