Hockey Basics

New to hockey? Not anymore. This article introduces you to the greatest sport on earth and equips you with all the information you need to understand the in’s and out’s of a hockey game.

Length of the Game and How to Win

Hockey games are 60 minutes long, divided into three 20 minute periods. The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by directing the puck (a small, flat, disk-shaped object made of hard rubber) into their net. A goal only counts if the puck enters the opponent’s net through legal means, excluding actions such as throwing, kicking, or ‘high-sticking’ the puck. However, if the defending team inadvertently directs the puck into their own net through any of these actions it counts as a valid goal. 

The Hockey Rink and Team Structure

A standard NHL hockey rink measures 200 feet (61 meters) in length and 85 feet (26 meters) in width. The playing surface is made of smooth ice, typically just less than 1 inch (25 millimeters) thick. Each team has 6 players on the ice at a time; 5 skaters (who skate everywhere on the rink) and a goaltender (whose purpose is to guard the net and prevent the opposing team from scoring). There are also 2 referees and 2 linesmen who are tasked with enforcing the rules of the game and penalizing players if necessary. The skaters are further divided into two groups: forwards and defensemen. In theory, the forwards are responsible for trying to score goals and the defensemen are tasked with stopping the other team from getting scoring chances. There are no rules differentiating where forwards and defensemen are allowed to skate on the ice surface so in reality the roles of the positions are quite blurred – defensemen regularly contribute offensively and forwards “backcheck” to help out defensively. Review the image of the ice rink before you continue reading.

I will not explain every section of the rink in detail now but I will hit on a few key points that are key to a basic understanding of what’s going on in a hockey game:

• The Benches are where each team’s substitute players wait when they are not on the ice. Hockey is extremely fast-paced and players typically switch on/off the ice every 30-to-45 seconds. Players are allowed to substitute “on-the-fly” (i.e., during live gameplay) or during a play stoppage.
• The Nets are located at opposite ends of the rink. Teams protect the net in their defending zone and try to score on the net in the attacking zone.
• The Faceoff Dots are the locations on the rink where gameplay can commence. To start play, the referee will drop the puck between two opposing players at a faceoff dot (this is called a “faceoff”). The choice of faceoff dot depends on the circumstances leading to the preceding stoppage in play. 
• The Trapezoid is the area behind the goal line where the goalie is legally allowed to play the puck. If the goalie plays the puck behind the goal line but outside of the trapezoid they will be penalized.
• The Penalty Box is where players are sent by the referees when they commit an infraction. I will provide more details on how penalties work soon.

Starting the Game and In-Period Stoppages/Starts

A hockey game (and each period) starts with a faceoff at the center ice faceoff dot. The forwards line up at the red center ice line opposite one another, the defensemen start on their defending zone blue lines, and the goalies start in their respective nets. After the referee drops the puck live game play continues until either:

• A team scores a goal
• A team enters the attacking zone “offside” (explained below)
• A team “ices” the puck (explained below)
• A team commits a penalty
• A team commits a non-penalized infraction (e.g., hand pass, high sticking)
• The puck goes over the boards surrounding the rink and out of play
• A goalie “freezes” the puck by catching or covering it and not releasing it
• A player is in danger (e.g., seriously injured or the goalies helmet falls off)
• The playing area is compromised (e.g., the glass surrounding the rink breaks or the net is knocked off its moorings)
• The period (or game) ends because time runs out

When any of these events occur the ref will blow the whistle and both the gameplay and clock are stopped. Gameplay can only be resumed with a faceoff. The choice of faceoff dot depends on the circumstances leading to the preceding stoppage in play. Here are some examples of stoppages in play and faceoff locations:

Stoppage	Faceoff Location
A goal is scored	Center Ice
An unintentional offside occurs	Nearest faceoff dot in neutral zone
An intentional offside occurs	Nearest faceoff dot in offside teams defensive zone
A team “ices” the puck	Defensive zone of team who iced the puck. Offensive team chooses a dot.
Ref decides to overturn icing call	Center Ice
A team commits a penalty	Defensive zone of team penalized team. Non-penalized team chooses a dot.
An attacking player causes the puck to go out of play	Nearest faceoff dot in neutral zone
A defending player causes the puck to go out of play	Nearest faceoff dot in the player’s defensive zone
A goalie “freezes” the puck	Nearest faceoff dot in the goalie’s defensive zone
A player is in danger	Nearest faceoff dot
The playing area is compromised	Nearest faceoff dot
An illegal hand pass occurs	Nearest faceoff dot in zone that is one zone closer to the offending teams defensive zone than the zone in which the infraction occurred
An attacking player illegally high sticks the puck	Nearest faceoff dot in neutral zone
A defending player illegally high sticks the puck	Nearest faceoff dot in the player’s defensive zone
The period ends	Center Ice

Offsides and Icing

Offside and icing are the two most common non-penalty infractions in ice hockey.

