Object of the game:
To win by scoring more goals than the opposition.
Who's Who
Goaltender
His main responsibility is keeping the opposition from scoring. He wears a mask, uses a bigger stick, and wears nearly 40 pounds of equipment to keep from being injured by pucks fired by opponents. The goalie sometimes gets into the act offensively by passing the puck up ice to a teammate.
Defenseman
The two defensemen (left and right) are the last line of defense before the attacking team reaches the goaltender. It is their responsibility to prevent the opposing team from getting scoring chances. To do this defensemen will clear opposing players from in front of the net to keep the goaltender from being screened, block shots, break up opponent's rushes, and clear the puck out of the defensive zone. On the offensive end, defensemen usually occupy the point- the area just inside the opponent's zone.
Forwards
The three forward positions- left wing, center, and right wing- are often interchangeable once the game gets going. A left winger, for example, will rarely stay only on the left side of the ice during an attack. The center usually takes all face-offs and is often the primary playmaker. Although the three forwards do have defensive responsibilities when the opposing team has control of the puck, the majority or a team's offensive production will come from its forward corps.
Key Terms
Assist- Awarded to a player for helping to set up a goal. Usually awarded to the last two players to touch the puck before a teammate scores.
Back Check- To slow down or hinder an opponent in your defensive zone.
Body Check- To slow, stop, or knockdown a puck carrying opponent, usually with the hip or shoulder.
Blue Lines-Pair of rink-width blue lines 60 feet from each goal which divide the ice into offensive, defensive, and neutral zones.
Breakaway-A puck carrier skating toward the opponent's goal with no defender between him and the opposing goaltender.
Crease-Semi-circle in front of the goal, six feet in radius, usually painted blue.
Delayed Penalty-When the referee waits to stop play for a penalty until the offending team has possession and control of the puck or the puck has been frozen.
Faceoff-The means of restarting play. The referee or linesman drops the puck between two opposing centers who try to win possession of the puck.
Forecheck-To keep opponents in their defensive zone while trying to regain control of the puck.
Hat Trick-When one player scores three goals in one game.
Neutral Zone-The area between the two blue lines. Also known as center ice.
Penalty Box-The off ice area at center ice where players await the end of their penalty time.
Penalty Shot-An unopposed shot at the opponent's goal, with only the goaltender defending. Awarded to a puck carrier who is illegally impeded from behind when there is no opponent between the puck carrier and the opponent's goal. Also awarded if an opposing player other than the goaltender falls on the puck in his own goal crease or if the opposing team deliberately delays the game in the last two minutes of play.
Power Play-When one team has more players on the ice than the opposition due to one or more penalties called against the opposition.
Pulling the Goaltender-Replacing the goaltender with an extra skater in an attempt to score. A strategy usually used by a team trailing late in a game.
Shorthanded-When a team has one or two fewer players on the ice that the opposition because of penalties. SLAP SHOT: Shooting the puck after a full back swing.
Wrist Shot-Using a quick flick of the wrists to propel the puck off the blade of the stick.
Officials
Referee-Designated by the orange armbands on the sleeves of his striped shirt. The referee is the game's head official, the one ultimately in charge of all decisions. He is responsible for calling penalties, confirming goals, and dropping the puck at the face-off that starts each game.
Linesmen-Two linesmen work each game and are primarily in charge of calling offside and icing. They cannot call penalties themselves, but can recommend a penalty be called for an infraction the referee didn't see. They handle face-offs after the start of the game and break up fights.
Goal Judges-One goal judge sits behind each net. They signal that the puck has crossed the goal line and gone into the net with a red light. The referee makes the final decision to confirm or deny goals.
Offsides & Icing
Offside-A team is offside when one of its players crosses the opposing team's blue line before the puck does. The linesman stops play after making an offside call and places a face-off outside the offending team's attacking zone.
Offside (two line pass)-A second type of offside- the two-line pass- occurs when a player passes the puck forward and it crosses both his own blue line and the center red line before a teammate touches it.
Icing- The icing rule exists to cut down on the number of times a team simply shoots the puck down the ice into the opponent's zone. Icing is called if a player shoots the puck from his teams' side of the center red line down the length of the ice and across the opposing team's goal line (but wide of the net) and an opposing player other than the goaltender is the first to touch it. In the event of an icing infraction, play is stopped and a face-off is held in the offending team's zone. A team cannot be called for icing while shorthanded.
