How Many Periods Does Hockey Have? Number and Length

If you are unfamiliar with hockey, the notion of periods may seem strange, but they make the game flow smoothly and quickly. Moreover, the conclusion of each session is the ideal opportunity to dash to the snack bar and bathroom!
 

So, how many periods does hockey have?

In hockey, there are often three 20-minute periods. At the conclusion of each period in the pros, the ice is resurfaced by a Zamboni. It is fairly unusual for lower age groups to have fewer or shorter periods. Games that result in a tie may use overtime (overtime).

Now that you know how many periods there are in hockey and as you watch more games, you will notice that players prefer to play faster at the start of each period. There are several causes for this, which we will discuss in the remainder of the essay.
 

How Long Are Periods in Hockey?

Every sport has its own peculiarities and restrictions, and hockey is no exception, particularly when it comes to the game's structure and timekeeping.

In the early 1900s, when hockey began to develop in popularity, it was usual for games to consist of two 30-minute halves.

However, the difficulty with organizing a hockey game in this manner was that the players' skates sank into the ice, and after 30 minutes, the surface was covered with ruts. When the ice was in such a state, it was difficult to skate and progress.

To address this issue, hockey adopted three periods (20 minutes each). When the ice is resurfaced after 20 minutes rather than 30, it is cleaner and more conducive to high-quality hockey.

Sixty minutes is still a respectable length for a hockey game, but in order to keep the action moving, it has been divided into three periods rather than two halves of 30 minutes each.

Many other sports, like football, soccer, and basketball, are played in quarters or halves, unlike hockey. However, since time is recorded, hockey more closely resembles these games than golf, tennis, or baseball.

It should be noted that although not all high school and youth hockey games are comprised of three 20-minute quarters, they are frequently comprised of three periods of 15, 12, or 10 minutes in duration, depending on the league and age group.

And it is uncommon for the Zamboni to resurface the ice between periods during young games.

In some leagues, the ice is resurfaced during one of the intermissions (this is frequent in leagues with older players—often 14 and up—since they get stronger and begin to dig into the ice as the game proceeds), although in leagues for younger children, there may be no resurfacing at all (though there almost always will be in between games).

In addition to the conclusion of each period, the clock stops if a penalty, goal, offsides or icing call, injury, or goalkeeper covering the puck occurs. When the puck leaves the rink or when a team requests a timeout, play is also stopped.

Due of this, it is essential to remember that just though a period is 20 minutes long, it does not always imply that it will only take 20 minutes to play. Taking into account all stoppages in play, the duration is often much longer.

While many hockey aficionados like the three-period format and take great satisfaction in this part of the game, many viewers find it to be rather onerous.
 

How Long Are Intermissions in Hockey?

Clearly, there is a purpose for dividing hockey games into three periods: to resurface the ice to keep it clean, hence keeping the tempo of play quick.

If you have seen a few professional or college hockey games, you have undoubtedly seen a giant truck (or, in some instances, two trucks) travel in circles on the ice for around 10 to 15 minutes between periods.

This truck's driver, known as a Zamboni, is not just out on a joyride in front of thousands of strangers. The individual is washing and applying a new layer of water on the ice's surface.

This fresh layer of water fills in ruts, fissures, and other ice flaws before freezing to make the rink seem and feel brand new. At the beginning of each session, you will likely see quicker skating and cleaner passing.

However, what do players do at each intermission? During intermissions, each team goes to its locker room to recuperate and discuss the next game strategy.

Hockey is an incredibly exhausting activity, and the two intermissions allow players to regain their energy. During each intermission, coaches may inform their players of what they observe on the ice and assist them make changes to enhance their performance in the future session.

Each interval gives supporters another chance to use the toilet or concession stand. Unlike football, which may have a halftime performance or marching band on the field, entertainment on the ice during a hockey game is uncommon since the Zamboni is constantly resurfacing it.
 

Hockey Overtime Regulations

You have undoubtedly witnessed a hockey game in which the score was tied at the conclusion of the third period. When the score is tied at the conclusion of regulation, various outcomes are possible.

During the regular season, a majority of youth hockey games that result in a tie are recorded as ties. This may also occur in certain high school and college games.

At the semi-professional and professional levels, however, a tied hockey game does not conclude after the third period.

In the National Hockey League (NHL), if a game finishes in a draw during the regular season, there is no complete intermission and the ice surface is not redone. The teams then engage in a five-minute, four-on-four extra session.

The NHL's regulations have changed often in recent years, and the four-on-four rule is still relatively new.

During regular-season overtime periods of five minutes, each team has just four players on the ice. If the game remains tied after five minutes of overtime, there will be a shootout.

During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL overtime rules change. Instead of a five-minute, four-on-four overtime, a 20-minute overtime is played.

Due of this, periodical intermissions with complete resurfacing occur. It is also important to note that postseason games will never end in a shootout.

If the game is still tied at the conclusion of the first overtime, there will be a second overtime with a full intermission and a resurfacing in between. This will continue until one side scores the game-winning goal.

The longest NHL playoff game in the modern era happened in 2000 and went into its sixth overtime.

The game was played between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins, with the Flyers prevailing 2-1 in five overtime on a goal by Keith Primeau.

In the American Hockey League (AHL), a semi-professional developmental league that feeds the National Hockey League (NHL), overtime is played three-on-three rather than four-on-four.

In the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), another developmental league that feeds into the AHL and subsequently the NHL, overtimes consist of three-on-three play and last seven minutes.

If the score is still tied after seven minutes of overtime, there will be a shootout.

Time-and-a-half is sometimes known as "sudden death overtime." This moniker, although foreboding, is utilized because when a goal is scored in overtime, the game ends quickly.

In hockey, if a team scores in sudden-death overtime, they automatically win the game. This is in contrast to football and baseball, where both sides have a chance to score in certain scenarios and extra innings, respectively.
 

How do hockey shootouts operate?

In shootouts, players from each side get the opportunity to skate the ball from the center of the ice toward the goal of the other team, without any defenders present.

During the regular season of the NHL, each team is permitted three shots in shootouts. This implies that each team will take turns attempting to score, first with one team and then the other.

If no side has scored after three opportunities, or if both teams have scored the same number of times, the shootout will go to sudden death. In the sudden-death phase, each team is allowed one more shot, and the team that scores first, if either team scores, wins the game.

If neither team scores or both teams score, the shootout continues until one team scores and the other does not, with the team that scores prevailing.

Although shootouts have been in hockey for quite some time, they were not introduced into the NHL's regular-season overtime schedule until 2005-2006.

Despite the fact that it may be an exciting and pressure-packed manner to close a game, some hockey purists question whether or not it is fair.

As with many team sports, some believe that the winner of a game should not be chosen by a single individual, but rather by how the team performs as a unit.

This may explain why the National Hockey League does not employ shootouts in the playoffs, when the stakes are widely seen to be greater.