The purpose of the offside rule is to prevent players from waiting for a pass in their opponents defensive zone while the rest of the game action is occurring in their defensive end. A player is offside when they enter the offensive zone (their opponent’s defensive zone) before the puck does. The ref will blow the whistle and stop gameplay if the team that is offside touches the puck. However, if all the offensive players clear the offensive zone and “tag up” by retreating to the neutral zone, they can re-enter the offensive zone legally (even if the puck remains in the attacking zone) and attempt to gain possession of the puck.

The icing rule prevents teams from shooting the puck down the ice to relieve pressure while they are in their defensive zone. 

Icing occurs when a player shoots the puck from behind the center red line and it crosses the opposing team’s goal line without being touched by another player. However, if the team that shot the puck down the ice reaches the puck before the opposing team, the icing is “waived off” and play continues. When icing is called the team that iced the puck cannot make any line changes before the next faceoff (which as we know from the table will happen in the guilty team’s defensive zone). There is one exception to the icing rule: if a team is “short-handed” due to a penalty, they are allowed to ice the puck without facing the usual consequences. Penalties (and the definition of “short-handed”) are discussed in the next section.

Penalties

Penalties are infractions committed by players and teams that result in players being sent to the penalty box for a set period of time (usually 2 or 5 minutes) or being kicked out of the game entirely. The penalized team is “short-handed” and must play with one fewer player on the ice for the duration of the penalty time – they are on the “penalty kill“. The opposing team has a “power play” because they have more players than the short-handed team. There are a various types of penalties that lead to different lengths of  power plays/penalty kills:

• Minor Penalties are the most common penalties and result in the player being sent to the penalty box for two minutes. Minor penalties are called on players for infractions like tripping, hooking, holding, slashing, high-sticking, interference, and delay of game. Minor penalties can also be called on coaches for infractions like having too many players on the ice and unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Major Penalties result in the player being sent to the penalty box for five minutes. Major penalties are usually more serious infractions such as fighting (yes, there is fighting in hockey…), checking from behind, or intent to injure.
• Double Minor Penalties are called for infractions that would typically result in a minor penalty but were particularly egregious and/or caused obvious injury. Double minor penalties are treated as two subsequent minor penalties, thus the penalized team is shorthanded for four minutes. The most common double minor is a high-sticking penalty that causes the opposing player to bleed.
• Misconduct Penalties result in a player being ejected from the game for a set amount of time, typically 10 minutes (but sometimes the entire game). The penalized team is not shorthanded for the duration of the misconduct but these penalties are usually called in conjunction with a minor or major penalty.

When a penalizable offense occurs, the referee raises their arm to signal that they will call a penalty but they do not blow the whistle to stop play until the team that committed the offense gains possession of the puck or the opposing team scores. If a goal is scored during a power play awarded for a minor penalty, the power play ends and the penalized player is allowed back in the game. However, power plays awarded for major penalties always last the full five minutes regardless of how many goals are scored.

Extra Time

Hockey games have extra time if the game is tied at the end of 60 minutes. In the regular season the extra time consists of a 5 minute, 3-skaters-a-side overtime period, if neither team scores in overtime a best of 3 shootout is performed where each team takes turns sending out a single player to try to score 1-on-1 against the opposing goalie. If still tied after three rounds additional rounds are played until the tie is broken. In the playoffs the extra time consists of 20 minute periods played at full strength (5 skaters for each team). There is no shootout – regular gameplay continues until a goal is scored.

Wrapping Up

I hope this article equipped you with a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of ice hockey. Here is a quick “cheat-sheet” summary of the key points:

• Length of hockey game: Three 20-minute periods, totaling 60 minutes.
• Objective: Score more goals than the opposing team by directing the puck into their net.
• Team structure: Six players on the ice at a time, including 5 skaters and 1 goaltender.
• Skater roles: Forwards and defensemen, though roles often overlap during gameplay.
• In-game stoppages: Occur for various reasons such as goals, penalties, puck out of play, or period end.
• Faceoffs: Initiated at the start of each period and after stoppages in play, with specific locations determined by game circumstances.
• Offsides: Occur when a player enters the offensive zone before the puck does, leading to a stoppage in play.
• Icing: Prevents teams from shooting the puck down the ice to relieve pressure, with consequences for the offending team.
• Penalties: Infractions committed by players resulting in penalties of varying lengths, including minors, majors, double minors, and misconducts.
• Power play and penalty kill: Consequences of penalties, with the penalized team playing with fewer players during a “penalty kill” and the team with more players on the “power play”.
• Extra time: In regular season, a 5-minute, 3-skaters-a-side overtime period followed by a shootout if necessary; in playoffs, 20-minute periods played at full strength until a goal is scored.