Hockey rings

Standard sizes of boxes:

  • 60x30m is a large rink of the European standard;
  • 61x26m-NHL style rink;
  • 20x40m is a small box.

However, it is possible to install rinks for mass skating: 46x24m and 26x52m in addition to the standard courts.

The size of a hockey field differs in IIHF and NHL rules.

According to the IIHF rules, the site is expected to have a maximum size of 61 x 30 meters, and a minimum allowable size of 56 x 26 meters; dimensions of 61-60 m in length and 30-29 m in width are allowed in official competitions under IIHF guidance.

NHL rules prescribe the size of the site in 200x85 feet, that is 60.96 x 25.90 meters, i.e. NHL site is already 4 meters.

It is believed that the smaller size contributes to the power fight, shots on goal, play at the sides, while a wide area gives more room for a pattern play.

The corners of the court are to be rounded by an arc of a circle with a radius of 7 m to 8.5 m according to the IIHF rules and 28 feet (8.53 m) in NHL.

There are hockey gates at the edges of the field. The gate is 1.83 meters wide and 1.22 meters (6x4 feet) high.

The ice surface is smooth, which lets a puck slide freely.

The height of the sides bordering the perimeter of the court above the ice level is 117-122 centimeters according to the IIHF rules and 40-48 inches (102-122 cm) according to the NHL rules. The best board height is 42 inches (107cm) in the NHL. Therefore, hockey players often fly over the board during bodychecks at the benches of reserve players in the NHL, which is rarely seen on the sites according to the IIHF rules. There are transparent barrier boards made of safe impact-resistant glass above the boards on the back side of the site, and the minimum height of the barrier boards is 1.6 meters behind the gate according to the IIHF rules, and 0.8 meters on the long sides of the board.

5 lines are applied on the surface of the site, 2 of them are goal lines, 5 centimeters wide line is red, 2 lines of blue color, 30 centimeters wide, divide the space among the goal lines into 3 equal zones (defense zone, neutral zone and attack zone). There is a central line in the center of the site (the color of the line is not important). In addition to the lines on the surface, there are also marked places for throwing the puck, goal area, and the judges' area. Now it is allowed to apply logos of team sponsors or other limited-size advertisement on the surface of the site.

If the hockey field is located in an indoor area, the top layer of the ice field is updated by special freezing ice-laying machines to maintain the best characteristics of the ice surface throughout the entire hockey match in the intervals between periods of play.

All exits from the hockey field are built into the boards, and open towards the tribunes.

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