Ice Hockey

Ice hockey is a team sport played on a sheet of ice by two teams, with five skaters and one goaltender on the ice for each side at full strength. Players use sticks to move a flat rubber puck and try to send it completely across the opponents’ goal line. Under IIHF rules, a standard game has three 20-minute periods of actual playing time, with intermissions between them. The rink is 60 metres long and 26 to 30 metres wide in IIHF competitions.

Boards and protective glass surround the playing surface, while blue lines divide the rink into three zones. Players can pass, carry and shoot the puck with their sticks, and teams can change players while play is in progress. Penalties may temporarily reduce a team’s number of skaters, creating a power play for the opponents. The game combines rapid attacks, defensive play, skating skill and precise control of the puck.

Ice hockey places high physical demands on the body because players repeatedly accelerate, stop, turn, balance on narrow skate blades and make powerful stick movements. A typical shift is short, so players alternate intense efforts with periods of recovery on the bench. Fast skating relies on muscular force and rapid energy production, while the aerobic system contributes to recovery and repeated efforts throughout the game.

When a player shoots, the speed and direction of the stick, the point of contact with the puck and the movement of the body all influence the puck’s trajectory and speed. A puck is made of vulcanized rubber and weighs about 156 to 170 grams; it is frozen before use to reduce bouncing. Protective equipment helps limit the consequences of impacts and falls. Regular training can improve skating ability, strength, coordination, balance, agility and endurance. Because the sport involves high speeds and physical contact, learning safe techniques, wearing appropriate protective equipment and following the rules are important parts of practice.