Hockey strategy 2

Hockey is a game in which the players try to hit a small rubber disk or ball with sticks so that it would go into a goal at one end of the playing area. There are two kinds of hockey, field hockey and ice hockey. Field hockey is the original form of the game, played by both sexes and is one of the most popular sports in schools and colleges. Ice hockey is played on ice and is very popular in the United States and Canada.

Field Hockey: Hockey gets its name from the word “hoquet,” which is French for “shepherd’s crook.” The game was once played by the ancient Persians and has been known for centuries. The modern version of field hockey originated in England in 1875, and introduced in America soon after it began in England. It is played on a field that is 90 to 100 yards long and 50 to 60 yards wide, with goals at either end that are 12 feet wide and 7 feet high. Each team consists of 11 players – 5 forwards, 3 halfbacks, 2 backs, and a goalkeeper. The players dribble, drive and pass the ball down the field, as they try to shoot the ball into one of the goals. There are penalties for illegal use of sticks and for roughness. One point is scored for each goal that is made. It is one of the games played in the Olympic games.

Ice Hockey: It was first played on ice in Canada, in the latter part of the 19th century Its popularity spread throughout Canada and New England and other cooler parts of the United States. With the invention of artificial ice and indoor rinks, the game spread to warmer sections of the country. The ice surface on which ice hockey is played is called the rink.. It is rectangular in shape and the corners are rounded. It is 165 to 250 feet long ands 60 to 110 feet wide. Sideboards and end boards surround the rink, 3 to 4 feet high, topped by a plastic or wire screen for the protection of spectators. Each team consists of 6 players 3 forwards, 2 defensemen, and a goalie. The game is divided into two 20-minute periods. One point is scored for each goal. Play begins when the referee drops the puck on the ice between the sticks of the two centers, in what is called the face-off. The players try to push the puck along the ice with their sticks, pass it to teammates, or shoot for their opponents’ goal, while skating along the ice at top speed. Players are penalized for high sticking, interference, tripping, playing with a broken stick, arguing with the referee and many other infractions of the rules..

To be a good hockey player, you must be a good ice-skater, have the ability to start fast from a dead stop, turn quickly, stop in less than four feet of ice, and keep on your feet.
You must be able to make quick and accurate passes, as well as get the puck past the goalie. A forward should be a good stick handler and get around the defense. A defenseman should be able to body-check well, get the puck away from the attacking team and recover rebounds. The goalie should have quick reflexes, sharp eyes, in order to predict where shots are likely to come from