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// NOV/DEC 2021 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTOS BY Gabe Haferman; USA Hockey Magazine Archives
very four years,
U S A H o c k e y
r e v i e w s i t s
playing rules
a s a w a y t o
a d v a n c e t h e
sport and make
it as competitive
and fun as possible.
T h e p r o c e s s s t a r t s
t h e s u m m e r b e f o r e w i t h r u l e c h a n g e
p r o p o s a l s s u b m i t t e d t o U S A H o c k e y.
Fo l l o w i n g a r e v i e w b y s e v e r a l g r o u p s ,
including the playing
rules committee and the board
of directors, the rules are voted on at USA
Hockey's Annual Congress.
Several rule changes have been the talk of
the young season, and USA Hockey wants
to clarify why some of these changes were
made and why they will help make our game
safer and promote skill development.
What Are This Year's Changes?
The rule book language has been updated
to emphasize the principles outlined in
the "Declaration of Safety, Fair Play and
Respect." These include eliminating hits
that are meant to punish or intimidate an
opponent or where there is no effort to win
possession of the puck.
Additionally, the offside rule eliminates
tag-up offside at all youth and girls levels
of play. Immediate offside is now applied
at all levels except high school and adult
classifications.
IS
THE
IS
THE
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