Hockey intro

Duration: 60 minutes (3×20 minute periods) clock stops each time the referee blows his whistle.

Team numbers: 5 skaters and 1 goalie on the ice at a time for each team. Players tend to swap every few minutes with teams having around 18 skaters on their bench.

Scoring: Most goals wins, game goes to overtime with a draw, penalty shots if no winner in overtime.

Rules: Physical contact is allowed between players contesting for the puck. Rough contact, which could cause injury, is covered by various rules. Some penalties are worth 2 minutes, more serious offences are worth 5 and some offences can see players ejected from the game.

The Ice: Several lines on an ice hockey rink, and these are either red or blue.

• The red line across the centre divides the ice into two halves.
• The blue lines divide the ice into thirds or zones.
• The centre zone is the neutral zone; the others are the attacking zone and the defensive zone.
• The semi-circle around the goal is the crease; attacking players cannot score if they are in the crease deliberately.