How does a game of ice hockey work?
B · Beginner · The game · 1 of 10Two teams of six, five skaters and a goalkeeper, try to shoot a rubber puck into the other team's goal with their sticks. A game has three periods of 20 minutes of actual play. The team with more goals wins. Players change on the fly, and fouls send players to a penalty box while their team plays short.
How it works
- On the ice: each team has five skaters and one goalkeeper at full strength.
- The puck: played with sticks; skaters may not close a hand on it or throw it.
- Periods: three of 20 minutes of actual play, with 15-minute intermissions.
- The clock: stops whenever play stops.
- Changes: players come on and off during play, as well as at stoppages.
- Penalties: most fouls send a player to the penalty box, leaving their team short.
- Rules of movement: offside and icing limit how the puck may be moved up the ice.
- Ties: at IIHF championships, overtime and then a shootout decide drawn games.
The glossary has the team, the puck, the period, the goalkeeper, the penalty box and the line change.
Tricky cases
Why do games last longer than an hour?
The clock stops at every stoppage, and there are two intermissions and set commercial breaks.
Is ice hockey played the same way in the NHL?
Broadly, but the NHL has its own rule book. This set follows the IIHF rules used at world championships and the Olympics; the last file sets out the NHL's main differences.
Can a team play with more than six on the ice?
No. Too many players on the ice is a bench minor penalty, except that a team may replace its goalkeeper with an extra skater.
How are points given in IIHF tournaments?
Three for a win in regulation time; two for a win in overtime or a shootout, and one for the loser.
Why the rule exists
Changing players on the fly keeps the game fast, because skaters can play hard in short shifts. Penalty time gives the other team a real advantage, which keeps fouls costly.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| IIHF games | Three 20-minute periods | IIHF 77.1 |
| Women's hockey | No bodychecking to eliminate an opponent | IIHF 101.1 |
| Junior hockey | A major penalty brings an automatic game misconduct | IIHF 201.1 |
| NHL | Its own rule book; main differences in the last file | NHL 1 to 89 |
From the rule book
International Ice Hockey Federation, Official Rulebook 2026/27 (version 1.0, June 2026), Rules 5, 77 and 78.1. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the IIHF Official Rulebook, revised each season.