Street Hockey: What You Need To Know
Jun 14, 2022
The Bridgeport Islanders are proud to launch their 2022 Street Hockey Tour this Thursday, June 16th at Classical Studies Magnet Academy in Bridgeport, one of more than 30 community events planned this summer.
Islanders Street Hockey is an initiative designed to bring the sport of hockey to local youth groups, Boys and Girls Clubs and other community centers within Fairfield and New Haven Counties. Among many things, it is intended to teach sportsmanship, organization, and the importance of being a good teammate.
“We want to make sure every kid has a chance to play hockey,” Bridgeport Islanders Community Engagement Manager Sam Provost said. “It can be an expensive sport to play, so we prioritized making this program accessible to anyone who wants to give it a try. It’s a great way to continue growing the game of hockey in our area, and an opportunity to give back to the communities that have supported us for generations.”
When all you need is a stick, ball, and some friends, street hockey can become the best way to fall in love with the game at a young age. But in order to play the game effectively and enjoy street hockey to its fullest, there are several key rules that must be understood.
STREET HOCKEY 101
Getting Started: Street Hockey can be played on any flat, hard surface, virtually making the game accessible in any place at any time. Driveways, parking lots, gymnasiums are all ideal locations aside from using an actual street. It is played with running shoes and a ball rather than skates and a puck and consists of two teams. Each team is allowed to have up to six (6) players at one time and all players hold a stick. Positions for each team include one goalie, one center, two forwards, and two defensemen.
How to Play: The game begins with a faceoff between each team’s center. During the faceoff, each team must align on their half of the playing surface. Following the faceoff, each team’s forwards must cross the center line to play their position. Defensemen stay behind the center line to play their position, while centers are free to run the entire court.
Objective: The object of the game is to “Score!” by moving the ball into your opponent’s goal. A legal goal can come from any player if it is outside the goal crease and is struck by a stick. Kicking or throwing the ball, or striking the ball while in the goal crease, is not allowed. An attempt on goal that includes a high stick penalty by the person striking the ball will disallow a scored goal.
Following a goal, each team resets to their half and the centers will prepare for a faceoff to re-start play. Teams are allowed to sub freely, which is known as a line change. Line changes should be done when the puck is on the opposite side of the court to allow for a harmless transition.
Sticks are intended to play the puck only. Using the stick to trip, slash or check an opponent will result in a penalty. While swinging the stick the backswing and follow-through may not go higher than waist level. Breaking this rule is considered a high stick penalty. Penalties vary according to severity. All penalties result in the offending player being removed from the game for a short period of time. Any player being removed must report to the penalty box.
Timing: A regulation hockey game has three periods. Each period can be as short as five (5) minutes or as long as 15 minutes. There is a five (5) minute intermission between each period.
BASIC SKILLS OF THE GAME
- Controlled dribble: Hitting the ball with taps and keeping it close
- Loose dribble: Pushing the ball ahead of you and running up to it
- Slap shot: Shooting the ball long and hard by drawing a long backswing
- Wrist shot: Flicking the ball with your wrists to produce a shot - short backswing
- Settling: Getting a pass from a teammate and gently receiving it with the stick
- Take Away: Stealing the ball from an opponent
If you’re a part of any local organization that wants to get involved, please contact Sam Provost at sam.provost@bridgeportislanders.com.