Photo: BCD Jeux, partner shopSport
Ice hockey
- players
- 2–12
- minutes
- 60
- years
- 6+
In the box
A rink, a puck, sticks
Official rules (PDF, federation's site)
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- DexterityTeam-BasedReal-Time
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
Two teams of six on the ice, goalkeeper included, try to send the puck into the opposing goal with their sticks. The match is played in three twenty-minute periods, with offside at the blue line, icing and penalties that leave a team short-handed; each goal is worth one point. At the end of the third period, the most goals wins, and in the knockout stage a tie is settled by sudden death, then a shootout.
The rules, step by step
Setup
2 teams of 6, 60 × 30 m rink
- Two teams of six players on the ice, goaltender included, on a rink 60 metres by 30.
- Each team has up to twenty-two players, who change in lines roughly every forty seconds.
- The puck is a disc of hard rubber, put into play by a face-off at centre ice.
How to play
3 periods of 20 min, Offside, blue line, Penalties 2 or 5 min
- Three periods of twenty minutes of actual playing time, separated by two fifteen-minute intermissions.
- Offside is judged at the blue line: the puck must enter the attacking zone before the attackers.
- Icing penalises a puck shot from your own half all the way beyond the opposing goal line.
- A foul earns a two-minute minor penalty, or five minutes for a major: the team then plays short-handed.
Scoring
1 goal = 1 point, Whole puck over line
- A goal is worth one point, however it is scored.
- The puck must cross the goal line completely.
- Scores rarely go beyond six or seven goals per team: every goal counts heavily.
End of the game
End of 3rd period, Sudden-death overtime, Then a shootout
- The match ends at the end of the third period.
- A tie in the knockout stage: overtime of five to twenty minutes, sudden death, then a shootout.
House rules and pitfalls
A team that is trailing can pull its goaltender at the end of the match to play with six skaters…
- A team that is trailing can pull its goaltender at the end of the match to play with six skaters: the classic gamble of the final minutes.
- Play does not stop when the puck hits the boards: that is what makes the pace so different from ball sports.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
How many players are on the ice?
Six per team: five skaters and a goaltender. Line changes happen during live play, very quickly.
What is offside?
An attacker may not enter the attacking zone ahead of the puck. Crossing the blue line before it stops play and leads to a face-off.
What happens with a penalty?
The offending player goes to the penalty box for two minutes (or more); their team plays short-handed — a power play for the opponents.
What is icing?
Shooting the puck from your own half to the far end without anyone touching it: play is stopped and the face-off goes back to your end.
How does a match run?
Three periods of twenty minutes. If tied, overtime with fewer players on the ice, then a shootout.