Gameplay
Ice hockey is a fast-paced, physical sport played on a sheet of ice with two teams of six players each. The object of the game is to score more goals than the other team by hitting the puck into the opposing team's net.
The game is played in three periods, each of 20 minutes. There is a short break between each period.
Players use a hockey stick to control the puck and move it up and down the ice. They can hit the puck with the stick, carry it in their hands, or pass it to a teammate.
Players can only hit the puck with their stick when they are in their own half of the ice. If they hit the puck into the opposing team's half of the ice, the other team gets a face-off. A face-off is a way of starting or restarting play after a stoppage in play. The puck is placed between two players from opposing teams and they try to hit it with their sticks.
Players can also score goals by shooting the puck into the opposing team's net. A goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line and goes into the net.
Offsides
An offside occurs when a player enters the opposing team's attacking zone ahead of the puck. If this happens, play is stopped and a face-off is held in the neutral zone.
There are a few exceptions to the offside rule. For example, a player is not offside if they are behind the puck when it is passed to them, or if they enter the attacking zone along the boards.
Icing
Icing occurs when a player shoots the puck from their own half of the ice all the way past the opposing team's goal line without it being touched by any other player. If this happens, play is stopped and the puck is returned to the face-off spot in the defensive zone of the team that iced the puck.
There are a few exceptions to the icing rule. For example, icing is not called if the opposing team has less than six players on the ice, or if the puck hits the glass or another player before it crosses the goal line.
Penalties
Players can be penalized for a number of infractions, such as tripping, hooking, slashing, and high-sticking. Penalties can result in a team being short-handed (playing with fewer players) for a certain amount of time.
The severity of the penalty will determine how long the player is penalized. Minor penalties result in a two-minute penalty, major penalties result in a five-minute penalty, and match penalties result in the player being ejected from the game.
A team can also be penalized for a delay of game penalty, which is called for actions such as intentionally throwing the puck out of bounds or shooting the puck over the glass. A delay of game penalty results in a two-minute penalty for the offending team.
Goaltender Interference
Goaltender interference occurs when a player makes contact with the opposing team's goaltender while the goaltender is in the crease. If goaltender interference is called, a penalty shot will be awarded to the opposing team.
Shootout
If the game is tied after regulation time, a shootout will be used to determine the winner. In a shootout, each team gets three skaters to take one-on-one shots against the opposing goaltender. The team with the most goals after three rounds wins the game.
These are just some of the basic rules of ice hockey. There are many other rules that govern the game, and these rules can vary depending on the league or tournament.
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