Games are played in three 20-minute periods with one 10-minute intermission. If the score is tied at the end of regulation play, there is a 5-minute sudden death overtime period. If neither team scores in overtime, the game is recorded as a tie.
Each team plays 6 men at a time, unless a player has been placed in the penalty box. Player substitutions are made both during game action and stops in play. The 6 player positions are:
* Goaltender
A team scores when a player shoots the puck into the opposing team’s goal. Players who help set up a goal earn an "assist". A maximum of 2 players can assist on each goal.
Hockey does not employ a large variety of set plays like football. Instead, the players must react from instinct. TEAM WORK IS THE KEY.
The Players:
Goaltender: The goalie’s job is to keep the opposing team from scoring. He may use any part of his body or any piece of equipment to do so, and is allowed to catch or smother the puck.
Defensemen: The two defensemen try to stop incoming play. They block shots, clear the puck from in front of the net and cover the other team’s forwards. Offensively, they get the puck to their center and wings then follow play into the attack zone and try to keep it there.
Center: Operating up and down the middle of the ice, the center usually leads the attack for his team. He is the playmaker, passing between his two wings to set up a goal. Defensively, he tries to keep the puck in the attacking zone by breaking up a play before it gets to his team’s side of the ice.
Wings: The two wings (right and left) move up and down the sides of the rink with the direction of play. Offensively they work with the center on the attack to set up shots on goal. Defensively, they try to disrupt playmaking by the opposing team’s wings.
Hockey's Three Main Rules:
Offside: A team is offsides when a member of the team that is attacking the defensive zone precedes the puck over the defending team's blueline. The player's skates and not the hockey stick are the determining factor. The player is offside if both skates are over the blueline before the puck. If one skate is on the blueline and the other is over, he is onside.
Offside Pass: A two-line pass occurs when a player passes the puck from the defending zone to a team-mate past the center red line, thus crossing the blueline and the red line. The puck's position determines which zone the pass was made, not the player's skates.
Icing the Puck Icing the puck is when a player is on his side of the red center line and shoots the puck all the way down the ice, it crosses the red goal line anywhere except for the goal itself and is touched by the defending team first. Icing is not allowed when teams are at equal strength.
When icing occurs, play is halted and the face-off is in the offending team's zone. Icing is not called when:
* The goalie plays the puck by leaving the net.
Guide to Penalties:
Minor Penalties: (2 minutes) called for minor infractions including tripping, holding, hooking, interference and high sticking.
Penalties are called by the referee. The linesmen concentrate mainly on calling offsides and icing. Rarely, a linesman may call a misconduct penalty or ask the referee to assess one if he thinks it is justified.
Hockey Lingo
Backcheck: Forwards in the enemy zone skate back quickly to their own end to protect the goal. ***all information found at http://www.ottershockey.com/***
* Defensemen (2)
* Center
* Wings (2)
* The puck passes through the goal crease.
* When, in the judgement of the linesman defending team member could have played the puck before it crossed the goal line.
* When an onside offensive player manages to touch the puck before the defending player.
* When due to penalty or penalties, a team is playing with an uneven number of players.
Major Penalties (5 minutes) called for fighting and minor penalties that are flagrant and result in injury.
Misconduct (10 minutes) called for various forms of unsportsmanlike conduct. Substitutions are permitted for players serving misconduct penalties.
Bodycheck: Slowing or stopping an opponent with the puck with the hip or shoulder.
Breakaway: A player who skates in on goal ahead of all opponents except the goaltender.
Butt Ending : Hitting an opponent with the end of the stick farthest from the blade. Illegal and calls for a penalty.
Charging : Taking more than 2 strides or jumping before checking an opponent. Illegal and calls for a penalty.
Crease : The blue area directly in front of the goal.
Cross-Checking : Hitting an opponent with both hands on the stick and no part of the stick on the ice. Illegal and calls for a penalty.
Drop Pass: The puck carrier will leave the puck behind to be picked up by a trailing teammate.
Faceoff: How the puck is put into play to start the game or after any stop in game action.
Forechecking: Hustling into the opponent’s defensive zone by the forwards who want to keep the puck there, and hopefully take it away.
Freezing the Puck: Pinning the puck against the boards with either stick or skates.
Hat Trick: Three goals scored by the same player in one game.
Headmanning : When a player passes the puck forward to an attacking teammate.
High Sticking: Illegally striking an opponent with the stick above shoulder level.
Holding : Using the hands and grasping an opponent or his equipment. Illegal and calls for a penalty.
Interference Impeding the progress of an opponent who doesn’t have the puck or who is in contention for the puck. Also called for knocking an opponent’s fallen stick out of his reach. Illegal and calls for a penalty.
Neutral Zone : Center ice between the blue lines.
Point : Position just inside the opposition’s blue line usually manned by a defenseman when their team is in control of the puck in the opposition’s zone.
Poke Check: Stabbing at the puck with the blade of the stick to take it from the puck carrier.
Power Play : A team with more players n the ice than the opposition due to penalties.
Screen Shot : A shot the goalie cannot see clearly because of a player between him and the shooter.
Slashing Sticking an opponent with the stick. Illegal and calls for a penalty even if no contact occurs.
Slot : The "alley" between the two circles directly in front of the nets.
Spearing : Using the stick like a spear. Illegal and calls for a 5-minute major penalty.
Stick Handling : Carrying the puck along the ice with the stick.
Sweep Check Using the entire length of the stick while laying flat on the ice in order to take the puck from the center.