Hockey positions explained
In normal play each team has six players on the ice: one goalie and five skaters, usually three forwards (a center and two wings) and two defensemen.1 Only one goalie per team may be on the ice at a time. A team may pull its goalie for an extra skater, who does not get goalie privileges.2 (NHL Rule 5)
The details
Under IIHF rules a team must be able to put five skaters and one goalie on the ice to start a game.3
Forwards usually play in lines of three, and defensemen in pairs, one on the left and one on the right.1
The goalie plays in front of his own net and his main job is stopping the puck from going in.1
The goal crease is a light-blue area in front of each net: a 6-foot-radius half circle, plus side lines that start one foot outside each post and run 4 feet 6 inches out. (Rule 1)2
Behind the goal line, an NHL goalie may handle the puck only inside the trapezoid. Playing it outside the trapezoid is a delay-of-game minor, unless a skate is still touching the crease. (Rule 27)2
A goalie who plays the puck or checks an opponent beyond the center red line gets a minor penalty. (Rule 27)2
A goalie may not take a faceoff. (Rule 76)2
A goalie serves neither minors nor majors in the box; a teammate who was on the ice serves them for him. (Rule 27)2
A goalie who leaves the area of his crease during an altercation gets a minor penalty. (Rule 27)2
NCAA Division I men's hockey added the NHL-style trapezoid starting in 2026-27, and Division III adds it in 2027-28. USA Hockey and NFHS do not use it.4,5
An NHL team dresses 20 players for a game: 18 skaters and 2 goalies. (Rule 5)2
The NHL rulebook refers to a 23-man roster limit, which applies even to emergency goalie recalls. (Rule 5)2
Each NHL team must have a fully dressed backup goalie on or beside the bench, ready to play. (Rule 5)2
More hockey rules
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Sources
- Wikipedia: Ice hockey · accessed 2026-10-23
- NHL Official Rules 2025-26 (league) · accessed 2026-10-23
- IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27 · accessed 2026-10-23
- NCAA.org: Cut-resistant equipment approved in ice hockey for DI men, NC women (July 23, 2026; 2026-27 rule changes) · accessed 2026-10-23
- USA Hockey / NFHS Playing Rules Committees: USAH-NFHS-NCAA Rules Comparison 2026-27 (updated 9/30/2026) · accessed 2026-10-23
Rules are paraphrased, not quoted; the rulebook wins wherever wording matters. NHL rules unless a league is named.