Explore

Goaltending equipment in ice hockey

Goalies are permitted to have special variations on the equipments used in ice hockey. This is done mainly to help them in stopping the puck and also to ensure special protection. They give more protection from frontal impact, while giving almost no protection to the goalie’s back. This is simply because the goalie has to face the action and hitting a non-padded area is a mistake committed by the goalie.

Goal stick
It has a larger blade than the sticks of the regular players and a flat shaft which is broad. This is used to block the puck.
Goal skates
It has a thicker blade with the radius of the blade being larger. There is minimum ankle support which helps the goalie to slide off his skates and make pad stops at ease. The boot is nearer the surface of the ice than a normal hockey skate to stop pucks from slipping through the area between the skate blade and the boot.
Cheat and arm protector
This protects the chest and the elbow, biceps, forearm from injury. The area for protection extends up to the abdomen.
Blocker
It is worn on the hands that holds the stick. It is a kind of gloves.
Goal pants
This offers thick padding and an additional hip protection, but minimal groin safeguard.
Goal pads and goal socks are especially designed to offer protection to the goalie.

A goalie is the lifeline of the game of ice hockey. He needs special protection to keep the show going.

Description of the key equipment used in ice hockey

The equipment used by the regular ice hockey players are as follows:

Helmet combo
This is made of a helmet with a strap. You can use a face cage, visor and a mouth guard. These ensure the safety of the players heads. These helmets come in different sizes. They are composed of vinyl nitrile. Helmets are an indispensable part of ice hockey. The modern helmets are accompanied with a visor. This gives protection to the upper part of the face. Goalies wear a face cage which gives complete protection of the frontal face.
Neck guard
This assists in prevention of injury to the neck and throat area from sticks, skates, pucks. It is however optional as it leads to restriction of the neck movement. These are worn by both the goalies as well as players. They are composed of durable material that can absorb different types of trauma.
Shoulder Pads
These pads offer protection to the upper body – collar bone, upper chest, upper arms, back from flying pucks and collisions. Their compositions help in absorbing shock and protect the players from injury.
Elbow pads
These give forearm and triceps protection. These are essential for all ice hockey players. These pads give protection to the elbow joints and also the ram bones from bruises and also prevents fractures.
Hockey gloves
It prevents the thumb from bending backwards. They give substantial padding to the exterior of the hands.
Hockey pants
These are shorts that have thigh, hip, pelvic and tailbone pads. They are generally held up by suspenders or belts.

History of the equipments used in ice hockey

The skates used for ice hockey in the past had only metal blades fastened to regular shoes. The sticks were simply thin fragments of wood till the 1930s. In 1897, G.H Merritt introduced goalie pads after wearing the pads of the wicket keeper. The players wore simple leather gloves, till a goalie from Detroit introduced the trapper and blocker sometime in 1948. This he did after experimenting with a rectangular leather piece and a glove of the baseball catcher. The first regular user of the goalie mask had been Jacques Plante. In order to protect a broken nose, Clint Benedict made use of a crude leather version in 1928.

The goalie mask was improved upon to the Vladislav Tretiak design- the first helmet and cage combo. This mask is considered outdated by the standards of today. This kind of mask is used by Tim Thomas and Dominik Hasek. Their safety is a matter of concern for the team. The goalie mask used today looks like a fortified helmet of a motorcycle. A cage is attached to it. The composition is however totally different and it is a true mask not a helmet.

The composite stick era is very modern. When Penguins lifted the cup, Tom Barrasso was playing with a wooden stick. The equipments used in ice hockey have become modernized keeping in mind the safety concerns of the players. The goalie is especially safeguarded as the puck can attack him straightaway. He is in need of special protection always during the game of ice hockey.

Finer points of the game

The ice hockey is played with six players including five skaters and one goal tender. There are three forwards the center, left wing and the right wing. The center leads the attack by taking the puck on the offensive. He exchanges passes with the two wings to take the puck towards the opposing goal. During his defensive role, he tries to disrupt the play before the puck comes to his defensive side. On defense, the wingers try to break up the attack and pass the puck to the forward players.

To be a better skater and thereby a better player, one needs to follow certain techniques which are peculiar to ice hockey.

Posture - Posture helps keep balance. Balance is crucial in ice hockey. It creates power in the movements.
Keeping the head up is important
Avoid looking at the ice in front instead looking at the top of the boards is recommended.
Avoid bending at the waist, instead bending at the knees and ankles makes a better skating position.
The ball of your feet, knee and the shoulder should all be lined up vertically Stride. Key to a good play in ice hockey is to take long, powerful strides. Skaters who are fast take fewer strides over same distance. The entire blade of the skate should be on ice for the entire length of your stride. At the end of the stride, stretch the working leg as far behind as it can.

Faceoff and penalties in ice hockey

Ice hockey starts with "face-off." When the play starts, or is set for a face-off, the referee drops the puck between opposing forwards. During face-off all players are positioned on the defensive side of puck. The face is used to start play after any stoppage. There are none designated face-off points painted on the ice.

There are many occasions when penalty is awarded in the game. There are two types of penalties viz - minor penalty and major penalty. The distinction between a legal check and a penalty is subject to interpretation.

Minor penalties - a player charged with a minor penalty is set off the Ring for two minutes. No substitution is allowed during this time. The penalty ends immediately if the opposing team scores a goal.

Minor penalties are awarded if an opposing team player is obstructed. Such obstruction may include:

Tripping with stick or knee
Folding with stick or hands
Hooking by stick
Interference - obstructing a player without the puck

Dangerous use of the stick also invites penalty. These include

Slashing
Spearing
High sticking - hitting an opponent in head or face
Cross checking
Hitting the opponent with the shaft of the stick

Penalties are awarded for dangerous physical fouls like:

Checking a player from behind
Elbowing the opponent
Kneeing
Roughing - usually involves shoving

Major penalties

Most common major penalty is fighting
At referees discretion a minor penalty can be increased to a major penalty
In case of major penalty involving serious injury, the player can be ejected out of the game

Basics of the game

The game of ice hockey played between two teams is basically identical to games such as football, rugby, basketball and others where a group of players try to get the ball or the puck in this case into the goal, basket or the boundary of the opposition’s team. The team in the end with the highest points wins.

Similar to other games, ice hockey too has player positions that indicate the responsibilities of a player. Position substitutions are allowed during any time of the game.

The game is played on a hockey rink, which is basically an ice rink that is designed for hockey. The rink is surrounded by a wall of fiber glass to keep the player away from the audience. The game is generally an offside game, meaning that all forwards passes are legal, unlike that in rugby. Earlier ice hockey was only a backward passes game, where only passes to players behind was allowed. When a player hits the puck across at least two red lines and the puck stays untouched, it is known as “icing”, during which the game is stopped. Only a face-off can start the game from here.

Different leagues follow different rules for icing. Another time the play is stopped is when the puck goes “out of play”. During this time the puck is flown off into the crowds out of the hockey rink. Players can stop each other by something known as “bodycheck”, where a player pushed his or her opponent into the board or the wall.

Hockey Stick and Ball

A player needs a stick to play the game of hockey. The hockey stick is a major equipment in the game of hockey without which a hockey game is not possible. A hockey stick is curved on one end. It is round on one side and flat on the other. A player has to hit the ball only with the flat side of the stick. A hockey stick has a bow along its length. This bow cannot be more than 25 mm as per the rules laid down by the National Hockey Federation. The stick is rounded from top to bottom. The weight of hockey stick is fixed as per the rule. The stick weighs 737 grams.

Other equipment used in hockey is the ball. Earlier, hockey balls had a leather covering. However, they had one drawback. They got moisture due to the wet ground or grass. Today, hockey balls are made up of PVC that cannot get affected by moisture. Balls come in different colors. Balls are made as per the need of the game. For example, different types of balls are used to play hockey on grass, turf or asphalt. There are different balls used in practice sessions. Usually a hockey ball is white in color. Its circumference is usually 8 13/16 to 9 1/4 inches. The ball should weigh between 5 1/4 to 5 3/4 ounces. These rules are internationally acknowledged. There are two goal posts measuring 22 feet wide, 7 feet high and 4 feet deep having a loosely attached net to protect the ball from rebounding.

Other Hockey Equipment

There are other pieces of equipment used by the players in hockey. They include shoes and several types of gear for goalkeepers. A goalkeeper has to wear most protective equipment as he is most prone to the risk of injury. His equipment includes a helmet and full face cage. He needs to wear a neck protector and a padded chest guardto protect the chest when a speeding ball hit him. Chest guards are 9 inches wide and 14 inches long. There are leg pads to protect the lower part of legs. He has to wear padded shorts. He has to keep a stick for passing and blocking.

There are goal cages one on both sides of the field. A goal is scored against the opponent team when a player hit the ball into the goal cage. A goal cage is rectangular cage like structure having a loosely attached net to protect the ball from rebounding. The goal cage is 12 feet wide, 7 feet high and 4 feet deep. Sometimes smaller goal cages can be used in certain conditions. A hockey field is 100 yards long and the goal cages are placed on both the opposing sides as per the US Field Hockey Association rules. This difference may vary tournament to tournament.

Hockey Gloves and shoes

A lot of risks of serious injuries persist in hockey. So, certain equipment is necessary for players to protect themselves. These include gloves, helmet, mask and shin guards, and more. Errant sticks and balls may injure a player's hands. So, gloves are necessary. Additionally gloves make stronger grip on the stick. Some companies make gloves with heavy pad with foam which protects the bones of fingers from injury. Some gloves are designed not to protect fingers. Shin guards protect the shins of the player when swinging of a hockey stick occurs just a few inches off the ground. Shin guards are made of foam and plastic. A few years back shin guards were made of wood and folded paper. Nowadays they are made with plastic covering a foam pad.

Hockey also allows mouth guards to protect the teeth of players. Mouth guards protect teeth, eyes, forehead and nose. It is highly important equipment for the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper bears the brunt of the rest of the opposing team. Good shoes are necessary to make a firm grip on the ground. Good sports shoes are light in weight and have a firm griping sole. There are no specific shoes meant for hockey, average sports shoes are perfectly suitable. Shoes however need to have a good grip in order to effectively move with the ball. Hockey teams like other games involve players wearing matching jerseys, that make it easy to pass balls between the players of the same team.

Hockey Commands

Command is another technique which is used by the players in hockey. Using commands players pass and maneuver between players on the opposite team simultaneously communicating with the rest of the team about what they are doing or planning to do. The main strategy is that the opponent team should not understand what they are communicating. There are a number of universal phrases in commands:

Through or strait: The term is used when player wants to pass the ball to another team mate.

Drop: this phrase is used when a player wants to pass the ball backward.

Up or through: when a player wishes to pass the ball on a specific angle.

Flat or Square: this phrase is used when a player wants to pass the ball on 90 degree angle right or left.

A lot of practice is the sole method to develop these techniques. Before engaging in a serious professional game, it is necessary to pass through a hard drill of different skills. When a new player joins a new team, it takes a certain amount of time before the new player learns the team's commands. It is very important for the proper co-ordination of the team in the field to know the commands properly.

Miscellaneous hockey techniques

Dribble: Dribble is a technique used by a player in hockey when he moves the ball along the floor. He runs with the ball pushing it and controlling its speed and takes in a specific direction with his hockey stick.

Hit: This technique is used when a ball is hit with a considerable force but less than offend able force. By hitting the ball, the player wants to take it at a long distance. It is an important skill which needs a lot of exercise to master it.

Slap: By slap a player scores a goal. In this technique, a player holds his hand slightly apart on the stick and hit the ball with considerable force.

Push: Push is used when a player make use of his wrist to move the ball ahead. It is used typically to pass the ball to another team mate.

Flick: This technique is also known as the scoop. It is similar to the push as mentioned above. The only difference is that the stick is put at an angle so as to lift the ball off the ground.

Backhand hit: This technique resembles the techniques used in tennis. In it, a reverse hit is performed. But one thing should be clear that the rounded back of the stick should not be used. This is not permitted in the game.

Drive: This technique resembles a hit as mentioned above. In it, the stick is put at a certain distance.

Tackling in Hockey

In tackling, the player tries to tackle the ball by putting the stick in the way of the ball coming from another player. He puts the stick close to the ground where ball is moving. The stick works as a barrier for the ball. When the ball comes into the possession of a player he wants to keep it in his possession as long as he can. But when he cannot do this he has to either pass the ball to one of his team mate or take it away from the opponent players who try to get hold of the ball. A player keeps tackling the ball until the ball remains in his possession and he does not touch the other player's stick.

But one thing is important here. The tackler cannot force the opponent player out of his way by using any body part such as legs and hands. If he does so a penalty is awarded to the defender player as punishment. But it is to be remembered that if a ball accidently touches the feet of a player and there is no benefit gained, there is no question of penalty arises as sometimes it is natural to touch the ball with feet. The main thing is that there should not be obstruction in the path of a tackler. There are some circumstances in which obstruction may occur. They include coming of the stick between the ball and the opponent's stick, coming the defender between the ball and the opponent player and blocking the path of the ball.