Hockey Rules

Ice hockey is one of the more popular sports in North America, and indeed the world, but it is also one of the most difficult for new fans to understand. There is a lot of different terminology to learn, not to mention several penalties unique to the sport. While it's impossible to completely cover ice hockey rules in a brief article, here is a basic look at how the sport is played.

  1. Basics

    • Ice hockey is a 6-on-6 game in which two teams of 3 offensive players, 2 defensive players and a goaltender all use skates and curved sticks to try and score goals against their opponents. Hockey games are always 3 periods long, with each period usually lasting 20 minutes.

    Scoring

    • To score, a player must use his stick to send a round rubber disc called a puck past the opponents' goalie and into the net. The player who scores is credited with a goal, while up to 2 players who helped set up his shot are awarded assists.

    Shootout

    • If a game is tied following regulation, or in some cases a set number of overtime periods, the two teams compete in what is called a shootout. Whichever team scores more goals during the shootout is declared the winner of the game, usually by one goal.

    Penalties

    • There are many different types of penalties in ice hockey, ranging from minors (2-minute penalties) to majors (5-minute penalties) to even game misconducts (ejections) based on severity. Some common penalties include hooking (using the stick to "hook" an opposing player) and slashing (hitting an opposing player with the blade of the stick).

    Power Plays

    • Whenever a member of a team is charged with a penalty, he must go to the penalty box and his team must play with one fewer player for either the duration of his infraction or until the other team scores a goal. When a team has at least a one-man advantage on their opponents, this is known as a "power play."

    Penalty Shot

    • In some cases, when a foul is committed against a player who has possession of the puck and a clear shot at the goal, a penalty shot may be awarded by the referee. This is a one-on-one play which pits the penalty victim against the other squad's goaltender.

    Icing

    • When a member of the team passes the puck the length of the ice, from his goal area past two red lines and into the opposing team's goal area, icing is called and a face-off is ordered near the goal of the offending team. Icing is waived off in some instances, though, and is never called against a team that has a player in the penalty box.