From: dpappas@pdx063.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Derek Pappas)
Subject: Re: Offside rules OK?
Reply-To: dpappas@ichips.intel.com
Organization: INTEL X86 Focus Group
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 00:19:29 GMT

In article <1992Dec24.095051.19599@aifh.ed.ac.uk>, dcu@aifh.ed.ac.uk writes:
|> 
|> Well hello everybody!
|> 
|> Who would have thought that we actually had a silent majority reading this
|> group :-)
|> 
|> Now that we have determined that there are people out there we can get on
|> and talk about hockey. So I'll start the ball rolling (excuse the pun)...
|> 
|> Currently we in Scotland are playing with the "standard" (is it?) two
|> player offside rule. It has been suggested that this rule might be changed
|> in the very near future (they seem to say this every year and I never believed
|> them until they changed the penalty corner rule :-)
|> 
|> Current ideas are to:
|> 
|> 	1) Leave it the same

leave it the same. Hockey is a unique game. The FIH is trying to make
the game more interesting for the people who watch the game. At the
same time many of the rule changes in the '80's have made the game
less unique and less enjoyable. The push back instead of the bully,
hitting from the side instead of pushes, stick stop outside of the
circle instead of a handstop, and the most obsurd rule change is the
new rule on obstruction where you can rotate 360 degrees with the
ball. This is hockey not soccer or basketball.

|> 
|> 	2) abolish it all together
|> 
|> 
|> Now, as a goal keeper (yes another one :-) I think it should be left alone,
|> indoor is fine with no offside, but in outdoor it would spoil attacking play.
|> 
|> As an umpire however, I would love to see the rule go (I also would like to
|> see the keeper be able to catch and hold the ball and for it to be legal
|> for a player to kick the ball anywhere except in the circle (or maybe the 25)).
|> 

No way should players be able to catch the ball or kick the ball. If
you are trying to get away from manufacturered fouls inside of the
penalty circle that is another story. A good umpire knows the
difference between a manufactured foul and a real foul.

|> Having never played outdoor without the offside rule, I am not sure that my
|> first point is valid. Has anyone out there tried it - how is it - what do
|> all these people who have suddenly owned up to reading this group think?
|> 


Removing the offsides rule from the game would take away interesting
defensive tactics such as offsides traps and would make marking a man
in defense a nightmare. The Germans would turn the game into a
possession game by totally spreading out the play on the field and
then passing the ball around for 15 minutes instead of the usual 5.


|> While we're at it - how do we find the new PC rule (assuming we all now
|> stop it outside the circle?) and what about this trick of taking the
|> push from a point more than 5 yards from the edge of the circle so you can
|> first time it into the net without having to stop it (though I think the
|> rules have been changed to outlaw this?)?
|> 

The new PC rule is an attempt to slow down the Boevelanders (sp?)
(plays for Bloemendaal and Holland) of the world. Striking a penalty
corner is a skill involving a lot of pressure training and superb
striking skills and footwork, not to mention power and accurracy.

|> Let's go the whole hog, should throat protectors be made compulsory for
|> goal keepers as helmets now are?
|> 

Yes.

|> OK - I've done my bit - now it's your turn - let's keep this group alive!
|> 
|> D.
|> 
|> PS if the person (or persons) who was (were) interested in swapping 
|> hockey memorabilia etc is still interested, perhaps you would like to
|> email me and we can see if we can sort something out.
|> 
|> Have a happy one, and good luck for 93 :-)
|> 
|> D.

-- 

I have my flame retardent suit on.


Derek

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Derek Pappas                US mail M/S JF1-19
dpappas@ichips.intel.com            2111 NE 25th Ave.
503-696-4546			    Hillboro, OR. 97123
m/s JF1-19
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Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey.field