Does your league use "Official" pucks or balls?

[youhockey.com]

I've watched a few games this year, albeit from different leagues and divisions. I found some using an inline puck (different colors - orange and balck), I've also seen teams practising with orange balls. Is there a "standard" or "official" puck or ball these leagues use? Curious.

[DannyG]

The rule book, of which there are several for various competitions, define the object of play in terms of deminsions, size, weight...

A variety of manufacturers produce pucks that work within these parameters. Each national organization from time to time designates an "official" puck, largely because the manufacturer will give them to the organization for free.

Over the last ten years, frankly nobody has come up with the perfect, "holy grail" of pucks that is the absolute best at the three criteria:

1. close as possible in weight to an ice puck (6 ounces),
2. glide-ability, very low friction co-efficient, and
3. durability, especially the glidepins, which tend to wear out long before the body of the puck.

A lot of models have two out of the three, but no one has yet come up with all three, at least out of the two dozen or so that I have tried.

Anybody got anything new on this?

[GROWL]

P.I.H.A. uses 'black' IDS pucks. Simply the best puck out there.

[whodere]

Completely agree, IDS pucks are far better than any others.

[Mlrhnorthfan]

What about the "shock puck"?


haha

JK!

[ISFN]

P.I.H.A. uses 'black' IDS pucks. Simply the best puck out there.


I too thought that IDS was the official puck for PIHA but in some GATEWAY games they have used the Rocket (Narch) puck, also whats the rules on Pro Players playing in the Minor division, I've seen that done a couple times and no they weren't Minor players playing Pro it was the other way around.

[imasieve30]

As a goalie, I prefer the Rocket puck over the IDS puck. This opinion is further cemented by the mexican jumping bean IDS puck that Brian Yingling put through my legs (from his stomach btw) in WinterNat's this past weekend.

Yeah I know, just shut up and stop the damn thing.

end rant.

-Joe

[GROWL]

I too thought that IDS was the official puck for PIHA but in some GATEWAY games they have used the Rocket (Narch) puck, also whats the rules on Pro Players playing in the Minor division, I've seen that done a couple times and no they weren't Minor players playing Pro it was the other way around.

This is allowed as long as it is not any of the "franchised" pro players. I'm sure your next question is going to be, then why don't all the teams do this all of the time? The answer to that question is simply that come playoff time you must submit a playoff roster and no player can be on both pro and minor playoff rosters. Additionally you must play 20 games to be playoff eligable.

[ISFN]

Yea it really didn't help/hurt the game if anything made it more interesting I was just curious.

Also what about the puck issue, what happens if a game was played with a "illegal" puck, has that ever been an issue? Rules and regulations should be strongly enforced from division to division, rules on the east coast should be the same as gateway cause come play-off time this type of stuff will become a problem.

[Dave Garland]

Each team has 6 frozen pro players that may not play minors

I was not aware of any games not being played with the proper puck, however all games should be played with the IDS.

[ISFN]

You may say each team has 6 players set but where is the list, I think it should be posted because any team could send a player to minors and just not roster them, you know what I mean. I think the list of "frozen" players should be available to everyone including coaches, players and spectators possiably via internet, it shouldn't be a secret.

Also a few games at Queeny Park have been played with a Rocket puck not the IDS that is the "Offical" puck, not saying it mattered because both teams played with the same puck just letting you know so when play-offs come the gateway teams aren't surprised when playing with an IDS.


On a more positive note I'd like to thank Dave for all the work you've done and all the promotion and internet stuff you've created, congrats.

[Dave Garland]

We could of course publish the list; all the management knows so no players will ever 'sneak' down to the minors.

I will check on the puck situation but we will get that set to make sure every game is IDS.


The negatives I see to publishing the list online (realize management DOES have it) is that players in the middle of the pack as in the 7th or 8th guy (who most likely won't play in the minors anyway) may find it insulting that he is not in the top 6 and it is publicly posted. That being said, it is no secret so he can always ask his coach. Also, I think it would cause an unnecessary public debate of who is better than who and why wasn't such-and-such frozen, etc.

Thanks for the kind words..we have a lot of upcoming surprises to make the league even better! This first season has been a great learning tool so far and we will continue to get better and better in the future. Player/fan feedback is key too so we know what is working and what we can improve on. Thanks!