SPORTS
Ice hockey is a high-speed, full-contact sport played on an ice rink, where two teams compete to score goals by shooting a puck into the opponent’s net. It is one of the most physically demanding and exciting sports, known for its fast-paced action.
Dutch paintings from the 1600s depict people playing stick-and-ball games on ice, but it wasn’t until 1875 in Montreal, Canada did the first recorded game take place. James Creighton, a Canadian engineer, helped introduce rules and structure to the game.
Teams of 6 players play 3 20-minute periods. The objective is to score more goals than your opponent.
HOW TO PLAY (BASIC)
Using game-specific hockey sticks, players maneuver the puck down the rink, passing and shooting at the opponent goal.
The blue semi-circle in front of the goals is the goalie’s crease. Players cannot check the goalie in this area and the goalie can ‘cover the puck’ to control play.
If a player interferes with the goalie in the crease and a goal is scored, it can be disallowed.
Face-off::A method to start or restart play where the referee drops the puck between two opposing players, who compete to gain possession.
Offside: An attacking player must not cross the blue line into the offensive zone before the puck completely enters. If an offside occurs, play is stopped, and a faceoff takes place outside the offensive zone.
Icing: When a player shoots the puck across both the center line and opponent’s goal line without it being touched. It results in a whistle and a faceoff in the defending team’s zone.
Power Plays: Occurs when a team has a one-player (or more) advantage due to an opponent serving a penalty, giving them increased scoring opportunities.
Minor Penalties (2 minutes): Tripping, holding, slashing, etc.
Major Penalties (5 minutes): Fighting or dangerous hits.
The circles in the offensive and defensive zones are faceoff circles, used to restart play after stoppages. Each circle has a dot at its center where the puck is dropped for a faceoff.
Defensive Zone Faceoff Circles: Used when the defending team commits an infraction (e.g., icing) or the goalie freezes the puck.
Offensive Zone Faceoff Circles: Used for faceoffs when the attacking team forces a stoppage (e.g., a goalie covers the puck).
