NHL rule prohibiting blind-side hits to head takes effect

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The National Hockey League moved on Thursday to curb blind-side hits to the head with a rule that allows such offences to be reviewed for additional discipline.

The new rule, which takes effect immediately and will last at least through the end of the playoffs, prohibits "a lateral, back-pressure or blind-side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact," the league said.

"We believe this is the right thing to do for the game and for the safety of our players," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement after the rule received approval from the NHL Board of Governors and the players' union.

"The elimination of these types of hits should significantly reduce the number of injuries, including concussions, without adversely affecting the level of physicality in the game."

Several blind-side hits to the head this season that caused major injuries went without punishment as there was not always something in the league's rulebook that prohibited them.

(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Ed Osmond; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)