Ice Hockey is played in 55 countries worldwide from Andorra to Yugoslavia. The World Governing Body, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), was organised in 1908with Great Britain being a founder member.
In 1903 Great Britain had a 5 team league and the first Scottish game was in 1908 in Crossmyloof, Glasgow. The British Ice Hockey Association (BIHA) was formed in 1914 and was only wound down in 1999 when it was taken over by Ice Hockey UK. The first European Championship was won by Great Britain in 1910 and the first World Cup was won by Canada in 1920. Great Britain were Olympic Champions in 1936.
6 players from each team are on the ice at any one time. The line up being: goal minder, 2 defence men and 3 forwards. These players can be substituted at any time as the game is played at such a speed.
A team is usually made up of between 17 and 22 players having 2 goal minders, 4 - 6 defence and 3 - 4 lines of forwards. The goal minder will usually remain unchanged throughout the game but it is quite common for him to leave the ice during the last seconds of a game with no goalie and all 6 players on the ice in a risk-all effort to score. This usually happens at the end of a game where teams are separated by a single goal and can be very exciting!
Play begins with a face-off when the referee drops the puck in the centre circle between the sticks of the two centres. Other face-offs happen after a goal is scored and at other times after misplay. The puck only becomes dead when the whistle blows or it is hit over the barrier.
A goal is scored when the puck enters the net or goes across the goal line propelled by a stick. If the puck is kicked or thrown into the net there is no goal. Goal judges sit behind each goal and switch on a red light when a goal is scored. The goals are 1.22m (4') tall and 1.83m (6') wide.
The puck is circular, made of solid vulcanised rubber, is 7.62 cm (3") in diameter, 2.54cm (1") thick and weighs 143 grams (5½ ounces). A player may stop the puck with hand, body or skate at any time in any position. The puck must not be pushed forward except by skate or stick.
The space between goals is divided by blue lines into 3 zones, defence, neutral and attacking zones; each is a third of the playing area. An attacking player may only enter the attacking zone behind the puck or puck-carrier. A pass cannot be made to an attacker from a teammate who is outside the attacking zone. This is known as being offside and the whistle will be blown and a face off taken.
Players are penalised for infringements of rules by being sent off the ice for two or more minutes according to the severity of the offence and no substitute can be made for the duration of the penalty, which he serves in a special penalty box. The goalie does not serve his own penalties but a teammate must sit in the box for most penalties given against him.
Offences include charging, elbowing, boarding, tripping, crosschecking from behind, high sticks, interference, roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct etc
Ice Hockey players wear specialised equipment, which is specifically designed for safety. Players are well padded; they wear knee pads, shin, hip, elbow and shoulder guards, thick gauntlet type gloves, long stockings that fit over the knee pads, padded shorts that lace up at the front and sweaters in team colours over everything. Boots are stronger and different from figure skating boots. They have lower ankle support, reinforced toes and padded tongues. The blade has a plain point, is straight and narrow and now hollow ground. The two upright stanchions are higher on a hockey skate changing the centre of gravity.
Ice Hockey, the world's fastest team game, is full of skilful stick handling, tactics, speed and grit.
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