Understanding the NHL Trapezoid Rule by Netminder Review

[@gcwrestling888]

Great explanation. Another reason it's a bad rule is because the goalie is also sacrificing his goal while skating to the corner. If he happens to make a bad pass, it's a wide open goal. The risk/reward makes it fair.

[@netminderreview756]

EJS88 Agreed! Thanks for watching and commenting. Please consider subscribing if you have not.

[@browenkrans1384]

I totally agree.

[@TV-Girl-Enjoyer]

Brodeur was definitely the biggest reason for the change but as a Dallas native the guy who always comes to mind for me is Marty Turco. I'm sure there are others as well, but man I miss Turco.

[@daniellekreviazuk]

HASEK.. lol

[@Jay-vj1km]

Great explanation. Thanks for posting this!

[@alexisiskooll]

Wow! You explained that sooo much clearer than my hockey class course material. Thank you 😊

[@netminderreview756]

That’s very kind of you to say.

[@alexx9252]

so the trapezoids were put there because awesome goalies were able to play the puck lmao

[@mroberts566]

This dude is right, it happens all the time in professional sports. Rules are constantly changed to help the offense.

[@Lurp65]

Correct. It’s there to assist teams to lazy to carry out a proper attack

[@christophermunchhof3444]

Probably the worst rule in the NHL. Some goalies were great at handling the puck, and some sucked. The ones who sucked created some amazing turnovers with an empty net.

[@dereksheridan6226]

​@@Lurp65dump and chase baby lol

[@CJ286-e8g]

@@christophermunchhof3444 It had much more to do with the devastating effectiveness of neutral zone trapping circa 1995-2003. Martin Brodeur was the archetype, but any high-level goaltender could pull off the same shtick. What we should have done is removed the trapezoid but dramatically shrunk goaltender pad sizes back to pre-90's. Everybody wins.

[@MichaelGustavsonArchitect]

Great explanation! I was asking someone about those lines last year. My first guess was that the purpose of the rule was to keep the goalies in their net, so that they didn't receive body checks and get hurt. Body checking the goalie out of the crease has changed since my day. It used to be that you could check the goalie like any other player if he was out of the crease and playing the puck. I think that may be different nowadays. My opinion is that the lines are good if their purpose is to protect the goalie from getting hit, but your argument makes sense for the other reasons you mentioned. It's exciting when the goalie leaves the net! However, I don't think the goalie should be given extra protection from body checks if he decides to leave the net. That's part of the risk of a goalie leaving the net. What's the point of having a crease to protect the goalie if he is also protected when he is out of the crease? I guess the only reason for the crease now is to keep the offence from physically interfering with the goalie's ability to make a save. It has nothing to do with protecting the goalie from physical contact anymore because apparently they can't get hit anywhere on the ice anyway.

[@netminderreview756]

Good thoughts. Thanks for watching

[@WolfA4]

Thanks for the explanation. I haven't been heavily invested in Hockey since like the late 90s so I've been trying to learn about the changes since then and relearn the rules overall.

[@timmymcdiddy5502]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. Even though it is not an aspect of the trapezoid, I think it is also worth mentioning that the goalie also was restricted from touching the puck past the center ice line. Not sure when that rule was instituted.

[@commandershephard5139]

Thanks to this video, I now understand the purpose, history and meaning of one of the youngest but holiest of Hockey-isms. Long live the Almighty Trapezoid

[@Eryka_art]

Thank you for your explanation, was really helpful in my debate i had with my friend about whether it was good or bad

[@j2swanky]

Exactly what I was looking for! Thanks man 👍

[@netminderreview756]

Jeff M - Thank you! Please consider subscribing if you have not already.

[@johnnybgoode2333]

Being a Devils fan since I was 7 I obviously don't like the rule either. It kinda makes it pointless for goalies to leave the crease, even though they seem to do it unnecessarily often.

[@netminderreview756]

I think goalies have done a great job of figuring out how to still be effective playing the puck behind the end red-line, in spite of the rule. And I’m glad of that. But the rule is still stupid. 🙂 thanks for watching. Please consider subscribing, if you haven’t already.

