Ice hockey
isn’t a complicated game. The ultimate goal on offense is to score a goal. On
defense it is to stop the other team from scoring and take the puck away from
them so that you can score more goals. It’s not complicated.
Simply put;
to score you must go forward towards
the opponent’s net.
There are no
weird complicated rules like they have in baseball
such as:
"An INFIELD FLY is a
fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be
caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first,
second and third bases are occupied, before two are out."
“Each runner including the
batter-runner may, without liability to be put out, advance three bases if a
fielder deliberately touches a fair ball with his cap, mask or any part or any
part of his uniform detached from its proper place on his person.”
Or like they
have in football such as:
“Teams can technically elect to play by “make it, take
it” rules, because when a touchdown is scored, it is the option of the team
that was scored against whether or not to receive the ball or kick it back to
the other team.”
“If a team punts the ball away to an opponent and
either half expires after the snap, the receiving team has the right to attempt
a field goal from the spot that the punt returner calls for and secures a fair
catch.”
But there are
some rules that are similar. Both football and hockey have rules dealing with
being offside.
In ice hockey, if a player on the attacking
team enters the offensive zone before the puck crosses the blue line, he is
offside (unless the puck is sent or carried there by a defending player). When
an offside violation occurs, a
linesman will stop play.
So, if your
the goal is to go forward towards
the opponent’s net and you don’t want to stop play, then you must be careful to
not be offside.
Another way
to be offside is to be in the offensive zone and have a teammate bring the puck
out towards center ice - also known as the neutral zone; thus creating a
situation in which he can’t bring the puck back into the offensive zone UNTIL
you (and the rest of your teammates) are back in the neutral zone.
So, what
frustrates me is when I have crossed the into the offensive zone (legally) and am
waiting by the net for the pass and another teammate of mine, Bob (not his real
name), brings the puck out of the offensive zone and back across the blue lines
to the neutral zone, thus causing me to be offside!
Why, you may
be asking, did Bob do this? Because Bob wanted to reset up the play at center
ice!
And suddenly, without warning, I and my other teammates are offside simply
because Bob decided to go backwards to the neutral zone.
Hey
Bob, it’s really not a complicated game; go forward towards the opponent’s net and then
score. go forward, not backwards!
Last year during
a game, Bob did it so many times that I actually benched myself so that I could
settle myself down because I was frustrated with him.
On a side
note, this gave me a tremendous opportunity to talk to another teammate about
how I as a Christian should act-when he asked me why I took myself out of the
game…
In
the Bible we see several examples of people who were supposed to go forward but instead went to the
neutral zone and stood still.
In
Exodus 14 we find the nation of Israel standing at the shores of the Red Sea
with Pharaoh’s army coming in hot pursuit. They were afraid and Moses (the
great leader that he was) told them to stand still. In other words; go to the
neutral zone.
But they had a job to do. They had marching orders. They were on a
mission. They had a goal (or were supposed to score a goal) so the Lord
tells Moses:
“Why do you cry to
Me? Tell the children of Israel to go
forward.” (Exodus 14:13-15).
In 1 Samuel 17, we find the
nation of Israel standing at a valley between two mountains with their enemy,
the Philistines, on the other side. Every day, for forty days, Goliath, the biggest Philistine,
drew near and presented himself morning and evening, challenging Israel to
fight him.
To do so,
they would need to GO FORWARD. Instead, Israel stood in the neutral zone and
did nothing.
But they had a job to do. They had marching orders. They were on a
mission. They had a goal (or were supposed to score a goal) so young
David tells his brothers: “Is there not a cause?” (v.29) and RUNS toward the army to meet
the Philistine (v.48) and scores a goal (defeats Goliath) and Israel was
victorious!
So where are the areas that you keeping holding back
when you know that you are supposed to GO FORWARD? Where are the areas that you
are standing or sitting in the neutral zone instead of heading towards the open
net?
Why are you waiting? Why are you holding back?
Jesus, our
“Head Coach” longs for you to call out to Him today. Today is the day to listen to what He wants you to do
and then GO FORWARD.
He is waiting for you to
respond to His mercy and grace that has already been extended to you through
Jesus Christ. And you can; today. And it can make all the difference in the
world as you look for hope in your present world. Let Him be your “Head Coach” as you receive Him as Savior and Lord.
Need further help? Someone is
waiting to talk with you. Call either:
1-888-NEED HIM or
1-877-2GRAHAM (1-877-247-2426).
All Scripture taken from the
New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
