The following is a crash course in Hockey 101, a "cheat sheet" to print off and bring with you to the games or to help follow along with The Voice of the Lynx, Alex "Cheeks" Kyrias on all 72 game broadcasts on WRDW-AM 1630.

HOCKEY'S TWO MAIN RULES

1. OFFSIDE: A team is offside when any member of the attacking team precedes the puck carrier over the defending team’s blue line. The position of the player’s skates and not that of his stick is the determining factor. If both skates are over the blue line before the puck, the player is offside. If he has only one skate over the blue line and one on it, he is onside.
2. ICING: Icing the puck is not permitted when the teams are at equal numerical strength. Thus it is an infraction when a player on his team’s side of the red line shoots the puck all the way down the ice, it crosses the red goal lone at any point other than the goal itself and is first touched by a defending player. When this occurs, play is stopped and the puck is returned to the other end of the ice for a faceoff in the offending team’s zone. Icing the puck is not called: A. If the goalie plays the puck by leaving his net. B. If the puck cuts across part of the goal crease. C. When a defending opponent, in the judgment of the linesman, could have played the puck before it crossed the red goal line. D. When an attacking player who was onside (in the same zone) when the puck was shot down the ice manages to touch it first. E. When a team is playing short-handed because of a penalty or penalties.

THE POSITIONS

• GOALKEEPER: The goalkeeper’s main responsibility is to keep the puck from entering the goal, and there are no restrictions placed on the methods he can employ. His offensive contributions are limited and consist of occasionally passing the puck up to his defensemen or forwards to start a rush. A goalkeeper very seldom scores a goal and only on rare occasions does he receive credit for an assist.
• DEFENSEMEN: Basically the two defensemen try to stop the incoming play at their own blueline. They also block shots, clear the puck from in front of their goal, and watch the opposing forwards. Offensively, the carry the puck up the ice or pass the puck up to the forwards, then follow the play into the attaching zone and help keep it there.
• CENTER: The center operated mostly up and down the middle of the ice and usually leads his team’s attack by carrying the puck. He sets up plays by exchanging passes with his two wingmen and tries to steer the play in toward the opposer’s goal. Defensively, he tries to keep the play in the attacking zone by harassing the opponent’s puck out of their end of the rink, he tries to interrupt their playmaking as it moves through the neutral zone and into his defending zone. (Backchecking)
• WINGERS: The two wings move up and down the sides of the rink with the direction of play. Offensively, they skate abreast of the center, exchanging passes with him while the watch the opponent’s wings and try to disrupt their playmaking and shooting as the action moves back toward the defending zone. (Backchecking)

HOCKEY MADE EASY

• The Rink: Ice Hockey is played on an ice surface known as the “rink.” The official size is 200’ long x 85’ wide, but can vary in size at the minor-pro level. The ice surface at The James Brown Arena, for example, is 185' long x 85' wide. It is surrounded by boards 42” high plexi-glass on top of the boards. The red and blue lines divide the rink into three zones: offensive, neutral, and defensive. There is a goal at each end of the ice.
• The Goal Nets: A goal net, or cage, is 6’ wide and 4’ high. It is designed so that pucks entering the net will stay in. The goal line itself is 2” wide. In front of each goal is the goal crease. It is drawn by a redline 1’ outside each goal post, and 4’ out is a semicircle designed to minimize traffic in front of the goalie. Behind each goal sits a goal judge whose only responsibility is to decide whether the puck crosses the goal line in front of him. If it does, he pushes a button which lights up the red light overhead.
• Object of the Game: Above all, the object is to put the puck in the other team’s goal and keep it out of your goal. It can be put in with a stick, bounded in off of a player on either team, or knocked in by the goaltender. It cannot be kicked in or batted in with a high stick.
• To Start the Game: The game starts when the referee drops the puck at center ice between the two centers. This is called a “face-off.” The game is now under way. Next, we look at what the players can and cannot do to move the puck towards the goal. Scoring: Scoring a goal is the so-called name of the game. It is not necessary to shoot the puck into the netting behind the goalie to score. If the entire puck crosses the goal line inside the posts, It’s a goal unless: A. An attacking player kicks the puck, throws the puck, or otherwise deliberately directs the puck into the goal by any means other than the stick. B. An attacking player is in the goal crease, and is in no way held by a defender, while a teammate “scores.” While a goal does not count if it’s kicked in by an attacker, if that same attacker kicks it in off a defender other than the goalie, it does count. In this case, the kicker is credited with the goal. On the other hand, if a shot is deflected in off a teammate, the teammate gets credit for the goal and the shooter gets an assist. No more than two assists shall be credited on any goal, and those assists go to the two players who handle the puck immediately preceding the goal.
• Equipment: Hockey sticks, like baseball bats, are lighter than they used to be and are also more flexible with more whip action. They’re made of northern white ash or rock elm. Sticks may not exceed 60” from the heel to the end of the shaft. A goalie’s pads can’t be as wide as he might like them to be, not more than 10” wide, and the blade of a goalie’s stick shall not exceed 3 ½”, except at the heel, where it can be an extra inch wide. All protective equipment except gloves, headgear, and goaltender’s leg guards must be worn under the uniform. Much of this is cushioned with foam rubber.
• Game Officials: The referee controls the game. He calls all the penalties and must decide the legality of goals, though sometimes he will call time and ask his linemen for an opinion before he makes his final decision. The duty of the linesmen is to determine offsides and icings. They drop the puck for faceoffs. They chase the pucks after stoppage of play. And it is their unenviable job to break up fights while the referee assesses the penalties.

REFEREE'S SIGNALS 

• SPEARING A jabbing motion with both hands in front of the body. Called for using the stick like a spear. 
• HOLDING Clasping the wrists in front of the chest. Called for using hands on opponent or his equipment. 
• SLASHING Chopping with one hand across the opposite forearm. Called for swinging stick at the opponent. 
• CHARGING Rotating clenched fists in front of chest. Called for taking more than three strides before checking opponent.
• INTERFERNCE Crossed arms in front of chest with fists closed. Called for having contact with opponent not in possession of puck. 
• BOARDING Pounding the closed fist of one hand into the other. Called for driving an opponent into the boards. 
• DELAYED PENALTY Referee extends arm and points to penalized player. Signals a penalty that has occurred by the team that does not have possession. Play continues until penalized team regains possession of the puck. 
• CROSS CHECKING A forward and backward motion with fists extended from the chest. Called for hitting opponent with both hands on the stick and no part of stick on the ice. 
• WASHOUT Both arms swung across the body with palms down. When used by referee, it means a goal has been disallowed. When used by the linesman, it means icing or off-side has been nullified.
• HOOKING Tugging motion with the arms. Called for using the stick or blade to hook an opponent. 
• KNEEING Slapping the knee with palm of hand. Called when using knee to impede opponent. 
• TRIPPING Strike the right leg with the right hand below the knee. Called for using stick, arm or leg to cause the opponent to trip or fall. 
• ELBOWING Tapping the elbow with the opposite hand. Called when using elbow to impede an opponent. 
• MISCONDUCT Place both hands on hips. Called for various forms of misconduct or when a player incurs a second major penalty in a game. 
• UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT Use both hands to form a "T" in front of chest. 
• HIGH STICKING Holding both fists clenched, one above the other at the side of the head. Called for carrying stick above shoulder against an opponent.
• ROUGHING A thrusting motion with the arm extending from the side. Called for engaging in fisticuffs or shoving. 
• ICING Linesman's arms folded across the upper chest. See the Three Main Rules of hockey for full description of icing.