[@Lurp65]

Dumbest rule. If the attacking team never gave up possession of the puck to begin with they’d still have that scoring opportunity

[@Duhernt]

Great video. I hate the trapezoid. Go Devils!

[@netminderreview756]

Thanks for watching. Please consider subscribing, if you have not already. Have an awesome day.

[@vomk1245]

Since Brodeurs retirement I can't watch hockey

[@jasontan232]

Thanks, now I can play nhl with that Rule

[@matthewlopes8689]

Great video! Thanks for the explanation!

[@mathwiz3145]

Question: what other rule change could have made offense more exciting without putting a nerf on goaltenders like this? I wouldn’t argue for or against the rule. Just, in a hypothetical world, were there other options could be possible for the same desired effect? Keep in mind the auto of trying to expand to fans in general. Getting new fans. “Generally” speaking, defense is appreciated by core fans of the sports, but not quite enough to bring in newer fans. Appreciating defense in a sport usually requires deeper understanding, time, and education. But, to bring newer fans to become fans of hockey, high flying offense is what will bring them in initially. The fans that stay will probably grow to appreciate defense later

[@netminderreview756]

That’s a tough question. I have no desire to prevent new fans, that’s for sure. But I love the sport as it was. If you have to change it to get new people, maybe the sport just isn’t for those people. You know, “don’t go changing just to please me.” I mean, I hate soccer. But I would never want them to change their sport to make me like it. Your question is good. But I am not sure I can answer because I care more about the purity of the sport than I care about attracting new fans.

[@Hockey-gn2tj]

Love it I’m just watching this in class lol I should be doing science but I had to know what this trapezoid was

[@matt75hooper]

Goalies skilled at puck handling have sent many players on their way for breakaways. That creates plenty of offense too. Misplaying the puck leaves your net wide open. Also increasing some wild offense. Yank the rule.

[@vroyen]

I would hope they yank the rule at some point. I understand the marketability of excitement but at the same time I find the game plenty exciting without nerfing the goalie.

[@hawk12983]

Agreed.

[@kenc9236]

Awesome video. Now I know.

[@zackaryzzfr9568]

Great explique

[@j-rey-]

This is way late, but I just got into hockey. Can someone explain: I've heard part of the reason the rule was instituted was to nerf the Devils in general because they were playing an extremely effective and grindy trap defense in the neutral zone, leading to the infamous game of Fliers v Lightning, where the Fliers refused to even advance the puck. I figured the Brodeur rule was instituted in part to nerf defense in general, but it seems the trap defense was the real problem. I never figured out how they fixed that Fliers v Lightning game-breaking situation. Are the *trap*ezoid (tehe) rule and the trap defense related at all?

[@ag-bf3ty]

I'm not an expert on Hockey. But wouldn't you wind up seeing a lot of goals because of all the Brodeur-wannabes trying to play the puck, and accidentally getting caught out while they're off their crease and away from their goal? I come from a football background (the kind with goalkeepers... not NFL) and the sport has evolved recently to where goalkeepers have to be good not just at handling and saving the ball, but also passing and dribbling the ball with it at their feet, which vastly increases the amount of skill needed to play the position well (because goalkeepers are now expected to receive the ball, and pass the ball under pressure from the opposing attackers, without being able to pick the ball up.) And it has made the game a lot more exciting, a lot more skillful, and some times you have terrible mistakes that lead to goals. As you say, goals are exciting, but defensive play can be too. There's nothing more interesting than when a goalie leaves the net and lives life on the edge. Players doing unconventional and groundbreaking things that evolve the game is what's so interesting about sports.

[@netminderreview756]

By the time we are dealing with NHL level goalies, going out to play the puck rarely leads to a goal due to a goalie mis-play…though it can happen.

[@DreanPetruza]

Martin Brodeur is right, favoring the puck dump strategy over the goalie's puck handling skills is silly, allowing more goal situations is not a good justification. Also, the puck dump might be the consequence of the offside rule, which is far from perfect. Almost every sport that has an offside rule, it limits the game too much.

