ABOUT THE GAME
 
The Game of Hockey
    Hockey is one of the fastest games on Earth and one of the easiest to understand. Once you have mastered the three basic rules you'll be on your way. Those three rules are: offside, offside pass and icing the puck. These rules are designed to cut down on stalling, encourage teamwork and maintain the speed of the game. 

    Each side plays six men at a time (unless someone has been put in the penalty box). Substitutions are made when play stops or can be made "on the fly" while play is in progress. The positions are goalkeeper (1), defensemen (2), and forwards (3). 

    Games last 60 minutes and are divided into three periods of 20 minutes each. If games are tied after 60 minutes, the teams will engage in a shoot-out. Each team selects five players to confront the goaltenders in a 1-on-1 breakaway shoot-out. The team scoring the most goals in five attempts is the winner. Teams receive two points for a victory and the team losing receives one point in the Overtime Loss (OTL) column. Teams losing in regulation time receive no points. 

    A team scores when one of its players shoots the puck into the opponent's net with his stick. Players who help set up goals receive assists. Two assists can be handed out on each goal.

The Players

Goaltenders 
    The goalie's chief job is to keep the opposition from putting the puck into his goal. Offensively, he may start his team down the ice with a pass but rarely leaves the crease, the blue semi-circle in front of the net.
Defensemen 
    Defensemen try to stop the flow of the opponent's offense. They attempt to break up passes, block shots, cover opposing forwards and clear the puck from the front of their own net. On offense, they get the puck to their center and wings and follow the play into the attacking zone. When in the attack zone, the position themselves just inside the opponent's blue line at the "points". 
     
Center 
    The center leads the attack by carrying the puck on offense. He is the primary player to take face-offs. He exchanges passes with his wings to steer the play toward the goal. On defense, he tries to forecheck, or break up, the play of the attacking opponent.
The Officials

Referee 
    The referee supervises the game, calls penalties, determines goals and handles face-offs at center ice to start each period.
Linesmen 
    The two linesmen call offsides, icing and handle all face-offs during the rest of the period. They do not call penalties, but can recommend to the referee that a penalty should be called.
Goal Judge 
    The goal judge sits behind the goal and judges whether a puck has crossed the red line. He indicates a goal by turning on his red light. The referee can ask his judgement on close calls.
Scorer 
    The official scorer determines credit for goals and assists, if any. He may consult the referee, but is the final authority in determining points.
Penalties
    A team will play shorthanded when one or more of its players have been assessed a penalty. No team is forced to play with less than three skaters and a goaltender. If a penalty is called when that team already has two men in the box, the third penalty does not begin until one of the first two penalty times expires. On penalties called on the goaltender, a teammate who was on the ice at the time of the penalty must serve the time.
Minor Penalties 
    (Two Minutes) Called for minor infractions such as tripping, hooking, slashing, roughing, holding etc.
Major Penalties 
    (Five Minutes) Called for fighting or when minor penalties are deemed to have been committed with deliberate attempt to injure. Major penalties for stick infractions will be called of blood is drawn or the penalty is severe and result in automatic game misconducts.
Misconducts 
    (Ten Minutes) Called for various forms of unsportsmanlike behavior or when a player incurs a second major penalty in a game. This is a penalty against an individual not a team, so no time is put on the clock and a substitute is permitted.
Penalty Shot 
    A free shot, unopposed except for the goaltender. Given to a player who is pulled down or illegally impeded from behind on a breakaway. Also awarded if a defender other than the goaltender touches the puck while it is in the crease. No time is served for the penalty. 
     
Delayed Penalty 
    The team who commits the penalty must regain possession of the puck to draw a whistle and stop play. Until that time occurs, the other team may pull their goaltender to have an extra attacker.

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