Long bomb (ice hockey)

The Long bomb, also known as the bomb, the bomb pass or the long-bomb pass, in ice hockey is a relatively simple type of pass to accomplish and can be done in many different ways. The term was borrowed from North American football [cite news
url = http://www.ihwc.net/english/article/news/index.ihwc?artId=2275
title = Passing goes 3-D in the 21st century | publisher = IHWC.net
date = 08/05/2006] where a similar pass is used.

The long bomb is usually done by a defenceman deep in his zone where he then lobs the puck forward with the expectation of reaching one of his forwards found in the neutral zone behind the opposing team's defencemen just outside their blue line. If successful, the forward then has an unobstructed path, or a breakaway opportunity, straight to his adversaries' goaltender.

Although the long bomb is fairly new in the National Hockey League (NHL), it's application is actually much older as it has been prevalent in European hockey leagues where the two-line pass offside violation has essentially been non-existent making the long bomb possible. In the NHL, the red line has only been made obsolete for making offside calls by linesmen as of the 2005-2006 season when many rules were changed making the long bomb only possible as of that year.

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