Goal (ice hockey) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

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...

, a goal is scored when 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...

completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to (see also own goal

Own goal

An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....

). Typically, a player on the team attempting to score shoots the puck with his/her stick

Hockey stick

A hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in field hockey, ice hockey or roller hockey to move the ball or puck.- Field hockey :Field hockey sticks have an end which varies in shape, often depending on the players position...

towards the goal net opening, and a player on the opposing team called a goaltender

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...

tries to block the shot to prevent a goal from being scored against his/her team.

The term goal may also refer to the structure in which goals are scored. The ice hockey goal is rectangular in shape; the front frame of the goal is made of steel tube painted red and consists of two vertical goalposts and a horizontal crossbar. A net is attached to the back of the frame to catch pucks that enter the goal and also to prevent pucks from entering it from behind. The entire goal is considered an inbounds area of the playing surface, and it is legal to play the puck behind the goal. Under NHL

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

rules, the opening of the goal is 72 inches (182.9 cm) wide by 48 inches (121.9 cm) tall, and the footprint of the goal is 44 inches (111.8 cm) deep.

Method of scoring

The object of the game of hockey is to score more goals than the opposing team. Goaltender

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 and defencemen

Defenceman (ice hockey)

Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...

are concerned primarily with keeping the other team from scoring a goal, while forwards are primarily concerned with scoring goals on the other team. Forwards, of course, have to be defensively responsible and defencemen also need to press offensively, and it is not unknown for goalies to attempt to position the puck for a counterattack, or even attempt to shoot against an unguarded net.

For a goal to be scored, the puck must entirely cross the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar of the goal frame. A goal does not count if it is sent into the goal from a stick

Hockey stick

raised above the height of the crossbar. A goal also does not count if the puck is directed, batted or thrown into the net by an attacking player other than with a stick. Angling one's skate is allowed. A goal that is accidentally redirected off a player does count, but if it enters the net directly after touching an official

Official (ice hockey)

In ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game. There are two categories of officials, on-ice officials, who are the referees and linesmen that enforce the rules during game play, and off-ice officials, who have an...

, it does not count. If the goalie is impeded from preventing the goal by an attacking player, the goal does not count. A goal can also be disallowed if the scoring team had too many men on ice at the time of the goal or if it was scored with a broken stick.

In many leagues, a goal does not count if a player from the attacking team has a skate or stick in the goal crease before the puck. The NHL

National Hockey League

abolished this rule after the disputed triple-overtime goal in the 1999 Stanley Cup

Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

Finals. Brett Hull

Brett Hull

Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...

of the Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...

scored the series-clinching goal against the Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...

. On video replay, it was clear that Hull's skate was in the crease prior to the puck.

Credit for goals and assists

Typically, the last player on the goal-scoring team to touch the puck before it goes into the net is credited with scoring that goal. Zero, one, or two other players on the goal-scoring team may also credited with an assist
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...

for helping their teammate to score the goal. If another player on the goal-scoring team touched the puck to help score the goal before the goal-scoring player touched it without an opposing player intervening (touching the puck in between), then that player gets an assist. If yet another player on the goal-scoring team also touched the puck before that without an opposing player intervening, then that player also gets an assist.

For a hockey player, a goal or an assist credited to him/her is also considered a point; thus the number of goals scored by that player plus the number of assists for him/her equals the number of points for that player. Usually on a hockey team, forward

Forward (ice hockey)

In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...

s score the most goals and get the most points, although defensemen can score goals and often get assists. In professional play, goaltender

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 only occasionally get an assist, and only very rarely score a goal when the opposite net is empty (without a goaltender).

Scoring statistics

The number of goals scored is a closely watched statistic. Each year the Rocket Richard Trophy is presented to the NHL player to have scored the most goals. The trophy is named after Maurice Richard

Maurice Richard

Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...

, the first player to score 50 goals in a season, at a time when the NHL regular season was only 50 games (compared to 82 today). The player to have scored the most goals in an NHL season is Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...

