The Storm - Hockey 101

Hockey 101

Hockey is the world's fastest spectator sport, but that doesn't mean it is difficult to understand. Learn some of the key phrases and lingo, you’ll have it made.

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.

OFFICIALS

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.

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.

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.

PENALTIES & SIGNALS

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.

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.

POSITIONS

THE RULES

EQUIPMENT

Penalty	Signal	Description

Boarding			Checking (shoving) an opponent so that he is thrown violently against the boards. Official Signal: Pounding the closed fist of the non-whistle hand into the open palm of the other hand.
Charging			Taking more than three skating strides prior to checking an opponent. Official Signal: Rotating clenched fists around one another in front of chest.
Checking from Behind			Checking or hitting an opponent whose back is facing you, often into the boards. Official Signal: Non-whistle arm placed behind the back, elbow bent, forearm parallel to the ice surface.
Cross-Checking			Hitting an opponent with both hands on the stick and no part of the stick on the ice. Official Signal: A forward motion with both fists clenched extending from the chest.
Delayed Penalty			When a referee signals that he is about to penalize a player, but will not stop play until the team to be penalized touches the puck. Official Signal: The non-whistle hand is extended straight above the head.
Elbowing			Using an elbow in any way to foul an opponent. Official Signal: Tapping the elbow of the whistle hand with the opposite hand.
Hand Pass			Called when a player uses his hand to direct the puck to another player from the same team in the offensive or neutral zone. Hand passes are allowed in the defensive zone. Official Signal: The non-whistle hand (open hand) and arm are placed straight down alongside the body and swung forward and up once in an underhand motion.
High Sticking			Striking your opponent while carrying the stick above shoulder level. Official Signal: Holding both fists, clenched, one immediately above the other, at the side of the head.
Holding			Holding an opponent from moving with hands or stick or any other way. Official Signal: Clasping the wrist of the whistle hand well in front of the chest.
Hooking			"Hooking" a stick aroung an opponent to try to block his progress. Official Signal: A tugging motion with both arms, as if pulling something toward the stomach.
Icing			Intentionally shooting the puck from behind the center red line over your opponent's goal line. Not technically a penalty, icing results in a faceoff in the offending team's zone. Official Signal: The instant that the conditions required to establish "icing the puck'' have occurred, the referee will blow his whistle to stop play, and raise his non-whistle hand over his head. The back official will move to the resulting face-off spot and give the icing signal.
Interference			Illegal body contact with an opponent who is not in possession of the puck, or knocking an opponent's fallen stick out of his reach. Official Signal: Crossed arms stationary in front of chest with fists closed.

Penalty Shot			When an attacking player has been clearly pulled down preventing a breakaway shot on the goalie. Official Signal: Crossed arms stationary in front of chest with fists closed.
Slashing			Hitting an opposing player with the stick or swinging the stick at an opposing player. Official Signal: One chop with the non-whistle hand across the straightened forearm of the other hand.
Spearing			Stabbing an opponent with the point of the stick blade while the stick is being carried in one or both hands. Official Signal: A single jabbing motion with both hands together, thrust forward from in front of the chest, then dropping hands to the side.
Tripping			Using a stick, knee, foot, arm, hand, or elbow to cause an opponet to trip or fall. Official Signal: Strike the side of the knee (non-whistle side) and follow through once, keeping the head up and both skates on the ice.
Washout			When used by a referee it means the goal does not count; when used by a linesman, it means there is no icing or off-sides. Official Signal: Both arms swung laterally across the body at shoulder level with palms down.