Glossary of Hockey Terms
Impress your friends - talk like an NHL hockey player
The confounding language of the sport of hockey deciphered here for your increased enjoyment of the game. What the heck is icing? How do you know what offsides is all about? Why are the commentators always talking about biscuits? Are they hungry?
The goal of this article is to help people with minimal hockey exposure to understand the game’s complicated terms. In essentially the form of a glossary, it will touch on much of the official terminology, but will also address many slang and offer some examples of their usage so you too can talk like a hockey player.
Goal
A white nylon or heavy canvas mesh net that is anchored to red posts and measures 4 feet high and 6 feet across.
Goal Crease
Zone occupied by the goalie in front of the goal net. The crease extends 1 foot to the side of each goal post and 4 feet out from the goal line. A 6-foot arch connects the crease lines thar extend out from the goal line. Opposing players cannot "camp out" or obstruct the goalie in this area.
Blue Line
A 12 inch-wide blue line on each half of the rink that denotes the edge of a team's defensive and offensive zones.
Center Line
A 12 inch-wide red line that divides the rink in half and marks where each of the game's three periods begins.
Faceoff Spot
Places on rink where faceoffs are conducted. In a faceoff, a referee or linesman drops the puck between two opposing players who then battle for control of it. Faceoffs are used to start each period and to restart play after a violation is called.
Referee Crease
Area where referee consults off-ice offcials on penalties, scoring credits and game time. There a referee and linesmen can confer in private without players hassling them. A player who enters the crease during a conference will be penalized two minutes.
Goal line
A 2-inch-wide red line that extends across each end of the rink, about 13 feet from the backside boards. At each end, the goal net sits at the middle of the goal line. to score a goal, the puck must cross the goal line at the net.
Penalty Box
Where players go when to serve time for penalties called by the referee.
Neutral Zone
Center ice area between the two blue lines, where players enter and leave the ice.
Goal Judge Box
Place behind goals were a goal judge sits and determines whether the pcuk crosses the goal line into the net. The goal judge sets off a light to indicate a when a goal is scored.
Team Bench
Where each team sits throughout the game.
Players
A team generally consists of 20 players, with six players allowed on the ice at the same time. Except for the goalie, individual players take turns throughout the game, coming and going from the rink in shifts. Coaches determine when players take the ice.
Forwards
Forward positions consist of a center, a right wing and a left wing. Their main job is to score goals against the opposing team. The center usually handles faceoffs. Three forward players form an offensice group, or a "line" that is free to skate anywhere on the rink except inside the opposing goalie's crease.
Defensemen
Defensemen assist the goalie in defending the team's net and prevent opposing players from taking shots on goal. Defensemen are permitted to skate anywhere on the ice except inside the opposing goalie's crease. A team usually has two defensemen on the ice at a time.
Goalie
Each team relies on one heavily padded goalie to protect its goal. A goalie is not allowed to cross the center red line into the opposing team's area.
Icing
A player cannot shoot the puck from beyond the center red line and down past the opposing team's goal line. Icing is not called if an opposing goalie or player touches the puck before it crosses the goal line or the puck goes into the goal.
Frozen Puck
Play is stopped if two or more players pin the puck against the boards.
High Stick
Players cannot raise a stick above the shoulders in order to bat the puck out of the air.
Broken Stick
When a player's breaks during the action, he or she must either continue play without it or get a new stick from the bench.
Hand Pass
A player is not allowed to use his or her hand to direct the pcuk to a teammate.
Power Play
A team goes on a "power play" when it gets a temporary one -or two- player advantage while the opposing team has a player in the penalty box. A power play expires when the allotted penalty time elapses or if the team with the advantage scores during the penalty time.
Penalty Shot
A referee usually awards penalty shots after a player who had an unobstructed approach to the goal -called a breakaway- is pulled down or illegaly interfered with by an opposing team player. On a penalty shot, the player starts from center ice and skates in alone toward the opposing goalie.
Slashing
Using a stick to swing or slash at an opponent.
High Sticking
Lifting a stick the shoulder and hitting another player.
Boarding
Violently slamming a player into the boards.
Tripping
Tripping an opposing player with a stick, foot or hand.
Holding
Restraining an opponent with hands, arms or stick.
Hooking
Constraining an opponent with the curved end of the stick.
Spearing
Poking an opponent with the curved end or butt end of the stick.
Charging
Taking more than two normal strides toward a player before hitting that player.
Interference
Blocking an opponent who does not have the puck, deliberately knocking a stick from a player's hands or impeding the goalie inside the crease.
Roughing
Using excess force in pushing or hitting an opponent.
Elbowing
Striking an opponent with an elbow.
Cross-Checking
Striking an opponent off the ice with a stick that's in both hands.
Fighting
Punching with fists that occurs with two or more players.
