What is offsides in hockey?

Offsides is a rule in hockey that helps maintain fair play and keeps the game flowing smoothly.

In hockey, a player is considered offsides when they precede the puck into the offensive zone. This means that a player cannot enter the offensive zone before the puck does. If a player is offsides, the play is stopped and a faceoff is conducted outside of the offensive zone.

Offsides is usually called by the linesmen, who are responsible for determining if a player has entered the offensive zone before the puck. The linesmen signal offsides by blowing their whistle and raising their arm to stop play.

In order to be considered onsides, a player must have both skates on or behind the blue line that marks the offensive zone before the puck crosses the line. If a player enters the offensive zone before the puck, they are offsides and play is stopped.

Teams must be mindful of offsides when entering the offensive zone to avoid turnovers and maintain possession of the puck. Knowing the rules of offsides is important for players and coaches to enable fair play and a smooth game flow.