Hockey is a sport that has been played for hundreds of years in many countries around the world. It was modernized in England and was given the name “shinny”. As it became more popular around the world, Canada adopted it into a national sport and it became known as ice hockey.

Rules for the National Hockey League vary from those of European and international hockey. The NHL is considered the premier league of the world so those are the rules that will be discussed.

Hockey is a game played on a sheet of ice about 60 meters long and 26 meters wide. The rink is split into three main sections. The middle section is the neutral zone and includes a center circle where the games start. Either side of the neutral zone is where both teams attack and defend. The object of the game is to hit a small puck across the ice before then hitting it into a goal with a hockey stick. Every time the puck crosses the goal line, the team that hit the puck in the goal is awarded one point. The puck is passed around by the teammates, and each team also has the responsibility of trying to stop the other team from scoring.

Hockey is a 60-minute game divided into three 20-minute periods. If the teams are tied at the end of 60 minutes of play, a 5-minute sudden-death overtime period is played. During the playoffs, teams continue playing additional 20-minute sudden-death overtimes until one team scores.

Each team can have up to 20 players on the team, however, only 6 can be present on the ice during a game. The rest of the team can be used as substitutes to replace fatigued players. The players on the ice can score a goal by hitting the puck across the goal line with their stick, or any part of their body except their hands.

Penalties play a large role in the game of hockey. Icing and offsides are the two most common penalties called during a game of hockey. Icing occurs when a player shoots the puck into the opposing team’s zone from his side of the red line, and the puck crosses the goal line at the other end without anyone touching it, and an opposing player from the other team is not present. Offsides occur when an offensive player enters the attacking zone before the puck enters that zone.

Whether you are interested in playing hockey, or simply just watching it, hockey is a great sport that is enjoyed and played by millions around the world. Although it can be confusing, simple tips like these can hopefully help people embrace a sport that they just don’t know they love yet.