Page Contents

• Beginners guide
• Rough guide to penalties
• Hockey terms

Beginners guide

The object of the game is to score more goals than your opponents. A goal is scored by hitting the puck across the goal line within the confines of the net with a stick, or by the puck ricocheting in off a player (if an attacker he must not have deliberately tried to knock it in with skate or body), or by the netminder knocking it in by accident - there are no own goals so the goal is always awarded to the last attacking player to touch the puck. A goal cannot be scored by an attacker deliberately kicking the puck in or by batting the puck in with a stick above the height of the goal frame.

The main rules of the game are fairly simple and include offside to prevent goal hanging, icing to prevent defenders just hitting the puck to the other end of the rink to relieve pressure, and penalties to prevent players maiming each other or turning the game into a sort of wrestling match on ice. Most of the rules will be explained elsewhere in this section of the website.

The game is a contact sport and the penalty rules reflect this. The players wear helmets (possibly with faceguards) and body armour (including gloves, shoulder and elbow pads, shin and knee protection, and also extra chest protection in the case of netminders) as befits a game in which sticks may be used carelessly, bodychecking is legal (not in the youngest age groups), and you may end up crashing into solid wooden boards at full speed (the ice can be a little slippery at times or your opponents may help you on your way). If your protection can cope with these dangers the odd punch or trip is unlikely to cause you too many problems, but referees are expected to clamp down heavily on any deliberate attempt to injure by taking cheapshots at unsuspecting or vulnerable opponents or deliberately using a stick to attack the less well protected areas.

The game officials are a referee who controls the game - he calls the penalties and awards the goals - and two linesmen who determine the icings and offsides, collect and drop the puck for restarts after these and other offences, and sometimes break up altercations between players (they can also draw the referee's attention to major offences he has missed). There are also off-ice officials, normally supplied by the home team, who assist by acting as goal judges, penalty box keepers, timekeepers and scorers. You may be interested to note that the referee is not only in charge of the game on the ice surface but can also require that members of the crowd be ejected from the spectating areas if he deems this appropriate.

The game is played over three twenty minute periods. The clock only runs whilst the puck is in play so the one hour of playing time along with the two fifteen minute breaks between the periods normally takes two to two and a half hours to complete. Normally the ice pad is resurfaced in the intervals between periods as it suffers considerable wear and tear from the play and the game flows much better if the puck slides smoothly. Also a deteriorating surface can prove dangerous to the players skating on it.

The ice pad is normally twice as long as it is wide (Olympic size is 60 X 30 metres but many British rinks, including Oxford, are 52 X 26). the two blue lines split the ice surface into three parts - centre/neutral ice and attacking/defensive zones (your opponent's defensive zone is your attacking zone and vice versa). The blue lines determine offsides (no attacking player can cross the opposition blue line before the puck) and the centre (half way) red line and goal lines are the determining factors for icing. The circles marked on the pad are only relevant to face offs, the semi circle in front of the goal defines the extent of the goal crease (no attacking player to enter before the puck) and there is also an area marked near the scorers/announcers box which the players are not allowed to enter if the referee is there assessing penalties during a break in play.

The teams usually have one netminder (who can be replaced by an 'on ice' player if you wish), and five 'on ice' players - two defensemen and three forwards (two wingers and a centre) - out on the ice at any time, but all of the 'on ice' players have both offensive and defensive duties. Penalties may reduce the number of 'on ice' players (most penalties called on netminders must be served by team mates) but the numbers can never be reduced below a netminder and three 'on ice' players - if necessary the serving of some penalties will be delayed to prevent this happening but the player waiting to serve a delayed penalty must do his waiting in the penalty box.

There is unlimited substiution of players which can take place at breaks in play or on the fly (whilst play is continuing) but if a team ends up with more than the regulation six players taking part in the game on the ice at any point they will be assessed a penalty (a player joining the game may leave the bench as the player he is replacing approaches the bench - he does not have to wait for him to physically leave the ice).

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A rough guide to penalties

2 or 5 minute penalties

Boarding - Closing the gap violently when an opponent tries to skate between you and the boards

Butt ending -

Charging - Taking more than two steps to bodycheck an opponent (i.e. running at an opponent).

