When is a player off-side?

Rule 6.11 of the Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028 says an off-side violation occurs when players of the attacking team precede the puck into the attacking zone. The question of off-side never arises until the puck has completely crossed the blue-line.

• A player is off-side when both skates are completely over the edge of the blue-line closest to the defending zone before the puck crosses that blue-line.
• Only the position of the skates in physical contact with the ice decides it, not the stick or any other part of the body.
• A player is NOT off-side when any part of either skate is in physical contact with, or on their own side of, the line at the instant the puck completely crosses, regardless of where their stick is.
• Rule interpretations: one skate on the line and one over it is on-side; both skates in the neutral zone with the stick over the line is on-side; one skate above the line (not touching the ice) and one over it is off-side.
• If a pass deflects off a defending player, their skates or their stick and an attacking player precedes the puck, the off-side rule applies.
• A player is not off-side if they carry the puck across the blue-line ahead of it while maintaining possession and control gained before both skates crossed the line, or if they legally carry or pass the puck from the neutral zone back into their own defending zone while an opposing player is in that zone.