POSITIONS
DEFENSEMEN:
These players try to stop the incoming play at their own blue line. They try
to break up passes, block shots, cover opposing forwards and clear the puck
from in front of their own goal. Offensively, they get the puck to their
forwards and follow the play into the attacking zone, positioning themselves
just inside their opponent's blue line at the "points."
GOALTENDER:
The goalie's primary task is simple - keep the puck out of his own net.
Offensively, he may start his team down the ice with a pass, but seldom does
he leave the net he guards.
WINGS:
The wings team with the center on the attack to set up shots on goal.
Defensively, they attempt to break up plays by their counterparts and upset
the shot attempts.
CENTER:
The quarterback of the ice, the center leads the attack by carrying the puck
on offense. He exchanges passes with his wings to steer the play toward the
opposing goal. On defense, he tries to disrupt a play before it gets on his
team's side of the ice.
OFFICIALS
ON ICE
REFEREE:
Wears orange armbands. He supervises the game, calls the penalties, determines
goals and handles face-offs at center ice to start the game, and after a goal
is scored.
LINESMAN:
Two are used. They call offside, icing and handle all face-offs after the
opening face-off. They do not call penalties, but can recommend to the referee
that a penalty be called.
OFF ICE
GOAL JUDGES:
One sits off-ice behind each goal and indicates when the puck has crossed the
goal line by turning on a red light. The referee can ask his advice on
disputed goals, but the referee has final authority on whether or not a goal
has been scored and can overrule the goal judge.
OFFICIAL SCORER:
He determines which player scores and credits assists if there are any. He may
consult the referee, but the scorer is the final authority in crediting
points. There are 6-8 other off-ice officials with different responsibilities,
mostly in statistics keeping.
THE RULES
A team plays shorthanded when one or more of its players is charged with a penalty. However, no team is forced to play more than two players below full strength (six) at any time. When a third penalty is assessed to the same team, it is suspended until the first penalty expires. When a penalty is called on a goalie, a teammate who is on the ice at the time of the penalty serves the goalies' time in the penalty box.
MINOR PENALTY: (Two
minutes)
Any player, other than the goaltender, shall be ruled off the ice for two
minutes during which time no substitute shall be permitted. If the shorthanded
team is scored upon before the two minutes elapse, the player in the box is
automatically released.
Called for tripping, hooking, slashing, charging, roughing, holding, elbowing
or boarding.
MAJOR PENALTY: (Four-Five
minutes)
Any player, except the goaltender, shall be ruled off the ice for four or five
minutes during which time no substitute shall be permitted. The player who is
serving the major penalty must stay in penalty box for the fully five,
regardless is a goal is scored upon their "shorthanded" team.
Called for fighting or when minor penalties are committed with deliberate
attempt to injure. Major penalties for slashing, spearing, high-sticking,
butt-ending and cross-checking carry automatic game misconducts.
COINCIDENTAL MINOR AND/OR MAJOR PENALTIES
Result when players of two opposing teams are simultaneously assessed penalties of equal duration. In this case, the players may be substituted for, but all penalized players must serve their full time in the penalty box and wait for a stoppage of play to come out of the box. Generally, the timekeeper will not post these penalties on the scoreboard and the players will be required to stay in the box for the amount of time assessed and until "the next whistle".
MISCONDUCT: (Ten minutes)
Any player, other than the goaltender, shall be ruled off the ice for a period
of ten minutes. A substitute player is permitted to immediately replace a
player serving a misconduct penalty. A player whose misconduct penalty has
expired shall remain in the penalty box until the next stoppage of pay. These
penalties are often called in tandem with a minor penalty and you may hear it
referred to as a "Two and Ten". What this means is that the player has
committed a foul such as checking from behind and his team must play
shorthanded for two minutes but the offending player must also stay off the
ice for an additional ten minutes. Generally, a team will put two players in
the penalty box with one coming out after two minutes. Called for various
forms of unsportsmanlike behavior or when player incurs a second major penalty
in a game.
MATCH PENALTY:
A match penalty
involves the suspension of a player for the balance of the game and the
offender shall be ordered to the dressing room immediately. A substitute
player is permitted to replace the penalized player after five minutes of
playing time has elapsed.
GAME MISCONDUCT:
A penalty that involves the suspension of a player for the balance of the game. A substitute is immediately permitted to take his place on the ice.
GOALTENDER'S PENALTIES:
A goaltender shall not be sent to the penalty box for an infraction, but
instead the minor penalty shall be served by another member of his team, who
was on the ice when the infraction was committed.
PENALTY SHOT:
A free shot, unopposed except for the goalie. The shot is awarded to a player
if he is illegally impeded from behind on a breakaway, or if any player on the
defending team throws his stick at a player trying to score. Also called for
deliberately displacing the goal post during a breakaway, or can be called
when a defending player other than the goalie intentionally falls on the puck,
usually around the defensive net area. The team which
commits the offense is not penalized beyond the penalty shot.
DELAYED PENALTY:
Whistle is delayed until the penalized team regains possession of the puck and
is signaled by the referee with his arm raised overhead.
ICING
When a player shoots the puck across the red center line and past the opposing
red goal line. Icing is not called if that player's team is playing
shorthanded, one of his teammates touches the puck first or defending
goaltender touches the puck first.
OFFSIDE
When any member of the attacking team precedes the puck over the defending
team's blue line. Play is restarted with a face-off outside the blueline.
