Ice hockey rink

It is a rectangle with rounded corners and surrounded by walls approximately 1.22 metres (48 in) high called the boards.

Rink, a Scots word meaning 'course', was used as the name of a place where another game, curling, was played.

Early in its history, ice hockey was played mostly on rinks constructed for curling.

If an attacking player crosses the line into the other team's zone before the puck does, they are said to be offside.

Near each end of the rink, there is a thin red goal line spanning the width of the ice.

There are hash marks painted on the ice near the end zone faceoff spots.

The circles and hash marks show where players may legally position themselves during a faceoff or during in-game play.

The crease is a special area of the ice in front of each goal that is designed to allow the goaltender to perform without interference.

The entire area of the crease is typically coloured blue for easier visibility.

Under the rule, it is prohibited for the goaltender to handle the puck anywhere behind the goal line that is not within the trapezoidal area.

The motivation for the introduction of the trapezoid was to promote game flow and prolonged offensive attacks by making it more difficult for the goaltender to possess and clear the puck.

The ECHL, the only other developmental league in the Professional Hockey Players Association along with the AHL, also approved the rule for 2005–06.

[7] The referee's crease is a semicircle 10 feet (3.0 m) in radius in front of the scorekeepers bench.

The puck must now completely cross the blue line in the other direction to be considered in the neutral zone again.

Detailed diagram of an ice hockey rink
International standard ice hockey rink of Nokia Arena in Tampere , Finland
Madison Square Garden in New York City home to the National Hockey League 's New York Rangers . Here, the Rangers (blue) and the Minnesota Wild (white) are seen preparing for a period in a January 2022 game.
A diagram of an NHL hockey rink showing the trapezoid behind the goal lines where goaltenders are permitted to handle the puck
New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur (top left) positions himself along the net during a 2008 game against the Boston Bruins . Goaltenders with good puck-handling abilities like Brodeur led to the trapezoidal zone behind the net to limit where the goaltender can legally play the puck behind the goal line
Zones on a hockey rink
Zones on a hockey rink