Checking from behind - What it says. The opponent is vulnerable and at risk of injury so you have a strong chance of a ten minute or game misconduct being added to your 2 or 5 minutes.

Clipping - Like tapping someones ankles but with skates on.

Cross checking - Hitting an opponent with both hands on the stick when no part of the stick is on the ice (i.e. thrusting the part of the stick between your hands into an opponent). A bad offence assessed as a five minute penalty will get you a game misconduct as well.

Delay of game - Deliberately delaying play unnecessarily. Given to netminders (or others) for deliberately flicking the puck off the ice surface (over the boards/plexiglass). For deliberately covering the puck on the ice with a glove or your body and not releasing it when the referee deems you had the opportunity to do so. for holding the puck stationary against the boards with your skates when not being trapped there by an opponent. For a netminder covering the puck when all of his body is behind the goal line. For any other delaying tactic considered deliberate by the referee.

Diving - Diving or exaggerating contact to try and get a penalty called on an opponent

Elbows - Elbowing an opponent stood behind you or leading with your elbow when checking an opponent. If this is done at head height and causes your opponent's head to jerk back violently you should also get an automativ game misconduct (because of the risk of causing neck injury).

Fighting - A 5 minute penalty called if a tussle goes beyond the level covered by a roughing call (see below). May also carry a game misconduct.

High sticks - Striking your opponent whilst carrying the stick above the waist. Bad offences assessed as five minute penalties carry an automatic game misconduct penalty as well. Note. Also stopping or hitting the puck with part of the stick above face level, but no penalty for this, just a stoppage of play restarted with a face off in your own defensive zone.

Holding - Using hand or stick to hold an opponent. Also Holding the stick - Holding an opponent's stick to prevent him skating away or taking part in a play.

Hooking - Using the blade of your stick to hook or grip an opponent from behind.

Interference - Impeding the progress of an opponent not in possession of the puck (possession = last player to touch the puck). Normally done by a defender to an attacker, but offensive interference can be called on an attacker who takes out a defender.

Kneeing - Deliberately putting your knee into an opponent. Will normally receive a minimum 5 minute penalty.

Roughing - A small scale punching or shoving bout - if considered more than a minor fracas a fighting penalty is assessed.

Slashing - Violently swinging your stick at an opponent. A bad offence will be assessed a five minute penalty with an automatic game misconduct.

Spearing - Stabbing an opponent with the stick blade. Will normally carry a 10 minute misconduct or game misconduct as well.

Tripping - Using your stick, hand, arm, elbow or knee to cause a player to trip or fall

Unsportsmanlike conduct - Catch all call for a player whom the referee deems to have acted in an unsportsmanlike manner (i.e. showing dissent).

10 minute penalty

Misconduct - Usually called for bad language but can be added to a minor for another offence. This is a personal penalty so does not leave the team shorthanded. Carries a penalty point which can accumulate into a suspension. If two are called on a player in a game the second becomes an automatic game misconduct.

Goodbye

Third man in - If you join in an altercation involving two or more players you will be assessed as third man in and receive a game misconduct. This is to stop a single fight becoming a large scale battle.

Game Misconduct - Called on top of the original offence in serious cases, or used on a player who fails to cease taking part in an altercation when instructed to by the referee. Personal penalty so does not leave the team shorthanded. Gives a player penalty points that accumulate towards a suspension.

Match penalty - the main categories for this are fighting (one game suspension), obscene gestures (two game suspension), verbal abuse of official (two game suspension), travesty of the game (two game suspension), excessive rough play (three game suspension), physical abuse of official (automatic suspension until further notice), other offences (referees discretion - three game suspension). the suspensions detailed here are minimums if you are under EIHA jurisdiction.

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Hockey Terms

When browsing this website, reading ice hockey magazines or talking to someone about hockey you may come across terms that you don't understand. This is probably because we're writing gibberish, talking rubbish or aren't very good at English but it could be one of the established hockey terms listed below.

