"Answers from a Hockey Dad," by Michael Keefe Gorman

Question: What’s An Offside?

If a hockey player could just shoot the puck all the way down the ice to a waiting team member who was standing in front of the opposing goalie, hockey would be a pretty boring game. Instead, the rule is that a player cannot enter his or her own offensive or attack zone ahead of a played puck. 

If any player’s skate crosses the blue line before the puck does, that player is called offside. The linesman calls it with a whistle and the players then face off just outside that blue line. If the linesman holds both his arms out to the side horizontally, it means there were no offsides on the pass.

If a player is caught offside in the offensive zone when the other team passes the puck, the linesman will raise his hand indicating a delayed offside call. In this case, if the player can get out of the offensive zone without touching the puck, the call is waived.

About the Hockey Dad: Michael Keefe Gorman lives in New York State with his wife and four children, where they are active in the Skaneateles Youth Hockey Association.