One of the most enjoyable and thrilling of the skating pastimes is ice hockey. For this a special hockey skate is made.

How the Game is Played.

The game is played by two teams with six or seven players. The players hit a small piece of rubber, called the puck, with sticks especially made. These sticks are long and slender, flat at the blade, which is at an angle from the handle. The ball is advanced up and down the rink or playing area. A point is scored when one team shoots the puck through the opponents’ goal. The team wins which has the highest number of points at the end of the game, which is divided into two halves of twenty minutes each with a ten-minute intermission between the halves.

The playing area is usually 112 feet long by 58 feet wide. There are two goal posts at each end of the playing area, 10 feet from the edge of the ice; the posts are 4 feet high and are 6 feet apart. A sloping net should be placed in back to catch the balls.

The game is started with the puck in the middle of the ice, i. e., the referee places the puck between the sticks of two opposing players, each of whom tries to get possession of the ball or pass it to one of her teammates. The game is a very fast one. The four forward players, the rover (right center) and the left center, and the right and left wings, are essentially attackers, although the rover may be called upon to defend. Cover point, point, and goal keeper are the defense players. The goal keeper should stick close to her goal; the point plays in front of the goal, some distance from her; the cover point plays some distance in front of the point and can often aid the forwards by feeding them and assuming an aggressive play.

If the puck goes out of bounds over the end lines it is faced, by the referee, five yards within the goal line and at right angles to it. If it goes over the side lines it is faced five yards within the line and at right angles to it.

The puck is played by means of the stick. It is not permissible to touch it with any part of the body, except to stop it dead or block it. The puck may be pushed, shoved, or lifted, i. e., by inserting the blade of the stick under the puck. You may hit your opponent’s stick.

You may body check, that is, shove from the side or front with the shoulder or hip.

You may block an opponent or you may block the puck with the skates, stick, or body.

An important rule is that of off-side. No player, if she is between the puck and her opponent’s goal, may receive a pass from one of her team unless it is touched by an opponent, or unless one of own team with the puck is between her and the opponents’ goal. The penalty for off-side play is facing the ball where the foul occurred. This rule does not hold in defense directly in front of the goal. One point is scored when the puck passes between the goal posts lower than their highest point.

The teams change goals to begin the second half.

The fouls are:

To lift the stick above the shoulder except when lifting the puck.

To throw a stick.

To hit, trip, or block a player by holding the stick in a horizontal position.

To body check or charge from behind, to trip, kick, push, hold with hand or stick.

For the goal keeper to sit, kneel, or lie.

To grasp, carry, or push the puck with any part of the body.

To interfere with a player not in possession of the puck.

The penalty for a foul is: The offender may be ruled off the ice for a certain time.

Officials.

There is a referee who controls the game and inflicts the penalties.

There are two umpires, one at each end, to decide whether a goal has been made. There are two timekeepers to keep the time of the game and a penalty timekeeper who keeps the time of players ruled out and notifies the player when she may return to the game.

There is for each team a captain, who makes the decisions for her team, and she is responsible for the good sportsmanship of her team.

There are many little tricks in ice hockey that may be acquired with practice, but the object of the game should be to have as clean and fast a game as possible, where skillful playing holds greater sway than roughness.