Offside (ice Hockey) - Immediate Vs. Delayed Vs. Tag-up Offside

Immediate Vs. Delayed Vs. Tag-up Offside

Though the basic offside rule is always the same, there are different rules for the situation when the puck is shot in while a player is offside, but the defending team gains control of the puck.

• With immediate offside, play is dead the instant an offside violation occurs. Immediate offside was used in the USA Hockey youth leagues until 2011.
• Delayed offside allows the defending team a chance to move the puck out of the zone. The play remains offside until the puck enters the neutral zone. Play is blown dead if the defending team does not attempt to move the puck forward. Simple delayed offside was used in the major North American leagues in the AHL until 2004 (except from 1986-96), in the ECHL until 2005 (except from 1996–2005), and in the NHL until 2005 (except from 1986–96).
• Tag-up offside is a variation of delayed offside. In a delayed offside situation, if all members of the offending team clear the defensive zone at the same time by making skate contact outside of the zone (including the blue line), then the delayed offside call is negated. Tag-up offside is used in NCAA, Hockey Canada, the IIHF, USA Hockey junior and youth leagues, some North American professional and adult leagues, and the NHL from 1986-1996, and once again after the 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Play is stopped immediately if a player from the attacking team touches the puck in the attacking zone while he or any of his teammates is offside.