Assist - Point awarded to a player or players who set up/contribute to a goal scored by someone else (maximum of two assists per goal).

Attacking zone - The area beyond the blue line in your opponents end of the ice. Your attacking zone is your opponents defensive zone and vice versa.

Backchecking - Description of efforts made (or not made more commonly) by forwards to hinder opponents heading toward or into his defensive zone.

Blue lines - the two blue lines that split the ice surface into three defining the attacking, neutral and defensive lines (also the defining lines for offside calls).

Bodychecking (checking/hitting) - Use of the body to slow, stop or knock over an opponent in possession of the puck (possession = last player to touch the puck).

Breakaway - A player or players coming out of their defensive zone with a clear numerical advantage over the defenders, particularly where one player breaks clear with only the netminder to beat.

Changing on the fly - substitution of players whilst the game continues.

Cheapshot - A deliberate attempt to injure another player when he is unsuspecting or in a vulnerable position (e.g. late hits, hits from behind, hits when he isn't in possession of the puck). Players should sometimes remember that what goes around comes around and that those who live by the cheapshot die by the cheapshot.

Clearing the crease - A defending player manhandling an opponent away from the goal to clear the way for the netminder to move toward or see the puck.

Coincidental penalties - When players on each side take equal penalties at the same time they can be called coincidental meaning that whilst the players have to serve their time, the teams do not have to play a man short for their duration.

Corners - The areas by the curved corners ar each end of the rink where a lot of the hard, physical, unglamorous work takes place and possession of the puck is fought over.

(Netminder's) Crease - Semi-circular area marked on the ice in front of the goal.

Defensive zone - see attacking zone.

Deke - A fake move (dummy) by the puck carrier to help him stickhandle his way round an opponent or to make a netminder move the wrong way.

Delayed penalty (1) - If an offence is committed the referee can signal it by raising his arm but allow play to continue until the non-offending team lose possession of the puck. If they get the time the non-offending team will normally replace their goalie with another outfield player for this spell knowing that if they lose possession the referee will immediately blow his whistle and call the penalty.

Delayed penalty (2) - If a team has more than two players due to serve penalties for which they should be icing a player short then because they cannot be reduced on the ice by more than two players the third (fourth, fifth etc.) player must wait for the first (second etc.) player's penalty to expire before theirs starts.

Double shift - a player icing extra time (maybe playing with more than one line of teammates). More common for defensemen and when the team is short of players.

Drop pass - When a puck carrier deliberately leaves the puck behind him for a trailing teammate. The original puck carrier can then act as a screen to clear the way for his teammate so long as he doesn't physically move defenders out of the way.

Face off - The dropping of the puck between one player from each team to restart play.

Five hole - The gap between the goalie's leg pads.

Forecheck - To hustle to keep opponents in their own end of the rink whilst you try to win (back) the puck.

Freezing the puck - Covering the puck with glove or body or holding the puck against the boards with skates to prevent it being played.

Glove hand (also stick hand & blocker) - Goalies wear a catching glove on one hand whilst the other hand is used to hold the stick and has a blocker (blocking pad) on the back of the glove to fend the puck way as you can't catch it with a hand full of stick. The glove hand is that with the catching glove on surprisingly enough.

Goal line - The red line across the width of the rink on which the goal stands.

Goon - A player who regularly tries to physically intimidate opponents illegally. Normally a player of inferior ability who is selected for his physical strength and intimidation skills.

Grinder - Hard working player who is skilled at battling for the puck in the corners and along the boards.

Hand pass - A player is allowed to bat a puck down from the air and control it with his stick or skates but he cannot close his hand on it (i.e. catch it) or bat it down/across to one of his team mates as this is a hand pass and the referee will blow his whistle and restart play with a face off.

Icing - To shoot the puck from behind the centre line over the opponents goal line with no defenceman having the chance to intercept the puck before it crosses the goal line. Leads to a face off in the offending players defensive zone unless the puck goes into the goal (when a goal is given) or passes through the netminders crease on it's way to crossing the goal line.

