Tag-up offside rule: enables players already inside the offensive zone before the puck crosses the blue line to peel back and touch the blue line to become onside. Less time spent in the neutral zone regrouping to avoid offside.

Current offside rule: Players cannot pass the puck across two lines on the ice. Players cannot pass to a player in the offensive zone from outside the offensive zone.

Infraction of the offside rule leads to a face-off inside the defensive zone of the team at fault.

The tag-up rule has been blamed for what some see as the diminished skill level among defencemen who need not worry about puck handling in the neutral zone -- they can simply dump the puck and wait as their forwards ''tag-up'' and play continues. However, in recent years, with the neutral zone trap defensive system much more rampant, this rule is suggested to increase offense and help eliminate the trap.

The "new" tag-up is actually older than the current rules.