New Stick-Check rules

[Dan Wishengrad]

[quote="stickdoctor] A previous poster has it right - blame the manufacturers. Today's sticks are so close to the specs in the rules that there is no tolerance for errors, and the head warpage that typically results from ground balls, poke checks, faceoffs and slap checks often renders a head illegal.[/quote]

Thanks for backing me up on this, Doc! Here's another example:

The long-used stick head of a UW Long-pole checked at practice was only 9 1/2 inches when precisely measured according to the rules. No amount of squeezing from the sides could make it 10'', so the player is forced to buy a new head. A couple days later he is stringing his bright and shiny new purchase at practice, which is also surrendered for inspection. The length of the new head is 9 15/16. It is close, but it is visibly illegal according to the rules. The width of the head has plenty of room to spare, and some squeezing does produce a 10" length -- but only an exact 10 inches and not a micron more. Will every offficial who checks this new stickhead concur with my measurement making it exactly ten inches?

Why DO the manufacturers place the burden on the players to render the stick legal? Shouldn't it be a given that the stick -- or any other licensed, warrantied product sold -- is legal for its intended purpose? The rules are designed to prevent cheating by players who try to gain an illegal advantage, not to make everyone a "criminal" until they alter the product they have shelled out precious dollars for.

[The Hammer]

Let's blame the manufacturers!

Typical, Lets try and blame someone else. How about the players take some responsibility, They are the ones buying the sticks. I don't agree with the new rule, if anything a stick should only be checked once during the "random" checks. Once it's deemed legal, it should not be checked again during the game.

Nice idea in theory and it's how things would work in the past whether it be unofficially or officially.

However, in practice, once a player had been checked, out would come the illegal stick because he could be sure he wouldn't be checked again....

A previous poster has it right - blame the manufacturers. Today's sticks are so close to the specs in the rules that there is no tolerance for errors, and the head warpage that typically results from ground balls, poke checks, faceoffs and slap checks often renders a head illegal.

I still believe that the responsibility falls on the player of the stick. The player knows the rules and it's their responsibility to follow them. I don't see how the manufacturers are responsible for this. They make a product, if said product isn't legal for play, then don't buy it. Eventually the manufactures will have to get on board with this, and I'm sure they already are, the stock on the shelves now are probably heads made before this became a issue.

[Hi-Line Lax]

does anyone know where I can find 30 Edges?

[lincoln02]

^that's hilarious.

[Band]

I may actually have to bake my E3 for the purpose of unpinching it some.

[TheNino57]

After I received a 3-minute-unreleasable for having a stick that was too narrow at the scoop, I had to resort to "reverse baking." I measured out a piece of wood that was wider than the requisite measurement and baked my head wider. Yes, blame falls on the manufacturers of the product and blame falls on the players who don't maintain their sticks. One thing that was interesting, on Sunday against Linfield, my stick was checked and ruled legal. My teammate, using the exact same head, shaft, and string job (and, you guessed it, same brand of stringing supplies) had his head ruled illegal. He sat in the sin-bin for 3 minutes for a stick that he purchased this fall and didn't doctor.

The point of the thread was not to blame the referees, at all, they're just doing their job- I wanted to discuss the rule, from a player perspective. This is the order of things. When new rules are put into place, they are tried and tested and often altered.

[Kyle Berggren]

This is what we want, less illegal sticks. The new rules & checks put the pain on the players, & in turn, the manufacturers. It won't be very long when X stick is illegal 90% of the time, so players simply don't buy it. I don't necessarily agree with the way we've gone about getting after the problem, but now it hurts your team & it is effective. I'm still pretty against checking the FOGO stick before a face & then recording the penalty (as no illegal play has happened), but if we can give some power back to the defense, great.

[Sonny]

Fellas, please continue the stick discussion in the Officiating Forum BUT PLEASE note the rules over there - No specific game or team references.