Ice Hockey- The North American vs. The European Style of Play - Essay Example

Ice hockey is generally played indoors on rinks, which are usually 200 feet wide and 85 feet wide in North America while outside the country, the rinks are 200.13 feet long and 98.5 feet wide. These are always surrounded by fences called boards with shatterproof glass affixed on top, in order to ensure that the puck stays within the limits of the rink and does not find its way outside, where it may be harmful for the spectators. However the size of the rink does not depend upon the age of the players (like in junior and adult soccer) or on the skill involved.

These rinks are partitioned into two exact halves by a red line, while blue lines are drawn at a distance of 60 feet from each goal and demarcate the end zones. The area that lies in between the blue lines is referred to as the neutral zone. At the very center of the field is a blue spot which signals the spot where the play begins when the game starts for the first time, however at a distance of about 24 feet from the boards there are red spots located which signal the spots from which the play re-starts after interruptions (Loftus, 2005).

The rink is curved at its outer ends and a another red line appears at the point where they begin to curve and the goal is situated at the middle of this goal line. The goal itself is an iron frame that is 4 feet high and 6 feet wide and has curved bars extending down to the surface of the ice. Stretched across these bars are mesh nets and the goals are held in place by dint of short pegs that are firmly embedded in the ice. In front of the net is the crease which is a painted half circle. Within the limits of this crease, players attacking from the opponent team are not permitted to make contact with the goalie, since this would constitute a foul.

In order to reduce the likelihood of injury from collision with the net, the pegs and goal posts separate, and play must be stopped mandatorily whenever a net is