Re: Minnesota Girls High School Hockey III
Saw this today . . . isn't checking from behind an AUTOMATIC disqualification in college?? This seems kind of backward . . . ??
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highs...t-paralyzed-falling-164124017.html#more-11188
Don't use the word "disqualification", because the 5-minute major for checking from behind brings with it an automatic game misconduct, which is different from a game disqualification. A disqualification mandates a suspension in the next game, while a game misconduct does not. In high school, I think the penalty was such that it could be a 2 minute minor plus a ten-minute misconduct for a CFB; that's what the college rule book permitted at one point as well.
For the Jenna Privette play, the only video I've seen happens with the net in the way of the camera angle, so it is tough to say with absolute authority exactly what happened. But as best as I could tell, Privette carried the puck behind the net in the offensive zone. As she gets to the far side of the net along the boards, she appears to turn back toward the boards. Did the puck stick? Was she going to reverse her direction? Was she attempting to shield the puck with her body as players at many levels do? Can't see it well enough to tell. The defensive player goes behind the goal line from the other side of the net, apparently intent on intercepting Privette's path. It looked to me like the defender had her stick on the ice and was attempting to play the puck. But there was definitely contact. I'd say contact without any ill intent, but contact none the less. It wasn't the type of play where I'd expect to see a CFB called, because it wasn't really a check, more like the path of two players intersecting, and because one had most of the momentum and the other appeared to be changing direction, Privette got much the worst of it.
How does this problem get fixed? It is a tough question. Many times, one sees a player possessing the puck turn, present her back to the challenge from an opponent, and face the boards. This happens in all levels of hockey played by males as well. Tactically, this might be a good move. From a player safety perspective, it isn't. Sometimes the approaching player has the time and control to stop, sometimes not. The root problem is that hockey is a game played at high speed with boards that aren't very forgiving.