Ice Hockey Ice Hockey is one of the fastest games on earth and one of the easiest to understand. Each side plays six men at a time (unless someone has been put in the penalty box). Substitutions are made when play stops or can be made "on the fly" while play is in progress. The positions are goalkeeper, left and right defense, center, left and right wing. Once you've learned the three basic rules you'll be on your way to understanding the game. (See below.) Games last 60 clock minutes and are divided into three periods of 20 minutes each. A team scores when one of its players shoots the puck into the opponent's net with his stick. Players who help set up a goal get assists, but only two assists can be scored on a goal. If games are tied after 60 minutes, a 5 minute sudden death overtime period is played. Three Basic Rules of Hockey These three rules are designed to cut down on stalling, encourage teamwork and maintain the speed of the game. OFFSIDE A team is offside when any member of the attacking team precedes the puck carrier over the defending team's blueline. The position of the player's skates and not that of his stick is the determining factor. If both skates are over the blueline before the puck, the player is offside. If he has only one skate over the blueline and one on it, he is onside. ICING THE PUCK Icing the puck is not permitted when the teams are at equal numerical strength. Thus it is an infraction when a player on his team's side of the red center line shoots the puck all the way down the ice, it crosses the red goal line itself and is first touched by a defending player. When this occurs, play is stopped and the puck is returned to the other end of the ice for a face-off in the offending team's zone. Icing the puck is not called: A. If the goalie plays the puck by leaving his net. B. If the puck cuts across part of the goal crease. C. When a defending opponent, in the judgement of the linesmen, could have played the puck before it crossed the red goal line. D. When an attacking player who was onside (in the same zone) when the puck was shot down the ice, manages to touch it first. E. When a team is playing short-handed because of a penalty or penalties. OFFSIDE PASS (TWO LINE PASS) When a player passes the puck from his defending zone to a teammate beyond the center red line (thus crossing the blue line and the red line) it is an offside pass. The position of the puck (not the player's skates in this case) is the determining factor in deciding from which zone the pass was made. THE OFFICIALS REFEREE: He supervises the game, calls penalties, determines goals and handles faceoffs at center ice to start each period. LINESMEN: Two are used. They call offsides, offsides pass, icing the puck and handle all faceoffs but those at center ice. They do not call penalties but can recommend to the referee that a penalty be called. GOAL JUDGE: One sits off-ice behind each net and indicates when a goal has been scored by turning on the red light just above his station. The referee can ask his advice on disputed goals, but the referee is the final authority and can overrule the goal judge. SCORER: He credits assists if any. He may consult with the referee but the scorer is the final authority in crediting points. PENALTIES A team plays shorthanded when one or more of its players is charged with a penalty. No team is forced to play more than two men below full (six player) strength at anytime. Whenever a third penalty is called, it is suspended until the first expires. On penalties called on the goaltender, a teammate serves his time in the penalty box. MINOR PENALTY: (Two minutes) Called for tripping, hooking, spearing, slashing, charging, roughing, holding, elbowing or boarding. MAJOR PENALTY: (Five minutes) Called for fighting or when minor penalties are committed with deliberate attempt to injure. Major penalties for slashing, spearing, highsticking, butt-ending and cross-checking carry automatic game misconducts. : MISCONDUCT: (10 minutes) Called for various forms of unsportsmanlike behavior or when a player incurs a second major penalty in a game. This is a penalty against an individual and not a team, so a substitute is permitted. PENALTY SHOT: A free shot, unopposed except by the goalkeeper, given to a player who is illegally impeded from behind when in possession of the puck and with no opponent between him and the goal except the goalie. The team which commits the offense is not penalized beyond the penalty shot, whether it succeeds or not. DELAYED PENALTY: Whistle delayed until penalized team regains possession of puck. This Web Site was created by Aaron Smith and is dedicated to his memory. The content and the Albany River Rat Booster Club logo are property of the Albany River Rats Booster Club. River Rat logo ©1993 McKinley Griffin Design. The River Rats Music is used by permission of the Albany River Rats. This site was designed to be viewed in 800x600 resolution.