Stick check tolerance

[gpatterson]

I worked 3 games at a high school (NCAA rules) tournament last Sat. and penalized 3 sticks for head dimensions: two at 6-14" wide and one at 9-3/4" long. I passed on a fourth one which was visibly <6-1/2, but "close enough." I quietly warned that player.

EVERY player protested that he bought the stick that way, and one even volunteered that he thought the pocket may have been too tight and "shaved" the inside wall.

As I left, I passed a kiosk selling equipment, and picked up a few heads to measure. Most were at the ragged edge of legal, but one was actually short by a hair (not enough for me to penalize).

My question: How much latitude do you (we) allow on these dimensions? These things are outrageously expensive, and I’d hate to see a kid spend another $65 - $100 because I assess a penalty. Comments, please!

[3rdPersonPlural]

Perhaps you're measuring wrong. LR has explained that ypu should imagine a huge ink pad, press the head onto that imaginary pad, transfer that image to paper, and measure that image.

If you try to measure where the mesh hits plastic, you're bound for trouble.

[stripes182]

I have NEVER thrown a flag for a stick being too short from scoop to stop. I don't see it happening, either. As an officials' association, we've discussed the possible advantage gained by such a rule, and all the possible scenarios we came up with were negligible at best. If a stick was obviously, visibly altered to make it shorter or it was less than nine inches from scoop to stop, I would most likely throw the flag, but as I said, it would take a lot. Does anyone here know why the ten inch measurement was put in the book? I assumed that a shorter cross makes it harder for a defenseman to dislodge the ball, but I don't see much advantage in the way sticks are constructed today and the ferocity of the checks skilled defensemen can through.

[CentLAX]

When a player "massages" a stick, in order to make the 6.5" at top and have the ball roll out correctly, the 10" length is hard to achieve. This measurement is usually under 10" the first 5/6 times the head is "massaged". Thus, if the scoop to stop is under 10", the head more than likely has been customized, yet does not meet all specifications. Just FYI - not that I have ever participated or seen this occur first hand. The less than 10" measurement would indicate the possiblity the stick has been purposley customized to possibly bypass some rules. Illegal stick? You be the judge.

[BeachRef]

CentLAX- my son, long pole defender, picked up a 3 min NR for a head that was 9.75" up in Northern VA. I know for a fact that he never attempted ANY alterations on the head in ANY way. I purchased it new for him at the beginning of the season, never thought to measure it when it arrived. When he returned home, I went to the local sporting goods store, spent 2 games pay on a new head, after I measured it in the store. How did it get out of shape?

[3rdPersonPlural]

The 10" rule is there because if you pinch the sidewalls, you've got to pull out the arch to keep 6.5" width and this has to shorten the length. It's a simple way to detect and penalize pinching, frankly.

BeachRef, if your kid's stick came up short, he probably has been poke checking a lot and perhaps storing his stick head down with all of his other equipment threaded onto the shaft. This smushes (to use a technical term) the scoop if the storage is a warm place. Like a closet.

1/4 inch smush is not unlikely in this case.

[CentLAX]

BeachRef- I am glad your son would not customize his head in any way to gain an advantage. No offense intended. I was not accusing anyone of nefarious deeds only suggesting a common possible explination. The heads I have checked where an obvious attempt to create an advantage has occurred, the 10" measurement is hard to achieve. I have personally customized a few heads to see how this process works and learn how to spot a customized head easier. Thus the 10" measurement could be a factor, not be overlooked.

[BeachRef]

Thanx CentLAX and 3PP. I have to say that 3PP's explaination of how it shortened itself is most likely the cause in this case. CentLAX, no offense taken, just wanted to give you an example of how a stick may show up short on a stick check without having been altered. The 9.75" head was not pinching the ball in any way, through use of about 1.5 months, it became an expensive plastic paperweight ! The 10" rule seems silly in itself if the stick is legal in all other aspects, but rules are rules.