Deutsch
Österreich
Italiano
English
Français
Español
Nederlands
Português
Polski
The actual ice hockey originated most likely between 1840 and 1875 in today's Canada. On February 4th, 1887, the first ice hockey game that can be proven to have taken place on German soil took place on the Halensee in Berlin. Ice hockey for women developed from men's ice hockey and differs from it in various rule adjustments. The term hockey comes from the French and means "crooked stick".
Ice hockey is a team sport played with 5 field players and a goalie and is generally very physical. Occasionally there can be violent arguments between the players in ice hockey, which have also resulted in serious injuries. Comprehensive protective equipment is required to prevent injuries.
The aim of the game is to get the game device (puck) into the opponent's goal. Ice hockey is played on a rectangular ice surface approximately 61 m long and 30 m wide. The playing field is surrounded by a 1.20 m high wooden or hard plastic barrier, on which a protective glass pane is placed. There is also a safety net behind the goals. The goals are approx. 1.20 m high and a good 1.80 m wide, posts and crossbar are marked in red. A semi-circular goal area is drawn on the ice in front of the goal. The playing field is divided in length by 5 lines.
The officials of an ice hockey game (referee) ensure that the game or tournament runs smoothly. The game with three game officials is international practice. An ice hockey game lasts 60 minutes (3 periods of 20 minutes each, with a 15-minute break in between). Since the clock is stopped every time the game is interrupted, an ice hockey game usually lasts considerably longer. Tactics are an important part of a hockey game.
Ice hockey is organized internationally by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the world association has around 64 member federations to date. The North American National Hockey League (NHL) is considered to be the best ice hockey league in the world.
