DEFINITION:
Hockey – A fast-paced team sport played on ice, involving two teams with the objective of shooting a small, hard rubber puck into the opponent’s net using a curved stick.
FAQs:
1. What are the dimensions of a hockey rink?
Answer: A standard hockey rink measures 200 feet long and 85 feet wide, although the dimensions can vary slightly in different leagues and countries.
2. How many players are on a hockey team?
Answer: In a regulation game, each team consists of six players on the ice at a time – three forwards, two defensemen, and a goaltender.
3. What is the purpose of the blue lines on the hockey rink?
Answer: The blue lines in hockey determine the offside and icing violations. Players must stay onside (not cross the opponent’s blue line before the puck) to maintain possession, and icing occurs when a player shoots the puck from their half of the rink over the opponent’s goal line without it being touched.
4. What is a power play in hockey?
Answer: A power play occurs when one team is given a numerical advantage over their opponent due to a penalized player. The penalized player must serve time in the penalty box, leaving their team short-handed, while the opposing team gains a man advantage for the duration of the penalty.
5. Can a hockey game end in a tie?
Answer: No, most hockey leagues use overtime or a shootout to determine a winner in case of a tie at the end of regulation time. Overtime consists of an additional period where teams play with fewer players, and a shootout involves players taking penalty shots to determine the victor.
