Rules of the game of ice hockey

In a hockey game*** two teams participate, with each team having six players on the ice for all of the given playing time. When a player is sent off for a foul, each team will no longer have six players.

Each player is equipped with a bladed hockey stick to control the only small, hard, flat, black disc-shaped ball on the field, which is called the puck. (The reason it is hard is to slide better on the ice). The intent of the game of ice hockey is to try to get the puck into the opposing team's goal more often than the other team, while aggressively and vigorously defending the home goal.

Each team has a goalie, two defensemen and three forwards divided into center, right and left wingers. Other than the players from both teams, the only other people allowed on the field are the three refereeing officials: a referee and two sideline referees.

Each game is played in 3 sets of 20 minutes each, with a 15-minute break or television interview between sets. There is no overtime unless there is a tie-breaker (or there is a tie). Game interruptions are very frequent and the timer stops, which ensures that viewers watch the actual game for 20 minutes per inning.

The hockey rink is 60-61 meters long and 29-30 meters wide. The 1.20-1.22-meter-high fence made of thick wood or plastic around the rink is called the "boundary wall," and it is fitted with anti-shock glass to protect the paying spectators.

Each player has a basic position at the start of the game: 1) goalie. 2) defender. 3) winger or forward. 4) center.

The goal is 1.83 meters wide and 1.22 meters high, and it is covered with a goal net that keeps the ball inside the goal if a team shoots. The goalie is the last line of defense. He can control the ball with his stick and can catch, hold, throw, punt, kick, and break the ball with his body or his stick. Therefore, the goalie is heavily equipped and has a bigger stick than anyone else. He must also wear a face mask for further protection. The small semicircle in front of the goal is called the goal zone; it is the defensive zone and opposing players are not allowed to stand in the goal zone or interfere with the goalie unless the puck is in the goal zone. A point is scored when the puck completely crosses the red line that is level with the goal post.

Two defensemen, usually side by side, are positioned between the goal and the offensive zone. The defenseman's job is to try to stop the puck from crossing the blue line he is guarding, and if the puck once crosses the blue line, he seeks to block the puck and pass it to the forwards. A defenseman's main responsibility is to play defense, so a defenseman should never be on the wrong side of the ice.

The center primarily moves up and down the middle of the ice between the right and left wingers. It is usually the center who contests the kickoff to start the play, and then he passes the ball to one of the wingers who attempts to attack the shot. The center has to attempt to attack the shot himself or pass the ball to the wingers to go for the shot. The center is also tasked with defense, defending his own area and blocking the ball from under the opposing player's stick. The left and right wingers, as the name suggests, are positioned on the left and right sides of the field, dribbling the ball and trying to match the center forward with a shot on goal to set up a game winner. They also have to go and block opposing players from attacking when the ball is broken away.

When it comes to penalties, it's up to the referee to penalize players who commit multiple general and star fouls, such as stick hitting, tripping, fighting, slamming into the boundary wall (excessively violently slamming an opposing player into the boundary wall), elbowing someone, stabbing with the blade of the stick (with the puck stick), crossbar push blocking (picking up the stick to block the puck when encountering an opposing player) or delay of game. Penalties are assessed at 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes and forfeits. The announcer is required to announce the name of the player's foul penalty and the time of the penalty immediately after the player has been penalized for the foul. The penalized player sits in a separate seat, usually on the other side of the field away from the player.

At the end of the game, when one team has won (and the team that has scored the most points is the winning team), the players of the two teams line up and shake hands with each other as a sign of goodwill between the two teams and to congratulate the winning team.