Looking back at where hockey got its start in last week's post [1], it's funny to see some of the old rules: all players played the entire game, there was no forward passing, the goalie had to stand the entire game, and whenever a goal was scored teams changed ends.
It's an ever-changing game but one thing stays the same: put the puck in the net. Over the years (and it seems like every year) rules are revised and rewritten, but what about some of those basics? Do you know what it means when the referee blows his whistle [2] and with his arms? Is there more to the game than 5 players with a stick on each end trying to get the puck past the other team's goalie? Let's start with some of the basic rules:
Penalties are actually a way to keep the game safe for all by letting players know when they're not playing fair. Some of the most common penalties include: boarding, charging, checking from behind, cross-checking, elbowing, hand pass, high-sticking, holding, hooking, icing, interference, slashing, spearing, and tripping.
It's actually perfectly acceptable for a player to fire a puck all the way down the ice - but it all depends on what it runs into along the way. Icing is when a player sends the puck down the ice, from behind his own red line, and it cruises all the way past the other goal line - without going to the net.
Offside happens when a player heads over their opponent's blue line before getting the puck. If that puck follows and they make contact with it, offside will be called and a faceoff will take place outside of the zone.
These are some of the rules that make sure everyone on the ice has a nice clean game and by paying attention to them, you can help your team be successful by avoiding unneeded penalties.
Image courtesy of After The Whistle [3].