Hockey is a team sport played on ice. It is usually associated with Canada and Great Britain but has become popular everywhere due to the ‘Coke Zero Challenge’ where contestants have to solve math problems to score goals.
Thoughts on how to play hockey? Want to learn more about the sport? Curious as to what levels there are and what rank you should aim for?
Here is all you need to know about hockey:
Table of Contents
Types Of Hockey
There are three basic forms of ice-based hockey:
- Ice hockey
- Inline hockey
- Speed skating
The first two are played on ice while the last one is usually practiced on a rink with no ice. The three forms are strictly alternating so no player can end up on the ice twice. In a typical game, one team has eleven players while the others have ten. The offense attempts to score goals by throwing the puck towards the opponent’s goal.
The most popular of the three forms is ice hockey and it is usually played by men. If you are interested in playing the sport, you will have to make sure that it is legal where you live. Check with the Ice Hockey Federation (EIHF) if you don’t know if it is or isn’t legal in your country.
The Difference In Levels
When it comes to hockey, all players start off at the same level. The only difference is how challenging the game is going to be. Based on how skilled a player you are, each level is going to be more difficult than the preceding one. The first level is called ‘amateur’. In this level, players are not allowed to use certain types of equipment such as metal sticks. Instead, they have to use wood or plastic ones.
If you want to progress to the next level, you have to pass an exam. The exam consist of 30 multiple-choice questions, which must be answered correctly in order to pass. The next level is called ‘elite’. This is the highest level of hockey which is mostly played by professionals. It is a great stepping stone to the top level, where you will find the greatest hockey players in the world. This level allows for fully fledged use of all kinds of hockey equipment. The only difference is the size of the trophies given out at the end of the season. In this level, the teams consist of 13 players each.
What Is The Object Of The Game?
The object of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team. There are three ways of doing this:
- Gathering as many points as possible
- Attacking the opposing team’s goal
- Taking the puck to the other end of the ice to score
Each team is going to take part in a five-minute game with the first team to three goals being the winners. If one team scores before the other answers, that team wins. The first team to three goals after the fifth minute is the winner. The final three minutes of each half are used by the winning team to set up for the next shot at goal. The game ends when the time expires or when a team scores a point. The objective is to stay organized and work together as a team.
Rankings And Levels
Once you know the differences between the various levels of hockey, you can easily find out what rank you should aim for. Just follow these simple guidelines:
- If you are a girl, you should probably aim for junior ice hockey (J.I.C.) or inline hockey (I.H.)
- If you are a boy, you should probably go for a professional team
- If you are an intermediate player, you should probably aim for the elite level
- If you are a beginner, you should probably start off in an amateur team
Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is highly competitive and is played by the greatest athletes on the planet. Learning how to play the game is easy because there are only four basic moves required: stick, puck, slapshot, and pass.