An Ice hockey game is played with 5 players and a goalie on the ice per team with unlimited interchanges due to the speed of the game.
A game is played over 3 x 15 minute periods, the last 5 minutes being stop time (clock stops when play pauses).
Offside: The puck must preceed any attacking player over the attacking teams blue line. If an attacking player crosses the blue line before the puck, play is stopped and a face-off will ensue.
Icing: Is called when the defending team shoots the puck out of their own end and the puck crosses both the red centre line and the far red goal line without being touched. Play is stopped and a face-off will restart play back in the defending teams zone from which the puck was shot out of.
Penalties: A player can be ejected out of the game for 2 minutes
(5 minutes for major penalties) leaving his team one man short for the respective duration. This is called "short handed" or "penalty kill". The penalty time will be displayed on the scoreboard.
For the opposing team, this dramatically increases chances to score a goal as they will have a one man advantage for the penalty duration, this is called a "powerplay". Should they score a goal during the penalty, the remaining penalty time is cancelled and the penalised player is allowed out of the penalty box and his team will return to full strength.
Penalty offences:
- Tripping (the use of a hockey stick, leg or arm to trip a player)
- High sticking (lifting a stick above shoulder height),
- Slashing (using a hockey stick to slash an opponent)
- Cross checking (striking opponent with stick in both hands)
- Butt Ending (striking opponent with top end of stick)
- Spearing (Major penalty - using stick to spear opponents)
- Unsportsman like conduct (back chatting referee or players)
- Interference (Interfering with players without puck or goalies)
- Elbowing, - Kneeing, - Kicking, - Roughing.
Penalty Shot:
If an attacking player is brought down from behind by a defending player while on a "breakaway" with only the Goalkeeper to beat and is denied a reasonable scoring opportunity, he will be awarded a penalty shot.
