Rink

Ice hockey is played on a white ice surface known as a rink.

The ice rink must have a maximum size 61 meters x 30 meters, the minimum size the rink can be is 56 meters x 26 meters with a corner radius of 7 to 8.5 meters. The distance from the end boards to the goal line is 4 meters. The distance from each goal line to the blue line is 17⅔ meters. The distance between each blue line is also 17⅔ meters.

The width of the goal line is 5cm. The width of both the blue line and centre line is 30cm.

On the outside of the rink there are two players benches where the team sits during the game. On the opposite side of the ice there are two penalty benches, one for each team. In the middle of the penalty benches you find the scorekeepers bench.

 

 

 

The thick red line shows the centre ice and regulates how far the players can shoot and pass. The two solid thin red lines are known as the "goal line". The two blue lines and the centre line split the rink into zones. The zone behind your own teams blue line is your " Defensive Zone", the zone in the middle is known as the "Neutral Zone" and zone behind the other teams blue line is known as the "Offensive Zone". The five circles on the ice are known as faceoff circles. Two infront and either side of the goal and one in the centre of the ice. These are where the play starts and restarts after a interruption in play. The play always starts in the centre faceoff circle but restarts depend on what has happened in the play.

The blue box area is known as the "Goal Crease".