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Frequently Asked Questions
Hockey Glossary
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | L | O | P | R | S | T | W | Z
A
Attacking Zone: the area between the opponents' blue line and their goal.
B
Backcheck: an attempt by a player, on his way back to his defensive zone, to regain the puck from the opposition by checking or harassing an opponent who has the puck.
Backhand Shot: a shot or pass made with the stick from the left side by a right-handed player or from the right side by a left-handed player.
Blue Lines: two blue, 12-inch wide lines, running parallel across the ice, each 60 feet from the goal; they divide the rink into three zones called the attacking, defending and neutral (or center) zones; defending blue line is the line closer to a player's own net; attacking blue line is the one farther from his net; used in determining offsides.
Boards or Board Wall: a wooden wall three and a half to four feet high which surrounds the rink to keep the puck and players from accidentally leaving the rink and injuring spectators; all rinks have shatterproof glass that rises above the boards to provide additional protection.
Body Check: when a hockey player bumps or slams into an opponent with either his hip or shoulder (the only legal moves) to block his progress or throw him off-balance; it is only allowed against a player who controls the puck or the last player to control it.
Breakaway or Breakout: a fast break in which an attacker with the puck skates in alone on the goalie, having gotten past or clear of the defensemen, trapping the opponents behind the play.
Butt-Ending: a minor penalty that occurs when an opponent is hit with the top of a player's hockey stick.
C
Center: leads the attack by carrying the puck on offense and exchanging passes with his wings to steer the play toward the enemy goal; on defense, he attempts to disrupt the opponent through forechecking, backchecking, and helping his defensemen in the defensive zone.
Center Ice: the area between the two blue lines, also called the neutral zone.
Centering Pass: a pass from an attacking player towards the middle of the ice to a teammate with a better angle at the goal.
Clearing the Zone: when a defending player sends the puck out of the attacking zone; all the attacking players must leave or clear the zone to avoid being called offsides when the puck reenters the zone.
Crease Lines: the red lines that form the semi-circular area with a six-foot radius in front of the goal called the goal crease.
Cross Bar: the horizontal bar that connects the top of the two goalposts.
Cross-Checking: a minor penalty which occurs when a player holds his stick in both hands and drives the shaft into an opponent; if serious injury is caused or blood is drawn it becomes a major penalty and a game misconduct.
D
Defensemen: try to stop the incoming play at their blue line; attempt to break up passes, block shots, cover opposing forwards trying to score, and clear the puck from in front of their goal; offensively, they get the puck to their forwards and follow the play into the attacking zone, stationing themselves just inside their opponent's blue line at the "point."
Deflection: a shot or pass that hits some object, such as a stick or skate, and goes into the net for a score or when a goalie hits the puck away.
Deke or Deking: a decoying or faking motion by the puck-carrier; the art of making a defensive player think you are going to pass or move in a certain direction when you are not. There are shoulder dekes, stick dekes and head dekes.
Delay of Game: a minor penalty imposed on any player who purposely delays the game in any way, such as shooting or batting the puck outside the playing area or displacing the goalpost from its normal position.
Double Minor: a penalty given for certain accidental infractions that result in an injury to another player; penalty time of four minutes is served, double the time of a normal minor penalty.
Drop Pass: when a player simply leaves the puck behind for a teammate following him to pick up.
E
Empty-Net Goal (ENG): a goal scored against a team that has pulled the goalie.
F
Face-Off: the method of starting play; by an official dropping the puck between the sticks of two opposing players standing one stick-length apart with stick blades flat on the ice; used to begin each period or to resume play.
Face-Off Circles and Spots: the various circular spots on the ice where an official and players will hold a face-off to begin or to resume the action of the game; there are one blue and four red face-off circles located in the neutral zone; two red face-off circles are found at each end of the ice.
Falling on the Puck: a minor penalty, which occurs when a player other than the goalie closes his hand on the puck, deliberately falls on the puck, or gathers the puck under his body while lying on the ground.
Flip Pass: a pass by a player to a teammate that lifts the puck from the ice and sends it through the air, for the purpose of getting it over an opponent's stick.
Flip Shot: a shot in which a player cups the puck in his stick, flips it with his wrists up off the ice towards the goal; this sometimes makes the puck harder to block.
Forecheck: to check or harass an opponent who has the puck in his defensive zone and keep the opponents in their end of the rink while trying to regain control of the puck; usually done by the forwards.
Forehand: a shot or pass taken from the right side of a right-handed player or from the left side of a left-handed player.
Forward Line or Attacking Line: consists of two wings (right and left) and a center; these three players play nearer the opponent's goal and are responsible for most of the scoring.
Freeze the Puck: to hold the puck against the boards with the skate or stick in order to stop play briefly or gain a face-off; goalies also cover the puck when under pressure.
G
Goal Cage: a six foot wide by four foot high tubular steel frame consisting of a cross bar and two goalposts to which a net is attached.
Goal Crease: a semi-circular area with a six foot radius in front of the opening of the goal; denotes the playing area of the goaltender into which no player without the puck may enter.
Goal Judge: one sits off-ice behind each net and indicates when a goal has been scored by turning on the red light just above his station; the referee holds the final authority and can overrule the goal judge.
Goal Line: the two-inch red line between the goalposts that stretches in both directions to the sideboards. The puck must completely go over this line to be considered a goal.
Goaltender: keeps the opposition from putting the puck into his goal; he may start his team down the ice with a pass, but seldom leaves the net, and if he passes the center red line, a penalty is called; may play the puck behind his net in the designated trapezoid area.
Goalposts: the metal bars that frame the area to which the net is attached which rests on the center of the goal line.
H
Hat Trick: occurs when a player scores three goals in one game.
Head Deke: when a player drops his head as though moving one way and quickly moves in another to fake out the opponent.
