Added: 09/22/2007 |
How to Play HockeyHockey is one of the most popular sports in the world both to play and to watch, especially in the United States and Canada where many people play hockey. There are two main types of hockey- ice hockey and field hockey; although there are plenty of other variations. With ice skating rinks opening up in places where it was previously impossible to play the game, it seems like the sport is here to stay for much longer.
To play the former version, you need quite a few things- arm guards, leg guards, a helmet not to mention padding, a pair of skates and the stick itself of course. To play the latter version, all that’s required is the stick. For ice hockey, a puck is used and the sport is generally played in the United States or Canada, for field hockey the sport is played all over the over and a (often rubber) ball is used.
Although those two are the main variations of the sport, there are other lesser played versions. Street hockey is also common in the United States and Canada, with those that play it using makeshift goals, smaller sticks and a ball or puck. There is also roller-hockey, which is played on a court- all players wear roller-skates. Other unique forms include unicycle-hockey (where all players ride unicycles) as well as the commonly played at arcades air-hockey, which is made up of two mallets and a small puck.
The main object of hockey is simple; players must get the ball or puck into the opposition’s goal. Those who play hockey must be strong physically with good stamina, especially in field hockey where the field is big and players have to run back and forth all game long. In ice hockey although you do not need to skate as much it is still physically draining, as the equipment you have to wear for safety is often heavy and bulky.
Hockey is similar to other sports- there is one goaltender and the rest outfield players. They all use the same stick apart from the goaltender whose hockey stick is larger than the rest. For each variation of the sport, the game and its rules are different- be it the amount of players, the best teams or most glaringly obvious- the surface the players play hockey on.
In field hockey, there are eleven players in each team with five substitutes. Goaltenders have to wear special protective clothing; other players just wear shorts and a t-shirt. Field hockey games last for two halves, each of them thirty-five minutes long.
In ice hockey, all players have to wear protective clothing, as without protection the skates and sticks would prove a menace. For ice hockey, each team has six players- five players and one goaltender. A standard game lasts three periods of twenty minutes each, although there will be overtime and maybe even penalties if it stays drawn.
Hockey is played all over the world, and as it is shown on television it will retain its popularity. With ice skating rinks opening up in places where it was previously impossible to play the game, it seems like the sport is here to stay for much longer, and maybe even grow outside of North America. Although it is played all over the world it is that continent that practises it most, and for it to be known as a global game its popularity globally must increase.
Article comments:
No comments for this article yet. Post your comment now!