. Gretzky is also the fastest to 50 goals; during his record-setting 1981–82 season, in which he finished with 92 goals, he scored his 50th goal in the Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

' 39th game of the season.

The overall amount of goal scoring is also closely watched. In recent years, goal scoring has decreased. Many believe the game is less entertaining because of this, and blame the change on the increasing size of goaltending equipment and the advent of defensive systems such as the neutral zone trap

Neutral zone trap

The neutral zone trap is a defensive strategy used in ice hockey to prevent an opposing team from proceeding through the neutral zone to force turnovers...

. Fans of defensive hockey counter by saying the high scoring of the 1980s was an anomaly, and this shift represents a return to the norm. For the 2004-05 American Hockey League

American Hockey League

The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

season, four major rule changes were made that were intended to increase the scoring in games and make it more popular among casual fans -- (1) increasing the size of the attack zones by narrowing the neutral zone two feet each side and thus moving the goal line back two feet, (2) restrictions on the goaltender playing the puck, (3) permitting offside players to negate the penalty by "tagging up" with the blue line, and (4) changing the offside rule by permitting passes which cross the center line and one blue line (but not between both blue lines in certain restrictions). The AHL rules were slightly modified and adopted in the NHL and ECHL for 2005-06, when the NHL returned after the lockout.

Types of goals

There are a number of different types of goals for which separate statistics are kept, but all count equally:

An even strength goal is a goal scored when both teams have the same number of players on the ice.
A power play goal (PPG) is a goal scored by a team on a power play
Power play (sport)
"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...

, that is, with a numerical advantage in players due to a penalty being served by one or more of the other team's players.
A shorthanded goal (SHG) is a goal scored by a team that is on the penalty kill, that is, at a numerical disadvantage due to a penalty being served by one or more of its players
An empty net goal
Empty net goal
An empty net goal, or colloquially an empty netter , occurs in ice hockey when a team scores a goal into a net with no goaltender present...

(ENG) is a goal scored when there is no goalie guarding the net because he has been pulled for an extra attacker
Extra attacker
An extra attacker in ice hockey is a forward or, less commonly, a defenceman who has been substituted in place of the goaltender. The purpose of this substitution is to gain an offensive advantage to score a goal...
A penalty shot goal is a goal scored on a penalty shot
Penalty shot (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a penalty shot is a type of penalty awarded when a team loses a clear scoring opportunity on a breakaway because of a foul committed by an opposing player. A player from the non-offending team is given an attempt to score a goal without opposition from any defending players except...

, that is, a one-on-one confrontation between a single offensive player and the goaltender as a result of a penalty
An own goal is when a player puts the puck into their own net, scoring for the other team
An overtime goal is a goal scored in sudden-death overtime
A go-ahead goal is the goal that puts one team ahead of another after the game has been tied
A game-tying goal is a goal that causes the game to be tied, scored by a team that is down one goal (prior to the 1984-85 season, the NHL credited game-tying goals to the final scorers for both teams in tie games).
A game-winning goal (GWG) is the goal scored by a team that defeats a team which scores goals; e.g. if team A beats team B 2-1, the scorer of team A's second goal is credited with the GWG, if team A beats team B 4-2, the scorer of team A's third goal is credited with the game-winner.

Related terms

The goal judge is an official positioned off ice behind each goal for the specific purpose of indicating when the puck has crossed the goal line and entered the goal. For arenas so equipped, the goal judge turns on a red light behind the goal when he sees the puck cross the goal line. As in all matters, however, the referee retains final authority and can override the opinion of the goal judge.

If a hockey player is last to touch the puck before it enters his own team's net — which in football (soccer)

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

is called an own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....

— credit for the goal goes to the last player on the scoring team to have touched the puck.

Other phrases include a garbage goal, for a goal scored more as the result of luck or opportunism than skill, and a breakaway goal for a goal scored when a player has gotten behind the defenders to face the goaltender alone.