Hook Check: a sweep of the stick low to the ice to take the puck from an opponent's stick.
L
Lead Pass: a pass sent ahead of a moving teammate designed to meet the player at the location he is headed.
Line Change: the entire forward line and/or defensive line will be replaced at once.
Linesmen: responsible for calling offsides, icings, and handling all face-offs except at center ice; do not officially call penalties but can recommend to a referee that one may be warranted.
O
Officials: Referee, Linesman, Goal Judge, and Official Scorer
Official Scorer: determines which player scores and credits assists, if any are deserved; may consult with the referee but maintains the final authority in crediting all points awarded during the game.
Overtime: an additional period of play used to break a tie. Played under sudden death rules, it lasts five minutes during the regular season and until one team scores in the playoffs.
P
Penalty Box: an area with a bench just off the ice, behind the sideboards, outside the playing area, where penalized players serve their penalty time.
Penalty Killer: a player expert at backchecking and keeping or gaining control of a loose puck under difficult circumstances, who is trained to break up a power play when his team is shorthanded.
Penalty Shot: a free shot awarded to a player who was illegally interfered with, preventing him from a clear scoring opportunity; the shot is taken with only the goalie guarding against it.
Points: the left and right positions taken by the defensemen of the attacking team, just inside the blue line of the attacking zone; also the term used to describe the defensemen playing at this location.
Poke Check: a quick jab or thrust to the puck or opponent's stick to knock the puck away from him.
Power Play: an attack by a team at full strength against a team playing one man (or two men) shorthanded because of a penalty (or penalties) .
Puck: a black, vulcanized rubber disc, one-inch thick and 3-inches in diameter, weighing between five and a half and six ounces used to play hockey; they are frozen to prevent excessive bouncing and changed throughout the game; can travel up to 120 miles per hour on a slap shot.
Pulling the Goalie: taking the goalkeeper off the ice and replacing him with a skater; leaves the goal unguarded and is only used as a last attempt to score.
R
Referee: supervises the game, calls penalties, determines goals, and handles face-offs at center ice to start each period; wears orange armbands to distinguish himself from linesmen.
Referee's Crease: a semi-circular area , with a 10 foot radius, marked in red on the ice in front of the timekeeper's bench into which players may not follow a referee.
Rink: Standard size is 200 feet long by 85 feet wide with rounded corners.
S
Screen Shot: a shot on goal that the goalie cannot see because it was taken from behind one or more players from either team standing in front of the net.
Shorthanded: a team with one or more players off the ice in the penalty box when the opponent has its full complement of six players; also a power play for the other team.
Shot on Goal (SOG): a scoring attempt that is successfully blocked or otherwise prevented by a goalie; a save.
Slap Shot: a shot in which the player raises his stick in a backswing, with his strong hand held low on the shaft and his other hand on the end as a pivot. Then as the stick comes down towards the puck, the player leans into the stick to put all his power behind the shot and add velocity to the puck; achieves an extremely high speed (up to 120 miles per hour) but is less accurate than a wrist shot.
Slow Whistle: when an official waits to blow his whistle because of a delayed offside or delayed penalty call.
Stickhandling: moving the puck along the ice with the stick blade.
Substitution: occurs when a player comes off the bench to replace a player coming out of the game; can be made at any time and play does not need to stop.
Sweep Check: a check made by a player with one hand on the stick and one knee so low that it is practically on the ice; the shaft and blade of the stick are flat on the ice to take the puck away from an opponent.
T
Third-Man-In-Rule: The third man in a fight gets a game misconduct penalty and is out of the game for its duration; created to discourage players from jumping into a fight, even if they are only trying to break it up.
Trailer: a player who follows his teammate on the attack seemingly out of the action but actually in position to receive a backward or drop pass.
W
Wings: work with the center to set up shots on the opposing goaltender; defensively, they forecheck, backcheck, and are usually responsible for covering the "point."
Wrist Shot: a shot made using a strong flicking of the wrist and forearm muscles, with the stick blade kept on the ice; it is slower but more accurate than a slap shot.
Z
Zones: three areas split up by two blue lines; the attacking zone is the area farthest from the goal a player is defending; the neutral zone is the central area; the defending zone is the area where his team's goalie is stationed.
Here are the answers to some FAQ's!
How long are players on the ice time?
How fast does the puck go?
What is the puck made of?
What happens if a goaltender is called for a penalty?
How thick is the ice at the Times Union Center?
How are goals and assists awarded?
How long are players on the ice time?
Hockey "shifts" generally last anywhere from 30 seconds to over one-minute. The average shift is about 45 seconds.
How fast does the puck go?
The speed of the puck depends on who shoots it and what type of shot or pass is made. Some slapshots have been clocked by a radar gun at upwards of 100 miles per hour.
What is the puck made of?
The puck is made of rubber vulcanized rubber and is three inches in diameter and one inch thick. The disc weighs six ounces and is frozen before play to ensure bounce resistance.
What happens if a goaltender is called for a penalty?
If a goaltender is guilty of committing a penalty, the offending team must choose a player who was on the ice at the time of the penalty to sit in the penalty box in place of the goaltender.
How thick is the ice at the Times Union Center?
The ice is approxitmately 3/4 of an inch thick and held at a temperature of 6 degrees to keep it frozen. Any thicker and the ice becomes softer and more difficult to skate on.
How are goals and assists awarded?
A goal is credited to a player who actually propels the puck into his opponents goal. Assists are given to the player(s) taking part in the play immediately before the goal is scored. No more than 2 assists are given per goal.
How long is a typical River Rats game?
The game itself is divided into 3 periods, each 20 minutes long. However, game time itself is longer than 1 hour due to intermissions, stoppages, penalties, and other infractions. |
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