[@scottbrown7995]

Great video. GO KRAKEN!!!

[@vTropic]

The only problem I see occurring if they were to remove this rule is that nowadays they call goalie interference for literally anything. Imagine if they gave goalies that much room today and your offense barely brushes the goalies shoulder and then get an interference penalty. It would be tough to bring it back in a fair way with how soft the NHL is now

[@jimmysantos8872]

Does it apply during the power play?

[@netminderreview756]

Yes.

[@christopherbilovus9930]

But this rule and the goalie past the redline rule should NOT be in effect during the all-star game

[@netminderreview756]

Sounds reasonable

[@terrygerhart1485]

Simple rule change, go to larger international ice surface. Allows smaller players to speed up the game.

[@modi827]

Define “play the puck.”

[@tdward23]

I think they should let goalies play the puck in the corner as long as they can ALSO be hit. Risk/reward....

[@zackaryzzfr9568]

Thx

[@tiben36]

Wasn't the real purpose of the trapezoid to keep penalty killing teams from taking the puck to the o-zone, dumping it back to the d-zone corner and having the goaltender take it in the corner todump it back in the o-zone to kill seconds?

[@dana102083]

When did the 2 line pass change in relation to this? Seems now the defencemen can move the puck up quicker, too.

[@Kreege]

@@dana102083 two line pass got eliminated at the same time that the trapezoid was implemented in 2005. Also, the neutral zone was shortened by 4 feet by moving each blue line 2 feet closer to the center red line.

[@howdareyouexist]

you forgot to mention the neutral zone trap being a big reason the trapezoid exists. nhl doesnt want what the devils did to happen again

[@yaboi5958]

The trapezoid rule sucks. It stops goalies from evolving into more complete players. It's the equivalent of banning Manuel Neuer from leaving the penalty box in football/soccer. I understand why they introduced it back in the day, but it's completly nonsensical at the current stage of the game imo.

[@DreanPetruza]

I think Americans got it backwards, scarcity of goals is what makes them more exciting. That's why soccer dominates worldwide.

[@berryscott3590]

Whoops, wrong thread... PS: It wasn't just Brodeur...There was Marty Turco and others...Stupid, STUPID, STUPID RULE! ... And what's happened to Canadian goalies who, as a rule, were the best in the world at handling the puck... Where does Canada now sit, in terms of developing goalies nowadays... 5th maybe?

[@metuberob]

but also for the safety of goaltenders ...

[@browenkrans1384]

It's a dumb rule. I found games from my childhood much more exciting than today's Ice Hockey "Paint Drying" games.

[@ritirons2726]

The trapezoid honestly didn’t change much. Maybe for a short time , but goaltenders now play the puck just as well if not better than Broduer did, they just stop it and play it between the face off circle and the goal line. Let’s also not forget the small detail that always gets left out, how much Broduer cried whenever he got hit playing the puck in the corner.

[@smitmastaflex]

Cause it was always boarding

[@DUDE72341]

Dumb rule...period, adding lines to nice surface...dumb..plus all the commercial breaks..and the reviews...just keep watering the game down..

[@paulnewman2778]

Agreed dumb rule

[@brutaldomcom]

Personally speaking as someone who’s really only gotten into hockey recently, defense is the most interesting part to me. I don’t know why every major sports league assumes “more offense” is the way to bring in more fans.

[@j-rey-]

It makes sense to me. A lot of people watch for the rivalries, to feel united on the same side against the enemy, and just to plain win. So when their team scores, they go crazy, then sit, eat some popcorn, talk, chant "DE-FENCE," and not really pay attention to anything else. Then, when the other team scores, it's a big negative jolt to the system. These wild swings of emotion, the huge ups and downs, are similar to the effect gamblers and other addicts feel. People who follow the game for the X's and O's are the vast minority.

[@johnsambo9379]

The Russians weren't fond of dumping the puck down and losing the puck. The offense should be able to control the puck.