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Rule 306(b) says it is required that Mites use a Blue Puck. It even goes so far as recommending it for Squirts.

We know it is not used all the time.

This begs the question, what other playing rules do you feel are okay to ignore? Helmets on coaches for practice, a water bottle for each kid, and the locker room policy are not playing rules from the 2009-11 Official Rules for Ice Hockey book - I don't think.

If two coaches agree to allow crosschecking and the two referees are complicit, it follows that a game could be played with no penalties called for crosschecking. An extreme example, but it illustrates the point.

Personally I'd like to see officials lax on calling offside when the players are really young and/or inexperienced.

Third man in get a suspension. There are not enough bench clearing brawls in the NHL these days.

Great topic.
*The blue pucks are stupid.
*Ticky tack offsides are lame for squirts.
*The '2 sticks' rule I've never seen called, thankfully (when a kid picks up goalie stick, technically it's a penalty if he doesn't drop his stick as he is holding 2 sticks at once).
*Is there any teeth to this rule? Does anyone actually do this (have a parent in locker room)? If not, what are ramifcations?

Cdale wrote:Great topic.
*The blue pucks are stupid.
*Ticky tack offsides are lame for squirts.
*The '2 sticks' rule I've never seen called, thankfully (when a kid picks up goalie stick, technically it's a penalty if he doesn't drop his stick as he is holding 2 sticks at once).
*Is there any teeth to this rule? Does anyone actually do this (have a parent in locker room)? If not, what are ramifcations?

You've never seen it called because it is not a rule in USA hockey. It would only be a penalty if he plays the puck while carrying 2 sticks.

Cdale wrote:Great topic.
*The blue pucks are stupid.
*Ticky tack offsides are lame for squirts.
*The '2 sticks' rule I've never seen called, thankfully (when a kid picks up goalie stick, technically it's a penalty if he doesn't drop his stick as he is holding 2 sticks at once).
*Is there any teeth to this rule? Does anyone actually do this (have a parent in locker room)? If not, what are ramifcations?

Blue puck rule is for competitive mite games. There is no such thing in MH.
Mites stay 'home' in Minnesota.

Squirt off-side: as long as it is not glaring or intentional, why stop. It is more important from C to B to A so the kids are more aware of it, bu tit i squirt hockey after all, lets not get too excited.

2 stick rule, who can play with 2 sticks...

Locker room rule - MH it is district by district. D16, no adult goes into the locker room except the coaches. (mites and some squirts - mom or dad maybe tying skates or getting equipment on the kids, but that is not what this rule is about.)

elliott70 wrote:Squirt off-side: as long as it is not glaring or intentional, why stop. It is more important from C to B to A so the kids are more aware of it, bu tit i squirt hockey after all, lets not get too excited.

The corollary : intentional offsides called at the Squirt level. Especially B/B2/C levels.

No Political Connections wrote:I get a little tired of seeing a kid who is offsides and flat out skating his butt off to get back across the blue line clearly knowing he is off sides and needs to get back out get whistled for offsides when the puck crosses the line when he is about a foot from the line. I would rather not have those called at the lower levels and wish that Bantams would go to a tag up rule to make the games go faster.

So when the offsides teams scores do you go down and stick up for the 15 yr old official who is getting his butt chewed by the coach?

There are a number of Minnesota Hockey rules that are ignored. It'd be nice if MH would specify which are actually rules and which are suggestions - the 35 game limit for squirts and playing across levels are two examples.

The USAH locker room policy is also NOT a suggestion. The rule specifically includes all affiliates; it does not make exception for those MH districts that chose not to apply it.

The Next One wrote:

No Political Connections wrote:I get a little tired of seeing a kid who is offsides and flat out skating his butt off to get back across the blue line clearly knowing he is off sides and needs to get back out get whistled for offsides when the puck crosses the line when he is about a foot from the line. I would rather not have those called at the lower levels and wish that Bantams would go to a tag up rule to make the games go faster.

So when the offsides teams scores do you go down and stick up for the 15 yr old official who is getting his butt chewed by the coach?

Great point!! I can't attend my son's C squirt games as the parents are far worse there than at the Bantam level, far, far, worse. Screaming at the refs is the worst part and the "why can't we get decent refs?" whine. Where would people like refs to start? There is no lower level to ref. For training reasons I think they need to call the off-sides. C squirts have to learn to stay on-side just as much as A squirts have to, or they'll never BE A squirts, and the refs need to learn to call a game, or they'll never be good enough for a higher level. Call the game, one extra shift at squirts isn't going to make any kid that much better. Have them all skate backwards to the face-off dot, that would do more for their development. And for God's sake people, settle down.

DMom wrote: Great point!! I can't attend my son's C squirt games as the parents are far worse there than at the Bantam level, far, far, worse. Screaming at the refs is the worst part and the "why can't we get decent refs?" whine. Where would people like refs to start? There is no lower level to ref. For training reasons I think they need to call the off-sides. C squirts have to learn to stay on-side just as much as A squirts have to, or they'll never BE A squirts, and the refs need to learn to call a game, or they'll never be good enough for a higher level. Call the game, one extra shift at squirts isn't going to make any kid that much better. Have them all skate backwards to the face-off dot, that would do more for their development. And for God's sake people, settle down.

You forgot about U10B. My favorite complaint from a 10UB game was that the ref had no business reffing until he learned to skate better.

DMom, my suggestion for our in-house games is for the official to raise his/her arm to show that they were aware it was offside. That way they are still showing that they are competent refs while allowing the game to proceed with a natural flow.

I also have a suggestion on the comment that these kids need to learn it. How about beginning the season with a lax policy and then becoming strict as things progress?

During our Kickoff Festival, I told the officials there was regular offside for the Ice Cream division (experienced players) and none for the Cake (newbies).

At Mite and Squirt ages, kids should be much better at the end of the year. Just another view.

You may have wanted to leave out the part about Cake & Ice Cream. If Observer was having issues with your credibility before...

Not sure what message it's sending to tell refs, players, coaches, parents, etc. that THEY should decide which rules to follow and which to ignore. Lots of stupid rules and gray rules in hockey and in life, but while ignoring rules in hockey has limited consequences, ignoring rules in life can have much more catastrophic consequences. My advice - suck it up, stop complaining, and focus on development within the given constraints. We should give ourselves at least a little bit of credit that we can come up with creative solutions no matter what the rules.

InigoMontoya wrote:You may have wanted to leave out the part about Cake & Ice Cream. If Observer was having issues with your credibility before...

My credibility is safe.

The team names were even better.