A Beginner'due south Guide To Playing Ice Hockey

And then, you're thinking of playing one of the most exhilarating, thrilling sports on the planet? What a fantastic idea!

Whether you're taking a jump into a new hobby at your local rink/university, or you're a parent of a child who wants to join - nosotros're here to show you everything you need to know to start playing ice hockey.

Why start playing ice hockey?

For adults taking the plunge, strapping blades to your feet and inbound the ice is an adrenaline-fuelled feeling, it volition keep yous fit and it's bully for your mental wellbeing.

For children, not only is it fun and the perfect social activity, information technology will provide them with life-long skills; confidence, teamwork, communication and determination-making abilities.

What are the main rules and construction of the game?

Hockey at its core is a very unproblematic game. You skate, you pass, you shoot and you score. Before jumping onto the ice, information technology's worth getting to know a few nuts of the game.

Objective

  • The objective is to score more goals than the opposing team.
  • A goal counts as i on the scoreboard (just like football/soccer).

Players

There are half dozen players per squad on the water ice at one time (including the goalie).

The game allows unlimited substitutions from the demote during stoppages and play.

In that location are 6 different positions:

  • Goalie - Their job is to prevent the water ice hockey puck from entering their internet.
  • Defence players (left &amp correct) - They are tasked with stopping the opposing forward when their squad does non have possession of the puck, and providing offensive back up when the team does accept possession.
  • Forwards – eye - Responsible for taking faceoffs (the way play starts and restarts later on a goal) to regain possession and covering the centre of the ice at both ends of the rink.
  • Forwards – left &amp correct wing - The wingers are responsible for play forth the sides of the rink. They have some defensive responsibilities, but are primarily relied upon as goal scorers.

A goal can be scored by anyone on the water ice, including the goalie, just this is still a rarity.

The basic rules

  • Offside - Play is alleged 'offside' when an attacking thespian enters into the offensive zone before the puck does. Both skates over the blue line would count as 'inbound'.
  • Icing - When a team shoots the puck from their own side of the eye red line and across the opposition's goal line. At that place is one exception though - when a team is short-handed due to a punishment, icing is legal.
  • Faceoffs - Each play begins with a faceoff and ends when a goal is scored, or the referee blows the whistle.

Penalties

Penalties are how players go far trouble with their sticks and bodies. Players will serve their penalties in the penalty box (sin bin).

A minor penalty is ii minutes in length. Major penalties and misconducts are for more than serious offences and tin can be for five minutes, 10 minutes or a full friction match.

Whilst a punishment is being served, the opposing team receives a homo reward chosen a 'ability play'. A power play lasts for the duration of the penalty. In the case of small penalties, the power play will stop early on if the squad with the human advantage scores a goal.

Penalties can be for stick fouls such as, loftier sticking, hooking and tripping.

Penalties are also for body fouls, including belongings and roughing.

Here's a few penalties to avoid:

  • Roughing – striking an opponent with a hand or fist.
  • Hooking – obstructing progressive play past 'hooking' an opposing player with your stick.
  • High sticking – playing with your stick higher up shoulder pinnacle or the goal cross bar.
  • Tripping – using torso parts or your stick to crusade an opposing player to fall over.
  • Interference – obstructing a player non in possession of the puck.
  • Spearing – stabbing at an opponent with your stick (regardless whether this makes contact or non).
  • Charging – jumping or taking over 3 strides to violently hit a player and separate them from the puck.
  • Holding – grabbing an opponent to concord them back.
  • Fighting – partaking in a physical atmospherics. Often when punches are thrown.

Practice I already need to exist able to ice skate?

If yous tin't already skate, this shouldn't stop you lot taking up hockey - it'southward simply a hurdle to overcome.

First by going to open up ice skating sessions at a nearby rink, followed by skating lessons if you feel you need them. Our local is Water ice Sheffield simply they're everywhere, and so check out where yours is.

Additionally, take a wait at YouTube videos, for example Vinnie Langdon's: How To Hockey Ice Skate for Beginners!

What should I await from Water ice Hockey?

  • Friendships – you'll run into plenty of new people. It'southward a sport known for tight team bonds.
  • A proper piece of work out – adults burn approximately 400 - 700 calories per hour of play, from the curt interval bursts.
  • Patience – learning to play is a complex skill which needs coaching and training. Decision, delivery and practice are the keys to success.

How exercise I notice a team near me?

England or Wales

Find your local lodge at the English Ice Hockey Association site.

Scotland

Discover your local squad at the Scottish Ice Hockey Association site.

Republic of ireland

Accept a look at the Irish gaelic clubs on the Irish Ice Hockey Association site.

Northern Ireland

The Belfast Giants are in an elite league but they practice have a junior, development team. Find out more than.

Uk University

If you desire to start playing at uni, find out if they have a club at the British Universities Ice Hockey Association site. You lot don't demand to study at the university to play in their squad, so take a expect at nearby universities that may have a team too.

The states

Find your local team at USA Hockey.

Canada

Discover your nearest hockey league.

What's the right equipment?

Making sure your kit fits properly is crucial. Equipment that fits correctly is not but more protective, it is also more comfortable and allows you to perform meliorate.

