Five-hole
Encyclopedia
The "five-hole" is a nickname for the space between a goaltender
's legs in ice hockey
. If a player scores by shooting the puck
into the goal between the goaltender's legs, he is said to have scored "through the five-hole," or to have "gone five-hole."
1. Stick side, low: this area is the lower half of the stick side, defined by the blocker and arm, the ice, and the outer post of the goal. During a butterfly save this area is also covered by the leg pad with the blocker stacked on top to protect against low shots. When a goaltender is standing, the paddle of their stick is used to cover this area and to deflect the puck away from the net.
2. Glove side, low: this area is defined by the goaltender's arm and catcher on the top, the ice on the bottom, and the outside post of the goal. During a butterfly-style save, this area is closed off completely and the catcher is typically stacked on top of the leg pad as the leg is extended to cover the post.
3. Glove side, high: this area is defined by the goaltender's arm and catcher on the bottom, mask on the inside, and the post and top of the goal on the outside.
4. Stick side, high: this area is defined by the goal post, top of the goal, and the goalie's arm and blocker. The top half of the goaltender's stick is held in this area, but is not commonly used for stopping the puck.
5. 'Five Hole': the fifth and final area is between the goalie's leg pads and skates. This area is protected by the blade of the stick at all times, and is closed up by the upper leg pads when the goalie is in the butterfly position.
Additions:
In the 2000's, two more "holes" were added to the hockey lexicon to define the underarm areas pucks can sometimes sneak through. The six hole is between the stick arm and the body, while the seven hole is between the glove arm and the body. Even though they are two separate "holes" both are sometimes referred to as "the seven hole."
Goals that go through holes 5, 6, or 7 are often considered to be the result of poor goaltending, or "soft" goals.
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
's legs in ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
. If a player scores by shooting the puck
Hockey puck
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
into the goal between the goaltender's legs, he is said to have scored "through the five-hole," or to have "gone five-hole."
Origin
When a goaltender stands in the net in the ready position, there are five open areas that the goalie must cover. They are:1. Stick side, low: this area is the lower half of the stick side, defined by the blocker and arm, the ice, and the outer post of the goal. During a butterfly save this area is also covered by the leg pad with the blocker stacked on top to protect against low shots. When a goaltender is standing, the paddle of their stick is used to cover this area and to deflect the puck away from the net.
2. Glove side, low: this area is defined by the goaltender's arm and catcher on the top, the ice on the bottom, and the outside post of the goal. During a butterfly-style save, this area is closed off completely and the catcher is typically stacked on top of the leg pad as the leg is extended to cover the post.
3. Glove side, high: this area is defined by the goaltender's arm and catcher on the bottom, mask on the inside, and the post and top of the goal on the outside.
4. Stick side, high: this area is defined by the goal post, top of the goal, and the goalie's arm and blocker. The top half of the goaltender's stick is held in this area, but is not commonly used for stopping the puck.
5. 'Five Hole': the fifth and final area is between the goalie's leg pads and skates. This area is protected by the blade of the stick at all times, and is closed up by the upper leg pads when the goalie is in the butterfly position.
Additions:
In the 2000's, two more "holes" were added to the hockey lexicon to define the underarm areas pucks can sometimes sneak through. The six hole is between the stick arm and the body, while the seven hole is between the glove arm and the body. Even though they are two separate "holes" both are sometimes referred to as "the seven hole."
Goals that go through holes 5, 6, or 7 are often considered to be the result of poor goaltending, or "soft" goals.
External Links
- Why Do They Call It the Five Hole?- A diagram and explanation of the 5 scoring zones in hockey.