Basic Guide To Hockey

Ice hockey is the fastest team game played on earth! They play inside of a confined rink with boards, glass barriers or netting to protect the spectator from flying pucks. However; there are rules to the game and we're going to explain the basic to you so when you hear a whistle blown you'll know why.

There are two basic areas you'll need to know :

On Ice Officials & Offside and Penalties & Icing The Puck.

If after a game you want more explanation, send your query to webguy@melbourneice.com.

On-Ice Officials

There are three officials on the ice. They wear black and white stripped
shirts, black pants and helmets. each of them has a whistle. They work as
a team on the ice.

One has red/orange arm bans on. He is the Referee. He is the senior official in the game. He starts the game or each Period by dropping the puck at Centre ice on the redline. He calls (blows his whistle) for any penalties, puck stoppages(out of sight, when puck flies off ice surface, a goal is scored, delayed penalty, end of the period).

The other two officials on the ice are called Linesmen. They are on the ice to call/blow the whistle for stoppages of play for Offsides, Icing the Puck, and some minor penalties.

Offside

There are three types of Offsides in hockey. A 'normal' offside, a 'delayed' offside and the 'deliberate' offside.

Normal Offside
Normal offside is when an offensive player crosses the blue line before the puck crosses over the blue line. This is not allowed. The whistle is blown immediately.

One linesman will skate to the position where the puck was sent across the blue line before the offensive player crossed the blueline. The puck will be dropped there. The second linesman will go and chase the puck and return to the spot where other linesman was standing. Play will resume there at that point.

Delayed Offside
An offensive player is inside the offensive zone. One of his team mates
sends the puck inside the offensive zone, from outside the Blue line. Not good!

The linesman on the blue line will raise his hand, straight into the air. He is indicating to everyone that he will blow his whistle, if that offensive player does not come out of the offensive zone and touch the blue line with his skate ...before going back in to the zone. If this player comes out, play will continue. If player stays in the zone...play is stopped. Hence delayed offside.

Deliberate Offside
An offensive player in offensive zone. An offensive player from outside the blueline deliberately looks up, sees his mate inside the blue line (his offensive zone), he deliberately hits the puck back into the zone across the blueline. The whistle is blown immediately and puck is taken back to the offensive teams defensive zone. The key here is the deliberateness of the action taken!

Penalties & Icing The Puck

Icing The Puck
This occurs when a team player from either team; shots the puck down the ice from their side of the Centre Line. So the puck will cross over the red centre line, the blue line and the red goal line. No one on the other team touchs the puck.

It is not an Icing call if the puck goes through the Goalies crease in front of the goal net. It is not icing if a defensive player slows down or turns away from the puck before it crosses the red goal line.

Penalties - information coming soon.

Next Games

@ Canberra *, 10 May 2008
@ Sydney *, 11 May 2008
v Sydney, 17 May 2008
v Central Coast, 18 May 2008
v Canberra, 25 May 2008

Season Schedule | Results.