Hockey 101Know the Rules of the GameThe Hockey Rink An official NHL (National Hockey League) rink is 200 feet long and 85 feet wide; an international competition rink is longer by 15 feet. The rink is divided by the red line, has two blue lines, five face-off circles, the goals and the creases. Check out this hockey rink diagram: Ice Hockey Penalties
In ice hockey, a penalty results in a player spending time in the penalty box. Ice hockey has three types of penalties: minor, major, and misconduct. The harsher the penalty, the harsher the punishment. Hockey penalties include:
• Butt ending: When a player jabs an opponent with the top end of his stick.
• Checking from behind: Whistled when a player hits an opponent who is not aware of the impending contact from behind and therefore cannot defend himself.
• Cross checking: When a player makes a check with both hands on the stick.
• Elbowing: When a player uses his elbow to foul an opponent.
• Fighting: Called fisticuffs in the National Hockey League rule book, it is assessed when players drop their gloves and throw punches at each other.
• Hooking: When a player impedes the progress of an opponent by “hooking” him with his stick.
• Interference: When a player interferes with or impedes the progress of an opponent who does not have the puck. Also assessed to a player who deliberately knocks the stick out of an opponent’s hand or who prevents a player who has dropped his stick (or any other piece of equipment) from picking it back up.
• Kneeing: When a player fouls an opponent with his knee (of course!).
• Roughing: Called when a player strikes another opponent in a minor altercation that the referee determines is not worthy of a major penalty.
• Slashing: When a player hits an opponent with his stick, or “slashes” him, either to impede his progress or cause injury.
• Spearing: When a player stabs at an opponent with the blade of his stick, whether he makes contact or not.
* Tripping: When a stick or any portion of a player’s body is used to cause an opposing player to fall.
Ice Hockey Positions
An ice hockey team is made up of six players, each with a specific position and job. The job of offense is to score goals, and the defense is there to protect the goal. The following list describes each of the hockey positions:
• Goalie: Perhaps the toughest position in all of sports, the goalie is the one player who can control a team’s confidence. His job is to keep the puck out of the net, and if he’s good, he can take his team a long way. Good goalies win championships.
• Defensemen: A team at full strength has two — one on the left side and another on the right. Nowadays, there are three primary kinds of defensemen. One is creative and offensive-minded; he likes to handle the puck and lead the team up ice, but is not too physical. Another is defensive-minded, a stay-at-home bruiser who plays a physical game and doesn’t often venture out of his zone with the puck. And there are those rare athletes who are a combination of the two.
• Right wing: He works the right side of the ice for the most part. He needs to be a physical player who is good along the boards and in the corner. He is responsible for the opposition’s left defenseman in the defensive zone.
• Left wing: Traditionally a left-handed shot, but the NHL is seeing more right-handers playing this position now, a practice picked up from the Europeans. A right-hander has a better angle to shoot from when he’s coming in on his wing. Like the right wing, he needs to be able to dig out the puck from the corners and battle in front of the net.
* Center: He quarterbacks his club at both ends of the ice. Must be good at face-offs and passing, and it doesn’t hurt if he's a good shot as well. Coaches want a lot of creativity in this position — and a lot of hockey smarts.
