ICE HOCKEY
SUMMARY
Ice hockey (or just hockey) is a winter team sport played on ice skates, usually on a rink with specially designed lines and markings. In ice hockey, two opposing teams control, advance, and shoot a closed, vulcanized rubber disc called a “puck” into the other team’s goal using ice hockey sticks. One point is awarded for each goal. The winning team is the one that scores the most goals. In a formal game, each side has six skaters on the ice at any given time, one of whom is the goaltender, unless there are any penalties. Ice hockey is a high-intensity, full-contact sport.
Ice hockey is one of the Winter Olympic sports, and the IIHF World Championships, the sport’s highest international amateur championship, is overseen by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for both men’s and women’s competitions. Ice hockey is a professional sport as well.
In North America, as well as a few European countries, the sport is simply referred to as “hockey.” In many countries, however, “hockey” mainly refers to field hockey, with the exception of some Northern Russian regions, where bandy is still known to as “Russian hockey” or “hockey with a ball,” while ice hockey is referred to as “hockey with a puck.” Ice hockey was designated as Canada’s national winter sport in 1994. Ice hockey as we know it today originated in Canada, most notably in Montreal, where the first indoor game was played on March 3, 1875. Some aspects of that game have survived to this day, such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck. Ice hockey leagues for amateurs started in the 1880s, while professional ice hockey started around 1900. The Stanley Cup, a symbol of ice hockey club supremacy, was first awarded in 1893 to recognize the Canadian amateur champion and later became the National Hockey League’s championship trophy. It was commissioned in 1892 as the “Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup” and was first awarded in 1893 to recognize the Canadian amateur champion (NHL).
The Ligue Internationale de Hockey Sur Glace, the forerunner of the International Ice Hockey Federation, adopted the Canadian rules in the early 1900s. During the 1920 Summer Olympics, the sport was first played at the Olympics.
While women played during the game’s early years, it wasn’t until the mid-1980s that organizers began to officially ban body checking from female ice hockey that it gained wider popularity, which had extended to Europe and a number of other countries by then. In 1990, the IIHF conducted the first Women’s World Championship, and women’s hockey was included in the Olympics in 1998.
History of ICEHOCKEY
The origin of ice hockey is unknown; however, it is thought to have evolved from the centuries-old game of field hockey practiced in Northern Europe.
James Creighton, a Canadian, invented the contemporary ice hockey regulations. In Montreal, Canada, the first game of ice hockey with Creighton’s rules was played in 1875. Two nine-player teams, including James Creighton and numerous other McGill University students, competed in the first organized indoor game at Victoria Skating Rink. The game used a flat circular piece of wood instead of a ball or “bung.” In 1877, the McGill University Hockey Club became the first ice hockey club in the world (followed by the Quebec Bulldogs named Quebec Hockey Club and organized in 1878 and the Montreal Victorias, organized in 1881).
The number of players per team was reduced from nine to seven in 1880. The number of teams expanded to the point where the first “world championship” of ice hockey was held in 1883 during Montreal’s Winter Carnival. The “Carnival Cup” was handed to the McGill team for winning the competition. The match was split into two 30-minute halves.
Left and right wing, center, rover, point and cover-point, and goalkeeper were all given new names. In 1886, the Winter Carnival teams formed the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC), which played a season of “challenges” against the current champion.
Ice Hockey Rules
OBJECT OF THE GAME
The purpose of the game is to hit a little puck across the rink with a hockey stick before hitting it into a goal. Each time the puck goes into the goal, that team receives one point. The puck can be passed around the rink by the players, and it is the opposition’s goal to keep the other team from scoring. At the end of the game, the team with the most goals is named the winner. If the game ends in a tie, it will be decided in overtime, with the first side to score being declared the winner.
Players & Equipment
The game is played on an ice rink that is around 61 meters long and 30 meters wide. There are three primary portions to the rink. The neutral zone, which contains a central circle where the games begin, is in the middle area. There are attacking and defending zones on either side of the neutral zone, which are determined by which team has the puck at the time. There are two end zone faceoff circles and locations in each attacking and defending zone. The goal is surrounded by a goal crease, which is a half circle. The boards are located behind the goal. Each player will have his or her own hockey stick, as well as ice skates and a variety of protective gear, such as a face mask, helmet, padded shorts, shoulder pads, arm guards, and gloves. Because they are in the firing line of the puck much more often, each goal tender will have the same, but on a much denser scale.
A maximum of 20 players can be assigned to each squad. Only six of the 20 players are allowed to be on the rink at any given moment. The remainder will be utilized as substitutes and will be able to come and leave from the game as needed. A goalkeeper and five outfield players are among the six starting. While each player will be assigned to a position, they will be allowed to travel around the ice as they see fit. This does not apply to the goal tender, who must stay within his or her own half and not cross the center red line.
A ‘puck’ is a puck that is hit by the players. The puck is a large, solid rubber item that weighs about 6 ounces. The puck can be hit with a player’s stick or foot, but it can never be handled by anybody other than the goal tender.
Three 20-minute minutes make up each game. Every time the game is paused, the game clock is stopped, and when the time in each period runs out, the game is over.
Scoring
A player must hit the puck across the goal line to score a goal. They can do so with any part of their body or with their stick, but not with their hand. To be considered a goal, the entire puck must cross the line. The goal line in professional leagues such as the NHL features a sensor that detects when the puck has fully passed the line. The umpires’ decisions are taken into account in amateur leagues.
Winning the Game
A team must score more goals than its opponents to win a game. If the game ends in a tie, it proceeds into overtime, with another quarter played until one of the teams scores. The winning team will be the first to score.
Rules of Ice Hockey
- The game begins with a face-off in the center circle. The referee will drop the puck between two opposing players, who will then struggle for position for their team. After a pause in any of the attacking or defensive face off zones, a faceoff can be utilized to restart play.
- To win the puck from their opponent, players may utilize physical force. Body checking is permitted in the back and above shoulder height, but it is not permitted in the front.
- Players who have been charged with a minor penalty will be required to leave the ice for two minutes, during which time their team will be reduced to five players. If the opposing side scores a goal in those two minutes, the player can instantly return to the ice.
- Tripping an opponent with their stick, holding with their stick or hands, hooking with their stick, or body checking a player without the puck are all minor penalties.
- A player who commits a major penalty will be pulled off the rink for up to 5 minutes. Fighting, causing major injury on opposing players, or committing minor offenses are examples of these.