The two teammates of the scorer who last touched the puck before him, provided that no opponent touched it in between, are each credited with an assist. Assists and goals count equally to comprise a player's statistical scoring total.

When a player scores three goals in a game it is known as a hat trick

Hat Trick

Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...

. If he scores his goals consecutively, it becomes known as a natural hat trick. A Gordie Howe hat trick
Gordie Howe hat trick
In ice hockey, a Gordie Howe hat trick is a variation on the hat-trick, wherein a player scores a goal, records an assist, and gets in a fight all in one game. It is named after Gordie Howe, well known for his skill at both scoring and fighting....

occurs when a player scores a goal, gets an assist, and gets in a fight.

Any puck heading towards the net is counted as a shot. When the goalie prevents the shot from entering the net, he is credited with a save
Save (ice hockey)
In several sports with goalkeepers or goaltenders protecting nets, or goals, a save is credited to a goaltender that stops the playing object from entering the goal. These sports include football, ice hockey, and lacrosse, among others....

. Shots resulting in saves by the goaltender or goals scored are considered shots on goal

Shot on goal

In ice hockey, a shot on goal is a shot that will enter the goal if it is not stopped by the goaltender. A shot on goal must result in either a goal or a save....

(or shots on net). A shot which is blocked by an opposing player before it reaches the goalie is not considered a shot on net. Also, if the puck is deflected wide of the net by another player (regardless of team) it is not counted as a shot on net.

Goal Horn

Ice hockey is one of the few sports along with box lacrosse or indoor soccer in which an air horn, car horn, train horn, foghorn, or siren is used for a goal. In every NHL arena, the horn blares after each home team goal. This has been a trend since the 1990s. The only exception to this rule is during the NHL All-Star Game, where the role of that sound is expanded to cover every goal scored, and that the horn only sounds once. The horns are different depending on the teams, some even have sound effects such as an alarm or the foghorn of a ship, or both combined, for the Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...

and the Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

. Hockey fans have said that the loudest goal horn belongs to the Anaheim Ducks, who have a very loud fog horn with high bass, or the Philadelphia Flyers, who have a very loud train horn. Along with the horn, it is accompanied by a goal song. Most arenas play sections of the song where the crowd can "sing" along or repeat. The two classic goal songs are "Kernkraft 400" by Zombie Nation (its "Sport Chant Stadium Remix" arrangement is used by the Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

) and "Rock & Roll Part 2 " by Gary Glitter. Although, some teams have songs that are original to them, like the now-defunct Hartford Whalers

Hartford Whalers

The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...

' famous "Brass Bonanza", "Bro Hymn

Bro Hymn

"Bro Hymn" is a song by American punk rock band Pennywise. It is the last track on both their 1991 self-titled debut album, and 1997's Full Circle as "Bro Hymn Tribute". Its lyrics are about the death of bassist Jason Thirsk's friends Tim Colvin, Carlos Canton, and Tom Nichols, who died in a car...

" by Pennywise (originally used by Anaheim and later adopted by Philadelphia and NY Islanders), "Crowd Chant" by Joe Satriani (Minnesota, Phoenix, Columbus), "Chelsea Dagger

Chelsea Dagger

"Chelsea Dagger" is a song by The Fratellis and their second single. It was released on 28 August 2006. It is taken from their debut album Costello Music, which was released in the United Kingdom on 11 September 2006...

" by The Fratellis (Chicago), "Holiday

Holiday (Green Day song)

7" picture discVinyl Boxset* Live tracks recorded September 21, 2004 at Irving Plaza, New York-Music video:The first half of the video takes place in a car , where Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool are partying around the town...

" by Green Day (Vancouver), "Vertigo" by U2 (Montreal), and "I Like It, I Love It

I Like It, I Love It

"I Like It, I Love It" is a song recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. The song was McGraw's ninth single overall, and his third number-one single on the Hot Country Songs chart...

" by Tim McGraw (Nashville).

Method of scoring

Credit for goals and assists

Scoring statistics

Types of goals

Related terms

Goal Horn

See also