Ice Hockey Rules
Match Duration
A match consists of three 20-minute periods plus overtime and if required, the time of penalty shoot-out. The periods are separated by a 15 minutes break after which the teams change ends.
Face-Offs
In face-offs, a referee drops the puck between two opposing players whose stick blades must be inside the face-off spot. Each player faces the opponent’s goal and tries to hit the puck to score a goal. All other skaters not taking the faceoff must keep their skates outside the faceoff circle.
Penalties
When any rule infringement is made by a player or a team, penalties are imposed on them. Types of penalties are minor penalty, bench minor penalty, major penalty, Misconduct penalties, match penalty, goalkeeper’s penalty, delayed penalty and penalty shot.
Penalty Shot Shootout
Penalty shots may be awarded as a result of some rule violations or if no goal is scored in the sudden-death overtime period. The shootout consists of three shots per team and if the result is tied after these shots, then it is followed by a sudden death shootout (means the next goal wins).
Game Rules (major changes in rules)
Year 1910-11
The game modified from two 30-minute periods to three 20-minute periods.
Year 1917-18
Goalies were allowed to fall to the ice to create saves. Previously, a goaltender was punished for dropping to the ice.
Year 1918-19
Two lines were painted on the ice twenty feet from centre, making 3 playing zones, forming a 40-foot neutral centre ice space. This can be conjoint once assists became a political candidate stat.
Year 1928-29
A minor penalty would be charged to any player who delayed the sport by passing the puck into his defensive zone.
Year 1929-30
One year later, forward-passing rules were established at the start of the season. This doubled the number of goals scored.
Year 1930-31
A further refinement of the offsides rule declared that the puck should initially be propelled into the offensive zone before any player of the offensive aspect will enter that zone. This is the current offsides rule.
Year 1934-35
A penalty shot was awarded once a player was tripped and therefore barred from having a clear shot on the goal, having no player to pass to apart from the offensive player. Penalty shots were then taken from within a 10-foot circle settled thirty-eight feet from the goal. The goaltender wasn't allowed to advance over one foot from his line once the shot was taken.
Year 1937-38
Rules were introduced that ruled icing the puck.
Year 1938-39
The penalty shot was changed to permit the puck carrier to skate in before shooting.
Year 1940-41
Using a Zamboni between periods became necessary.
Year 1942-43
Because of the wartime restrictions on train planning, regular-season overtime was discontinued on Nov. 21, 1942.
Year 1943-44
The line at centre ice was introduced to hurry up the sport and scale back offsides calls. This rule is taken into account to mark the start of the contemporary era within the NHL. Delayed penalty rules were also conjointly introduced back then.
Year 1956-57
A player serving a minor penalty was permitted to come back to the ice once a goal was scored by the opposing team.
Year 1959-60
A rule was enforced that prevented players from going away their benches to enter into an altercation.
Year 1983-84
Five-Minute sudden-death overtime to vie in regular-season games tied at the top of regulation was introduced.
Year 1991-92
(a) Video replays were used to help referees in goal/no goal matters.
(b) Major and penalty penalties were assessed for checking from behind into boards (boarding).
(c) A goal was denied if the puck entered the net when a player of the offensive team was standing on the goal crease line, within the goal crease or with his stick placed within the goal crease.
Year 1993-94
High sticking was redefined to permit goals that were scored with a stick below the peak of the crossbar of the goal frame.
Year 1999-00
(a) The crease rule was revised to achieve a "no hurt, no foul, no video review" commonplace.
(b) Regular-season games tied at the top of 3 periods, resulted in every team being awarded one point within the standings. As earlier, there was a five-minute sudden death with four skaters and a goaltender.
(c) A team evaluation in overtime received one additional point within the standings.
Year 2005-06
(a) the middle line was eliminated for two-line passes, and also the tag up offsides rule was restored.
(b) Constraints on the goaltender playing the puck outside a chosen space were introduced.
(c) The team icing the puck was forbidden from substituting for the following faceoff.
(d) A shoot out was added if the sport remained tied once the five-minute overtime.
(e) Goaltender’s equipment was downsized.
