Understanding Hockey Basics

Fundamentals of the game Hockey is played with each team putting 6 players on the ice, one of which can be the goalie. Players are equipped with ice skates, a hockey stick, and protective gear. Each team has 20 players that can be interchanged throughout the game if never exceeding 6 players in the ice at a time. The game is played with a puck, which is made from rubber weighing about 6 ounces and is a short cylinder closed disk. Each team defends their goal from the puck being scored on their side of the ice, while trying to score the puck in the goal defended by the other team on the other side of the ice. There are 3 periods each lasting 20 minutes long with the teams switching sides each time.

Gameplay rules The game starts with what is called a faceoff at the center of the ice. Each team lines up on their side with only one person from each team inside the marked circle. Once lined up correctly, the referee will join the two players at a marked dot in the middle of the circle and drop the puck between them, allowing them to battle for possession of the puck. Play continues until there is a goal or a stoppage by the referee. A stoppage by the referee can occur when there is a violation of the rules leading to a penalty or when the puck is covered by the goalie which leads to a faceoff on the same side of the ice in which the puck was covered by the goalie. Sacramento State men’s Ice Hockey team

Penalties There are two types of penalties. The first are simple infractions that result, and a stoppage followed by a faceoff to start the game where it left off. These infractions include icing, offsides, or if a puck is shot out of play. Icing is when a team is on their half of the ice and shoots the puck all the way down behind the other team’s goal. Offsides is when a team is entering the offensive zone and a player crosses the blue line before the puck. The puck must be the first thing to enter the offensive zone. The second type are more like fouls that result in the person who committed the penalty going to what is called the penalty box. It’s almost like being put on time out for being bad. Here is a video explaining some of the common hockey penalties

Diagram of a Hockey Rink

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Dylan Jimenez takes full responsibility for the information posted. The information on this page represents that of Dylan Jimenez and not that of California State University, Sacramento