Learn hockey, from the opening faceoff.

Read these pages in order if you are starting from zero. They cover what happens on the ice and why, before anyone talks about skating or shooting. When you are ready for more, the technique section sets out the skills that federations and coaches teach, the equipment section explains what the safety standards require, and the glossary explains the vocabulary.

The shortest possible version

• Each team has at most six players on the ice at once: five skaters and a goaltender. Hockey Canada's 2026-28 Playing Rules (Rule 2.1) put the limit at six, and the IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27 (Rule 5.1) says a team must be able to start with at least five skaters and one goalkeeper.
• A game is three 20-minute periods of actual playing time under the IIHF 2026/27 rules (Rule 77.1) and the NHL Official Rules 2026-2027 (Rule 77.1). Hockey Canada's 2026-28 rules (Rule 6.17) treat three 20-minute periods as the maximum and let its Members and leagues set shorter games.
• Players change on the fly, while play goes on, as well as at stoppages (IIHF 2026/27 Rule 74.1, NHL 2026-2027 Rule 74.1, Hockey Canada 2026-28 Rule 6.1(a)).
• Two lines decide most whistles that are not penalties. Attackers may not enter the attacking zone ahead of the puck (offside), and a team may not shoot the puck from its own half all the way past the opposing goal line (icing). That is the basic form of IIHF 2026/27 and NHL 2026-2027 Rules 83.1 and 81.1.
• Play restarts with a faceoff on one of nine marked spots (IIHF 2026/27 Rule 76.2, NHL 2026-2027 Rule 76.2).
• A player who commits a minor penalty sits out two minutes and the team plays a player short. Under all three rulebooks read for this site, a goal by the other side ends that minor early.
• Whether body checking is allowed depends on the league, the age group and, in many rulebooks, whether it is a women's or girls' game.

Whose rules?

Hockey has no single worldwide rulebook. Each body below writes its own, and the differences show up in rink size, overtime, penalties and checking. So every page on this site names the body and the edition it is quoting:

The IIHF, NHL and Hockey Canada rulebooks were read directly for this site. The USA Hockey rulebook itself could not be read, so USA Hockey points come from USA Hockey's own announcements and are labelled that way. USA Hockey says it revises its rules on a four-year cycle: proposals go to its Playing Rules Committee and are voted on by the USA Hockey Congress at the January Winter Meeting, and the next update is due in August 2029.

Other rulebooks matter too. US high school hockey plays under NFHS rules, which have their own 2026-27 changes, and college hockey plays under NCAA rules. Leagues and local associations can also add rules of their own, so always check the rules of the competition you are playing in.

What is happening now

As of October 2026, the 2026-27 NHL regular season is in progress; NHL.com says it opened on 29 September 2026. These pages describe rules, not results. Results and standings for the season belong to the events section.

Where to go next

Start with how hockey works, then the rink and offside and icing. If you are a parent or a new player, read body-checking rules and getting started, which sets out the beginner programmes the governing bodies run. If you are checking whether an old helmet can still be used, try the helmet sticker checker.