Here in Southern Ontario we’ve entered our winter season, although this year the cold and snow have decided to give us a bit of a break. So far we have a light dusting of the white stuff and none of the bitter, feel it right to the bones, kind of cold we usually get. I, for one, am thankful for that. Don’t get me wrong, I would miss snow, but not the temperatures that usually come with it.
Anyway, one thing that never changes when this time of year rolls around is hockey fever in Canada. We are a nation that loves hockey. In fact, until recently, I wasn’t even aware it isn’t our official national sport. Where I live, hockey and soccer are the two dominant sports, with equally enthusiastic fans.
While I can’t say that hockey, or any sport for that matter, means too much to me, I did grow up with a major fan of hockey, baseball, football, and horse races – my father. I also have sons and a daughter who are diehard Toronto Maple Leafs hockey fans and don’t like to miss a game. I thought I should at least find out a little more about the sport and am passing on my new-found information, so here goes:
Rules of Hockey
The first rules for the game of hockey were initially developed in the 1870’s, by James George Aylwin Creighton, a student at McGill University in Montreal who played in one of the province’s first indoor hockey games. Creighton’s first set of rules were very similar to those of field hockey and there were nine men on each side, one referee and two goal judges. Today, the games are played with six players on the ice, a referee, and two linesmen and there are many more than Creighton’s original seven rules. Hockey rules govern the surface the game is played on (the rink), the players, the play itself, the equipment used, and the consequences for breaking the rules – the penalties.
The Rink
A rink is a sheet of ice used for skating, and is the surface that the game of hockey is played on. In the olden days, the rink was naturally made outside. Today, rinks or arenas are artificially prepared and roofed, with millions of dollars being put into their construction.
The official size of the ice surface should be 200’ long and 85’ wide with rounded corners. The boards around the rink are 40-48 inches high and made of wood or fiberglass. The boards can only be white with a yellow kick plate at the bottom. Safety glass rises 40-48” high above the boards.
The ice surface itself is divided into thirds by two blue lines. Each blue line is 60’ from the nearest goal. These blue lines separate the ice surface into three zones: the defending zone (where the goal is defended), the neutral zone (center ice area), and the attacking zone (where the goal is attacked). Players’ benches are on one side of the rink and the penalty boxes are on the opposite side.
The Equipment
The first vital piece of equipment used in the game of hockey is the puck. The puck is made of one inch thick hard rubber that weighs between 5.5 and 6 ounces. To shoot the puck, players use a stick made of wood or another approved material called composite. The maximum length of a player’s stick is 60” from the heel to the top of the shaft. The blade of the stick must be no longer than 12.5” and be 2-3” wide. Players can use stick tape to strengthen, or reinforce, their sticks. The blade of a goalie stick may be up to 15.5” long and a maximum of 3.5” wide except at the heel, where it can be 4.5” wide. The shaft of the goalie stick is 3.5” wide for up to 26” from the heel.
Goaltenders wear goal pads, chest protectors/body armor, a blocker, a catcher, a helmet with a full face mask, and skates of course. Goaltending equipment is meant for protection only and cannot give a goalie any extra assistance in keeping goal.
Players wear padded pants, a jock, shin pads, shoulder pads, elbow pads, skates, and a helmet with a chin strap. All equipment, other than the helmet and the skates, must be worn underneath the uniform.
The Players
Hockey is played with six players on the ice at a time (1 goalie, 2 defensemen, and 3 forwards – leftwing, centre and rightwing). In most leagues, the team can dress 20 players, including 2 goalies. All players must be under contract to play for the club.
The team designates one player to be Captain, and two other players as Alternate Captains. The Captain wears a “C” on the front of his jersey, and the Alternates have a letter “A” on the front of theirs. The Captain is the only player allowed to approach the referee to discuss calls. If the Captain is not on the ice, the Alternate may approach the ref. No playing coach, manager, or goalie may be Captain or Alternate.
The name and number of each player on the team is listed on a game sheet. As well, their number and surname are clearly identified on the back of each of their jerseys. That list is given to the ref or official scorer before the game begins.
My thanks to Stacy for the above summary. I had no idea that there were so many regulations involved when playing hockey. To me, it looks like two teams each skating after a little puck and trying to hit it into the other team’s net with their hockey sticks. And fighting with anyone who got in their way!
So now it’s your turn. Are you a hockey fan? Why or why not? And someone please tell me what “dressing your team” means – I had trouble dressing six children, let alone a whole team!
Technorati Tags: playing hockey, hockey rules, hockey in Canada
Related posts:
