Ice Hockey

Overview

Six players a side on ice, using sticks to shoot a puck into the opposing net. Fast and continuous, with two rules, offside and icing, that shape everything.

This entry is checked against the IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27 (Version 1.0, June 2026), which governs international and Olympic hockey. Rule numbers below are the IIHF's. The NHL publishes its own rulebook, which differs in places. NHL-only rules are in their own section, which isn't covered by this page's verification.

1. The rink and teams

The IIHF rink is 60 metres long and 26 to 30 metres wide, with rounded corners (Rule 1.2).

Each side has six players on the ice: normally three forwards, two defenders and a goaltender. Teams change players on the fly during live play.

2. Time and overtime

Three periods of 20 minutes of stopped-clock time.

If a round-robin game in an IIHF championship is tied after regulation, it goes to sudden-death overtime of up to five minutes, played three-on-three with goaltenders (Rule 84). Teams may pull the goaltender for an extra attacker in overtime. Playoff games follow separate overtime rules.

3. Offside

Players of the attacking team must not precede the puck into the attacking zone. (Rule 83.1)

• The skates decide, not the stick. A player is offside only when both skates are completely over the leading edge of the blue line before the puck has completely crossed it.
• A player is onside if either skate is touching the blue line or is on their own side of it.
• A skate in the air can still be onside. "Own side" is defined by a plane rising from the leading edge of the blue line. A skate that hasn't broken that plane is onside, even if it's off the ice.
• Carrying the puck in. A player who crosses ahead of the puck isn't offside if they already had possession and control of the puck with their stick before both skates crossed.

4. Icing

Icing (Rule 81) applies to a team equal or superior in numbers. If such a team shoots, bats or deflects the puck from its own half beyond the opponents' goal line, play is stopped. So a short-handed team can't be called for icing.

• The team must "gain the line": the puck, on the stick, must touch the centre red line to avoid icing.
• Hybrid icing. The linesperson decides, by the time the first player reaches the end-zone face-off dots, which player would touch the puck first. The rule is explicit that "the determining factor is which Player would first touch the puck, not which Player would first reach the end zone 'face-off' dots". If it's too close to call, icing is called.
• If there's no race, icing isn't called until a defender crosses their blue line and the puck crosses the goal line, not between the posts.
• If the goaltender plays, feigns playing, or skates towards the puck, icing is waved off.
• After icing, the attacking team chooses which end-zone dot the face-off is taken at.

5. Penalties

Penalty	Time
Minor	2 minutes, no substitute
Double minor	4 minutes, no substitute
Major	5 minutes; many carry an automatic game misconduct
Misconduct	10 minutes; a substitute may replace the player immediately
Game misconduct	Off for the rest of the game; a substitute may replace them; 20 minutes in the records

The penalised team plays short-handed, giving the opponents a power play. If they score while the short-handed team is serving a minor, the minor with the least time left ends (Rule 16). A major runs its full length. A player who gets a second major or a second misconduct in a game receives an automatic game misconduct.

Common minors: tripping, hooking, holding, slashing, high-sticking, cross-checking, interference, roughing, delay of game.

6. Fighting

The IIHF's Rule 46 begins: "'Fighting' is not part of international ice hockey's DNA." A player who fights receives a 5-minute major and an automatic game misconduct, so they're out for the rest of the game. An aggressor gets an additional minor.

7. Goaltending and goals

The goaltender may use any part of their body or equipment to stop the puck, and may freeze it to force a stoppage.

Behind the net, the goaltender may play the puck only inside the marked trapezoid (Rule 27.7). Playing it outside the trapezoid, behind the goal line, is a minor penalty for delay of game, unless the goaltender keeps a skate in the crease. A goaltender who plays the puck beyond the centre red line also takes a minor.

A goal doesn't count if an attacker directs the puck in with a stick above the height of the crossbar (Rule 80.3).

8. Women's ice hockey

The IIHF rulebook has a separate section for women's hockey. The key rule is body contact (Rule 101.1):

In Women's Hockey "bodychecking" is allowed when there is a clear intention of playing the puck or attempting to "gain possession" of the puck.

• Two players chasing the puck may push and lean into each other, as long as the puck is their sole object.
• Players can't use the boards to take an opponent out of play, push her into them, or pin her there.
• A stationary player is entitled to her ice. Opponents must skate around her, and a puck carrier must try to avoid contact with her.
• Stepping or gliding into an opponent is an illegal hit: at least a minor, up to a major and automatic game misconduct.

9. NHL differences (not checked)

Not covered by this page's verification. These describe the NHL, whose own rulebook hasn't been checked for this page.

• NHL rinks are commonly quoted as 200 by 85 feet, narrower than the IIHF maximum.
• Fighting in the NHL typically brings a five-minute major without automatic ejection, unlike the IIHF.
• NHL overtime and shootout formats are set by the NHL and differ from the IIHF's.

Commonly argued

• Both skates must be over the leading edge to be offside. One skate on the line keeps you onside.
• A skate in the air above the line can still be onside, if it hasn't broken the plane.
• Hybrid icing is decided by who would reach the puck first, not who reaches the dots first.
• A short-handed team can't ice the puck.
• A minor ends when the opponents score. A major doesn't.
• Fighting in IIHF hockey means ejection: a major plus an automatic game misconduct.
• Women's hockey now allows body contact in pursuit of the puck, within limits.
• A high stick above the crossbar that puts the puck in disallows the goal.

Where this comes from

The IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27, Version 1.0, June 2026, linked from the IIHF's rules page. Section 9 is the only part of this page not drawn from it.

Where this entry and the rulebook disagree, the rulebook wins. Tell us.