txt=Hockey has been called the fastest game on ice, and for good reason...the action never stops.  However, the fast pace, line changes and penalties can seem a little intimidating to the novice spectator.  So for those of you new to the sport of hockey, grab a pencil and throw on your favorite jersey because it's time for Hockey 101.

Let's start with the basics.  Ice Hockey is played on an ice rink with official dimensions of 200 feet long by 85 feet wide.  Etched into the ice are a series of colored lines, one red and four blue.  The red line indicates center ice, while the blue lines divide the surface into three zones.  Also etched into the ice are "face off" circles, which designate the areas where face off's will occur after play is stopped.  Players use wooden sticks to pass and shoot a round black puck made of vulcanized rubber.  The sideboards and plexiglass that surround the rink protect fans from flying pucks, but mostly serve as the exclamation point on a wicked body check.

The object of the game is simple: put the puck into the opponents net.  The team with the most goals at the end of a game is the winner.  If the game is tied at the end of 60 minutes, a five-minute sudden death overtime period is played. The first team to score a goal in overtime is the winner.  If neither team scores in overtime, the game ends in a tie.  However during the playoffs, when a winner must be determined, overtime continues until a goal is scored.

Each team is allowed six players on the ice, two defensemen, two wingers, a center and a goalie.  A team may elect to pull their goalie for an extra attacker when they are trailing in goals near the end of a game.  The number of players a team can have on the ice changes following a penalty.  When a player receives a penalty, he must enter the penalty box for at least two minutes.  This means his team is minus one player, giving the other team a one-man advantage.  These man advantages are called "power plays."  For a list of the most common penalties, visit the Penalty Box section of this website.

You may notice players jumping on and off the ice throughout the course of a game. These are substitutions.  Teams rotate players in and out of a game during what is called a line change.  A line is a group of players, usually two wingers and a center. Because the pace of a game is so fast, line changes are necessary every couple of minutes.

There are a few differences between Olympic hockey and professional NHL hockey. Olympic hockey will eject a player for fighting, while he's only issued a five-minute penalty in the NHL.  Olympic hockey also uses one referee instead of two, allows two-line passes and calls icing immediately after the pucks crosses the opponent's goal line instead of waiting for the puck to be touched first as is the rule in the NHL.

Understanding the basics of Ice Hockey adds to the excitement of the game.  Like any sport, it may take a few times in the stands to fully comprehend both the rules and the strategy.  Visit the glossary and penalty box pages on this website for a more detailed summary of hockey terms.  Hopefully, this crash course was beneficial and will help you better enjoy the fastest game on ice.