Ice hockey game is a contact winter team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport.
Ice Hockey Game: History, Rules, Equipment, Time Duration
History:
Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th centuries in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland, and elsewhere, primarily bandy, hurling, and shinty.
In North America and some European countries the sport is known simply as “hockey” in common parlance. And in many countries, “hockey” usually refers to field hockey, except in some Northern areas of Russia where bandy is still referred to as “Russian hockey”.
The contemporary sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal, where the first indoor game was played on March 3, 1875.
Some characteristics of that game, such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck, have been retained to this day. Amateur ice hockey leagues began in the 1880s, and professional ice hockey originated around 1900.
Rules:
Ice hockey is played on a hockey rink. During normal play, there are six players per side on the ice at any time, one of them being the goaltender, each of whom is on ice skates.
The aim of the game is to score goals by shooting a hard vulcanized rubber disc, the puck, into the opponent’s goal net, which is placed at the opposite end of the rink. The players use their sticks to pass or shoot the puck.
Equipment:
In ice hockey, players use specialized equipment both to facilitate the play of the game and for protection as this is a sport where injuries are common, therefore, all players are encouraged to protect their bodies from bruises and severe fractures.
Goaltenders wear masks and much bulkier, specialized equipment designed to protect them from many direct hits from the puck.
Besides ice skates and sticks, hockey players are usually equipped with an array of safety gear to lessen their risk of serious injury. This usually includes a helmet, shoulder pads/chest protector, elbow pads, mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded shorts, a ‘jock’ athletic protector, shin pads and a neck guard.
Time Duration:
The game of ice hockey is divided into three periods of 20 minutes playing time each, with a 15-minute intermission between periods. Hockey games may end in a tie unless the rules stipulate an overtime period to serve as a tiebreaker.
In the event of a tie after any sudden-victory period, a penalty shoot-out competition takes place to determine the winner.
| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Contact | Full |
| Team members |
|
| Type | – team sport – stick sport – puck sport – winter sport |
| Equipment | – hockey pucks – ice hockey sticks – ice hockey skates – shin pads – shoulder pads – gloves – helmets (with visor or cage, depending on age of player and league) – elbow pads – jock or jill – ice hockey socks – ice hockey shorts – neck guard (depends on league) – mouthguard (depends on league) |
| Venue | Hockey rink or arena – sometimes played on a frozen lake or pond for recreation |