Equally the following items must fit you perfectly, we would recommend buying these items showtime:

Skates

Having comfortable, well-fitted ice hockey skates is vital and will help y'all to enjoy the game. Skate brands offer different skate models that are tailor-made for your foot shape, offering the all-time possible fit.

The ideal fit is snug, with your foot resting flat on the foot bed. A skate that is besides big won't offering the best skating stability and will bear on your skating performance. A skate that is too pocket-sized volition feel cramped and uncomfortable with each footstep.

There are two types of skates – player ice hockey skates and goalie hockey ice skates. As a rookie, a standard pair of player skates will be merely fine until you lot've got a permanent position in a team.

Helmet

An ice hockey helmet is an absolute must for protection on the ice. Your helmet should:

  • Fit snugly without constricting the head.
  • Cover roughly half of the forehead to just higher up the brow.
  • Exist secure enough that the helmet does not wobble out of position.

One of the top junior helmets is the CCM Fitlite 3DS Youth Helmet, providing youth-specific protection. Take a look at its adjustment features in our guide.

Once you take a designated position, you tin build up your kit depending on your position.

Goalie:

    • Stick
    • Mask
    • Chest protector
    • Neck guard/throat protector
    • Goalie jock
    • Articulatio genus pads/thigh guards
    • Leg pads
    • Blocker
    • Catching glove

Player:

  • Stick
  • Mucilage shield/rima oris guard
  • Neck guard
  • Shoulder pads
  • Elbow pads
  • Shin guards
  • Gloves
  • Jock

Get to grips with the lingo

Hither's our A-Z of ice hockey terms so you can talk the talk every bit well equally skate the skate:

Assist: An assist is a credit given to one or 2 players (other than the goal scorer), who helped to create the goal opportunity due east.g. by passing.

Backchecking: The aim of backchecking is for the defending team to regain possession of the puck.

Befouled: Slang for the ice rink.

Beige: The puck

Blueliner: Defense force players

Torso checking: Using torso parts (shoulders to hips), to physically knock into an opposing player and split them from the puck.

Bucket: Helmet

Butterfly: When goalies plunge to their knees in order to block the net with their leg pads.

Catcher: A glove worn past goalies so they tin catch pucks heading towards them.

Clapper: Slap shot.

Cookie jar: The superlative of the goal net.

Crease: A semi-circumvolve area in front of the goal. Offence players cannot enter the crease until after the puck does.

Deke [deek]: A play intended to trick an opponent into moving out of position.

Drib pass: A direct pass backside to a teammate.

Dropping gloves: Preparing for a fight.

Egg: When a game's terminal score is 0.

Faceoff: When the game begins, or play is re-started, the puck is dropped onto a faceoff spot on the ice. A player from each opposing team tries to win possession of the puck.

Fisticuffs: Fighting.

5-hole: The space between a goalie's legs.

Forechecking: Defensive play occurring in the offensive zone, in order to re-possess the puck.

Gino [jee-noh]: A goal that is scored.

Grinder: A player praised for working hard on the ice and assisting with goals, rather than existence a lead scorer.

Hands: A player with great stick handling.

Lid-play tricks: If a teammate scores iii goals in ane game. See our 'Bizarre ice hockey traditions' for fan'south reactions to a hat-trick.

High-stick: A penalisation for hitting a thespian above the shoulders with a stick.

Hitting: When a body check successfully removes the puck from an opposing player.

Interference: A penalty for obstructing a player not in possession of the puck.

Jibbs: Teeth.

Laser: A powerful, precise shot.

Limoges: Ain goal.

Liney: The linesmen.

Long side: The goal side that is furthest abroad from the actor shooting.

Man on: Teammates shout this as a alarm that an opposing role player is nearby.

Major punishment: 5 min penalization.

Minor penalty: 2 min penalty.

Mitts: Player'southward hands.

Netminder: Goalie.

Neutral zone: The water ice between blue lines.

Official: The referee.

Paddle: The wide section of a goalie's stick.

Pepper pot: Fast actor.

Pillows: Goalie's leg pads.

Playoff beard: 'A superstition' – players not shaving any facial pilus during the playoffs.

Poke checking: When an opponent pokes the puck away from the other team.

Power play: If a team has more players on the water ice due to penalties.

Rebound: When someone takes a shot and the puck bounces off a player or the net.

Shadow: Following an opposing role player to skew their game.

Shaft: Long part of a player'southward stick.

Sieve: A jeer towards the goalie if they let in too many goals.

Sin bin: Where yous're sent if yous're given a penalty.

Snipe: A powerful, accurate goal.

Stickhandling: Controlling the puck through the opposing team.

Stripes: Referee.

Tilly: Having a fight.

Top shelf: The upper goal area.

Trapper: The goalie'southward catching glove.

Twig: Hockey stick.

Waffle: The goalie'southward blocker.

Wrap around: A goal from backside the net.

Wheels: Ice skates.

Zebra: Referee.

Now you know the rules, lingo and you're safely kitted out, you tin hit the ice and get practising.

Good luck!

Published 20 November 2018

Last Updated: 13 June 2019