Never play ice hockey without any protective gear. Do not use regular ice skates since they limit your mobility and will not be as effective as skates designed for hockey.
The semicircle on each goal line represents the crease, or the area where the goalie plays. There are multiple circles on the rink that represent areas where you may have a face-off. The face-off circles are usually used after a penalty.
You will also have face-offs at the start of each game period and after each point. You may have face-offs after certain penalties as well.
There are no limits to how many points you can score during a game. After each goal, have a face-off on the center line.
Dangerous use of the stick, including slashing or high-sticking Obstruction penalties, including hooking or tripping. Interfering with or checking a player not in control of the puck Checking from behind or by targeting the head
If the game is tied after the third period, play another overtime period.
Skate before you start playing hockey so you feel confident on the ice. Practice braking and coming to a stop by turning your feet sideways and pushing down into the ice.
Make sure you are using a stick curved in the opposite direction as your dominant hand. For example, if you are right-handed, use a stick where the blade curves to the left. Try to keep your eyes up and forward rather than looking down at the puck.
Do not slap the puck when passing since it will be hard for your teammate to catch it.
The center also participates in face-offs after a point is scored or at the start of a new period. When you are playing as a winger, do your best to stay on the side of the rink you are assigned to.
Always keep an eye on the players on the other team. Be sure to cover anyone near your goal so they do not get the puck. Try setting up a zone defense where each defensive player protects a certain part of the rink.
Goalies can hold onto the puck if they catch it and force another face-off to happen on one of the circles on the rink. Pucks can move extremely fast toward you. Make sure you always stay alert of where the puck is coming from.
Practice dribbling the puck on your own and looking away from it to help develop better handling skills.
Communicate with your teammates and always watch where they’re moving so you have more opportunities. Don’t try to handle the puck and score by yourself since you can easily get caught up by another player.
If you cannot get away from another player and they are about to steal the puck, find an open player on your team to pass it to.