Lines - Normally a team will ice two, three or four lots of players in units, each of which is a line. Hence when one line leaves the ice it is replaced by another. You may also see specialist penalty killing (i.e. when the team is shorthanded) or powerplay lines being used.

Lumberjack - Refers to a player who is clumsy, careless and/or dangerous in how he wields his stick.

Minor penalty - A two minute penalty

Major penalty - A five minute penalty (sometimes used to refer to bigger penalties but thse are properly referred to as misconducts or match penalties).

Neutral zone - Centre ice area between your attacking and defensive zones (between the two blue lines).

Offside - This is when an attacking player precedes the puck into his teams attacking zone (i.e. crosses the blue line defining the edge of the zone prior to the puck). If the defending team gets possession the call may be delayed for all attackers to wheel out of the zone before any can go in legally. If the offside is whistled then play restarts with a face off just outside the zone, but if the offside is deemed deliberate (i.e. if the puck comes out of the zone and a player shoots it back in towards the goal before his teammates have cleared the zone) then the face off is taken at the offending team's end of the ice in their defensive zone.

One timer - When the puck comes to a player who hits a shot without stopping or controlling the puck first.

Penalty box - The area opposite the team benches where players serve their (time) penalties.

Penalty shot - Awarded by a referee for an offence he deems has probably stopped a goal being scored - normally a player being brought down from behind or a player (netminder) throwing a stick to try and prevent a goal being scored. The puck is placed at centre ice and all players except the netminder and the shot taker go to their benches. The player taking the shot then skates in on goal with the puck to take a shot. He cannot stop or circle back but must move towards the goal until he takes the shot. When he shoots he either scores, misses, or the shot is saved. No second shot is allowed - he either scores, misses or the shot is saved at which point the whistle goes to stop the play and the game restarts with a face off. The goalie can move out of the goal towards the shot taker as soon as the puck is touched if he wishes.

Pipes - The goal frame.

Point - A position just inside your opponents blue line out near the boards. attacking defensemen normally take up this position when their team is in control of the puck in the opponents zone.

Pokecheck - To knock the puck away from the puck carrier by jabbing at it with the blade of the stick.

Powerplay - you have a powerplay when you outnumber your opponents by one or two men on the ice because of penalties assessed on them.

Puck - The vulcanised rubber disk three inches in diameter and one inch thick that is hit around the ice.

Puck control - When a team or player retains possession of the puck and hence dominates play.

Pulling the goalie - Replacing the netminder with an 'outfield' player in a high risk strategy to get a goal, normally done when a team trails by one goal late in a game.

Rush - When all the players build up speed in a charge towards the opposing goal.

Screen - A player (normally a forward but sometimes a bad defenseman) blocking the netminders view of the puck when it is shot.

Shift - Teams normally play in lines, and a shift is the time a line or player is on the ice for before being replaced (substituted).

Slapshot - A shot when a player raises his stick in a full backswing and as it comes down leans into it to achieve maximum power. The puck is hit hard but normally the shot lacks accuracy compared to a wrist shot.

Slot - The area immediately in front of the goal (from which most goals are scored).

Stickhandling - controlling the puck on the ice with the stick.

Sweep check - when a player uses the stick in a sweeping motion with the entire length of the stick flat to the ice to try and dislodge it from the puck carrier or deflect any pass.

Tip in (deflection) - A deliberate play where a forward tries to deflect (with his stick) a shot from another player to redirect it and catch out the goalie - sometimes the original shot may have been deliberately directed wide of the goal for the forward to tip in.

Top shelf - The roof of the net or high in the net.

Washout - when a referee disallows a goal, normally because the goal has moved from it's moorings before the puck crossed the goal line or because an attacking player has entered the goal crease before the arrival of the puck.

Wraparound - When player skates around the net from one side and tries to wrap the puck around the post and into the goal on the other side either under the netminder or before the netminder gets across.

Wrist shot - Made with the stick blade kept on the ice, the puck is propelled across the ice or through the air towards the net by a strong flicking of the wrists. A staple of most top goalscorers it is more accurate than a slapshot and is more difficult to save because the quick release gives a netminder less time to spot where it is going and less time to get into position.