The rules of Hockey:

Zones

• The ice surface is divided into three zones.
• The area where the goal net is located is the “defending zone” for the team defending that net.
• The middle of the rink, between two blue lines, is the “neutral zone.”
• The area where the opposing net is located is the “attacking zone” or “offensive zone.”

The Net

• A cage measuring four feet tall and six feet wide, strung with nylon mesh in the back.
• There are two nets at opposite ends of the ice, guarded by the goaltenders.

Object of the Game

• Score more goals than the other team!

The Teams

• Each team has six players on the ice, one goaltender and five “skaters.”
• The five skaters have assigned positions: three forwards and two defensemen.
• Regardless of assigned positions, all players except the goaltender can go anywhere on the ice.
• The goaltender cannot cross the center ice red line that divides the rink in half.

Substitutions

• Substitutions are unlimited and can be made at any time.
• A substitution does not require an official’s permission, or a stoppage in play.
• A player can join the game during play as long as the departing player is within five feet of the bench and not involved in the play or with an opponent.

The Faceoff

• The game begins/resumes when the referee drops the puck between two opposing forwards.
• During the faceoff all other players are positioned on the defensive side of the puck.
• There are nine designated faceoff spots painted on the ice.

The Game Clock

• The game is played in three 12-minute or 15-minute periods, depending on the youth level.
• The clock is stopped during all stoppages in play.

Body Checking

• Checking isn’t legal in youth hockey until the Pee Wee level (11-12).
• A player can use a shoulder, hip or torso to hit or impede an opponent, but only when the opponent is in possession of the puck.
• A body check that targets the head is illegal.
• A body check to an opponent’s back is illegal if the opponent is facing the boards.
• The upping of checking to the Bantam level, as well as the removal of checking from youth hockey all together have been proposed ad nauseam over the years. The thought here being that only about 1 in every 4000 youths actually go pro one day. So why subject the other 3999 bodies to the physical rigors of checking? You be the judge.

Infractions include:

• Tripping (with the stick or knee)
• Holding (with stick or hands)
• Hooking (with stick)
• Interference (checking or impeding a player without the puck)
• Slashing
• Spearing
• High-sticking (hitting an opponent in the head or face)
• Cross-checking (hitting an opponent with the shaft of the stick)

Penalties are called for dangerous physical fouls, including:

• Elbowing
• Checking from behind
• Kneeing
• Roughing (broadly defined; usually involves a wrestling or shoving match)

Major Penalties

• Majors can vary depending on any youth program’s handbook. But, majors are commonly differentiated from minors by intent. Any check a referee deems intentional will result in a minimum of a five minute major penalty. Any two major penalties incurred within one game will result in a game misconduct (ejection) which will also carry a one-game suspension.
• The most common major penalty is fighting.
• In youth hockey, a fight carries a game-misconduct (ejection) as well as a 2-game, 5-game (or more) suspension, depending on the severity of the fight.

. Offside

If a player precedes the puck into the offensive zone, play is stopped and a faceoff takes place in the neutral zone. The puck or the puck carrier must always be the first to enter the offensive zone.

 

                                               

Wayne Douglas Gretzky CC (/ˈɡrɛtski/; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed “The Great One“, he has been called “the greatest hockey player ever” by many sportswriters, players, and the NHL itself. He is the leading scorer in NHL history, with more goals and more assists than any other player. He scored more assists than any other player scored total points, and is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season – a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, he tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, and six All-Star records. As of 2014, he still holds 60 NHL records.