Hybrid icing: the race to the end-zone dots
Rule numbers: NCAA 85.1 NCAA 85.3 NCAA 85.6
Icing is waved off when an onside attacker, with no defender between him and the goal line, clearly has the inside track to the puck. The linesperson must make the call before the first player gets to the end-zone dots, and a race too close to call is icing. A goalkeeper who leaves the crease and fakes playing the puck nullifies the icing; one who simply heads to the bench for an extra attacker without playing it does not. When a short-handed team's penalty is about to expire, icing is judged at the instant it expires.
If the race for the puck is too close to determine by the time the first player reaches the end zone face-off dots, icing shall be called.
- Clock
- Compare the penalty clock with the moment the puck was shot.
Example
The icing race is dead even when the first player reaches the dots. The linesperson calls icing.
Common mistake: Letting the race finish before deciding, or waving off icing because the goalkeeper merely left the crease for the bench.
Sources
- NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28), Rule 85.1, p. 102 (PDF p. 105)
- NCAA 2026-27 and 2027-28 Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations (IH28), Rule 85.3, 85.6, p. 103 (PDF p. 106)
Verified