Ice hockey is a popular contact sport played on an ice surface, typically inside an outdoor or indoor ice rink, where two competing teams of skaters utilize their skating sticks to skate along the ice, attempting to shoot the other team’s pink rubber ball into their opponent’s goal for points. It is considered to be one of the most popular sports in the world. Ice hockey rules are fairly simple; there are only a few essential maneuvers that players must learn, and these maneuvers are only necessary to begin the game. In addition, aside from the two players on each team, there are no other spectators, except for the referee, who does not actually count the points, but instead merely points out the teams when the matches become tied.
Another version of this winter sport is field hockey: which differs from ice hockey in that there are two teams on each field, with each team given ten minutes of time to play, and only two players per team on each side. Field hockey games are typically longer than ice games, up to three hours in length, and may feature overtime if the game is extremely close. Unlike hockey, where the playing time is limited to only two or three minutes at a time, in field hockey, the action can continue for as long as necessary. Although the scoring occurs just before the end of the game, the action does not end there.
In addition to the two players on each team: there are two other things that may be changing during the game. One of these involves the play-by-play or announcing of the outcome of a play. As with ice hockey, the goal is typically scored by a “goal” (the ball entering the goal), and the game is considered to be complete when a team has successfully taken control of the puck throughout the entire play. This play is referred to as “five on five”, or “five on four”. The referee then signals the beginning of the next phase of the game, and play continues to the end of the regulation or overtime period.
With regards to hockey’s rules: goalkeepers are known as “defenders”, while the goalies are referred to as “goalies”. The goalkeepers are the only ones permitted to touch the puck with their hands, including blocking it with their arms or hands. There are also special rules pertaining to “shot” or “penalty” situations. When a penalty or “shot” is called, the player committing the infraction is required to run to his spot on the ice, stop, and wait for the other team to bring the puck back to his place on the ice; this is to “buy time” for the other team.
Another aspect of hockey: that differs it from other sports is the two defensemen. Two defensemen are typically included on the ice for each team and are meant to form a clear line of defense in front of the net, with their respective skates planted on the ice. The main duty of these two players is to be the “checks” and “backs”. Their job is to prevent the other team from scoring goals, while being checked and blocking shots.
While there is no official regulation for hockey sticks: the majority of hockey sticks are longer than regulation sticks, as they are used for playing the sport. The difference in length among sticks comes from the “shaft”, which is the part of the stick that holds the hockey stick’s blade together during play. The “bite” of the blade, on the other hand, refers to the way the hockey puck is delivered to the net by the blades during a game.
Many hockey enthusiasts prefer shorter hockey sticks because they believe that this allows players to have a better shot, while having a more agile stick to move around on the ice.