An Introduction To Hockey
Jason Tarasi
Hockey is a sport that is enjoyed by many players and fans.
Because it is most frequently played on ice (professionally
anyway), it is often referred to as ice hockey, though there
are some variations of the game using a roller rink rather than
an ice rink making it possible for those who don’t have the
benefit of ice rinks to engage in the game for fun. Hockey that
isn’t played on the ice is generally referred to as roller
hockey.
Ice hockey is played in a 200 foot by 85 foot rink. Lines are
painted on the ice to mark various zones. The red line in the
center of the rink marks the middle of the ice so the hockey
players can tell how far to shoot. Blue lines are used to mark
the three zones of the ice – the defending zone, the attacking
zone and the neutral zone.
One each end of the rink, in the center of the ice is a set of
goal posts which are set six feet apart, and a net. Between the
goal posts there is a red line painted on the ice which is
called a goal line. The object of the game of hockey is to make
goals by knocking the hockey puck into the net using a hockey
stick. A team achieves points when the puck crosses the goal
line and goes into the net which oddly enough is also called
the goal. The blue area in front of the goal that is painted in
blue is called the crease. Only the goaltender is allowed in the
crease, so if a player skates into the crease while attempting
to make a goal, they may get an interference penalty.
Generally there are six players per team on the ice at one
time. The three players that line up at the front of the team
are called forwards and they mainly serve as the team’s
offense. Depending on their placement they are referred to as
the right wing, the center and the left wing. Behind the
forwards are two defensemen, one on the right and one on the
left. The sixth player is the goaltender, also called a goalie.
The goalie generally stays in the crease to protect defensive
zone, the defensemen also defend the goal as the forwards
attempt to make goals for the team. Forwards and defensemen are
allowed to provide both offense and defense for their team as
they react to the activity of the game. At the end of three
twenty-minute periods, the hockey team with the highest score
wins. Tied games go into a five-minute period of overtime.
Jason Tarasi runs the hockey equipment
classified site http://Hockeyads.com ,
where hockey players can
buy and sell new and used hockey equipment online for free.
http://www.hockeyads.com
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