[Swan217]

Originally Posted by Dzdconfusd

After re-reading <G22> (http://www2.usfirst.org/2006comp/Man...Game_Rev_D.pdf) it seems like if you stay inside the bumper zone contact is leagal in almost any instance described so far (reference the first bullet under <G22>).The one clear ramming instance given in the rules is the cross-court shot.

Please take a minute to look at the wording of the rule if you have an issue. Also if you want clarification bring it up at the Drivers meeting on Thurday or Friday where the ref should address it to the whole group.

Long distance does not exclusively mean a cross-court shot. "Long Distance Ramming" has been repeatedly interpreted as meaning "more than about 3 feet away" by the referees. I don't know if anything has changed between last year and this year, but last year they called ramming like that. I saw quite a few hits from a few yards away at VCU.

The rule is much more akin to hockey than football. In hockey, body checking is alright, as is checking someone into the boards, while "Boarding" occurs when the player contributes an excessive amount of kinetic energy into the hit (usually determined by the skates leaving the ice). Ramming is the same way. The intent of the rule is to keep "bonejarring" hits to a minimum. I've also heard that a good rule of thumb is, "If the hit makes you wince, it's probably too much."