TORONTO -- The NHL would like its players to keep their hands to themselves. It also hopes officials will be more prudent in the use of their whistles.

So, for the third time in seven years, the league wants to cut down on the amount of obstruction and interference calls.

Commissioner Gary Bettman met with league general managers, coaches and on-ice officials for three hours at a Toronto airport hotel Tuesday to discuss rules changes for the upcoming season.

"What we were trying to get straight today is, here's how officials are going to be calling it, not necessarily do we agree with the interpretation, but we all know what will be called,'' Toronto Maple Leafs coach and GM Pat Quinn said.

The latest interpretation is expected to cut down on clutching and grabbing in the neutral zone and eliminate players from picking off forwards trying to get at the puck in the offensive zone. Basically, if a player doesn't have the puck, his progress can't be impeded.

In theory, the result should be more turnovers in the offensive zone from defensemen who feel the heat from incoming forecheckers and thus more offensive chances -- and more goals.

"I think it'll do a lot for allowing teams to actually attack on the rush,'' Carolina Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice said. "A puck carrier may have two wingers skating with him instead of losing one at the far blue line and one at the red line.''

Previous league attempts -- in 1995 and '98 -- to crack down on the clutch-and-grab tactics that a number of teams have adopted didn't stick. But coaches and officials seemed to be more receptive to making the change this time around.

One reason is the clarification of the rule. In 1995, there were 51 examples of what consisted of obstruction and interference -- too much for referees to handle. The league has also since gone to two on-ice referees.

"We've simplified the standard,'' Bettman said. "The do's and dont's are much simpler to understand and easier for the officials to call.''

Referees will be made accountable by the league, led by vice president Colin Campbell and director of officiating Andy van Hellemond. Officials will carry laptops on the road, and the league will e-mail them video downloads of calls they should have made.

This was the first time referees, head coaches and GMs were all in the same room watching the same video explaining what was going to be called and why.

"They've done a real good job of simplifying exactly what it's going to be,'' Maurice said.

New Philadelphia coach Ken Hitchcock said the elimination of obstruction will allow coaches to take a few more risks offensively because players jumping in the rush won't be impeded from coming back defensively.

"It doesn't allow the teams that are lazy away from the puck to benefit any more,'' Hitchcock said. "They are going to be penalized a lot with this standard of play. And that's what as coaches we're looking for. We want the reward to go to the team that works hardest offensively and defensively.''

One negative is that the rule could prompt more penalties as players adjust, slowing games a bit. But most who attended the meeting were in favor of the rule change.

"It's going to help a skilled team,'' Senators GM John Muckler said. "This is beneficial to the game itself. It'll become a skating game again.''

Another adopted change -- the hurry-up line change rule -- is designed to speed things up.

Once the referee looks at the visiting bench to make its line change, the team has five seconds to do so. The home team then has eight seconds after that to make its line change. Once that time is up, the linesman blows his whistle indicating he's dropping the puck in five seconds, whether the centers are ready or not.