Sports Glossaries
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assist

A pass that sets up a goal. Up to two assists may be credited on each goal.

attacking line

See forward line.

attacking zone

The area in the opponents' end of the ice between the blue line and the goal line.

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backcheck

To check an opponent while on the way back to the defensive zone.

backhand

A shot or pass made from the side of the body opposite the stick hand.

back line

A team's defensemen, as a unit.

beat the defense

To get past the opposing defensemen.

beat the goalie

To score a goal, usually by faking out or outsmarting the opposing goaltender.

behind the net

Descriptive of the area in back of the goal cage.

bench minor penalty

A two-minute penalty assessed against someone in a team's bench area rather than a player on the ice. Any player except a goaltender may be designated by the coach to serve in the penalty box.

blade

The flat section of a hockey stick that contacts the puck.

blind pass

A pass made without looking at the target.

blocker

The goalie's blocking glove or the pad attached to it.

blocking glove

A large glove worn by the goalie on the stick hand, which has a rectangular pad attached to the back. Also known as the blocker.

blue line

One of two, 12-inch-wide lines that run across the width of the ice, 60 feet from the goal line. They divide the ice into three zones. See attacking zone; defensive zone; neutral zone.

blueliner

A defenseman.

boarding

See board-checking.

board-checking

Sending an opponent violently into the boards by any method, including a body check, elbowing, and tripping. Usually incurs a minor penalty, but a major penalty if the opponent is injured.

boards

An enclosure of wood or fiberglass, 3 ½ to 4 feet high, that surrounds the rink.

body check

A check made with the hip or shoulder to slow or stop an opponent's movement or to throw him off balance.

box

1) A defensive formation, when a team is short-handed, in which the four remaining skaters form a square. 2) The penalty box.

breakaway

A scoring opportunity on which a skater with the puck is behind the opposing defensemen and faces only the goaltender.

breakout

A method of moving the puck out of the defensive zone and beginning an attack.

butt

The top end of the hockey stick.

butt-ending

Poking an opponent with the butt of the stick, which normally incurs a minor penalty.

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cage

The goal cage.

catching glove

The glove worn by the goalie on the non-stick hand.

caught up ice

Descriptive of a player who is still in the attacking zone while the opponents are attacking at the other end of the ice.

center

The player in the center of a team's forward line. He takes most of the faceoffs and often leads an attack by carrying the puck into the attacking zone, then shooting or passing to a teammate.

center circle

See center ice circle.

center faceoff spot

See center ice spot.

center forward

Old name for the center.

center ice circle

The faceoff circle, 30 feet in diameter, surrounding the center ice spot, where faceoffs are held to start a period and to restart the game after a goal.

center ice spot

The faceoff spot inside the center ice circle, marking the exact center of the rink.

center the puck

To pass the puck from near a corner in the attacking zone into the area in front of the goal cage.

center ice

The neutral zone.

centering pass

A pass on which a player centers the puck.

center line

The red line.

center zone

The neutral zone.

change on the fly

To make a line change or send other substitutes out while play is going on.

charging

Taking two or more steps before body checking an opponent. Normally incurs a minor penalty, but a major penalty if blood is drawn or a serious injury results.

check

Any tactic used by a defensive player in an attempt to slow down an opponent and/or get possession of the puck. There are two main varieties: the body check and the stick check.

checking line

A line made up of players known primarily for defense, not scoring.

clear

To pass, poke, or deflect the puck away from one's own goal cage, or out of the defensive zone. As a noun, the act of clearing.

clear the zone

To leave the attacking zone in order to avoid being called offside when the puck enters.

coincidental

Descriptive of matching penalties assessed against players of both teams for simultaneous fouls.

corner

An area of the rink near one of the four rounded sections where the sideboards and endboards meet.

crease

See goal crease.

cross bar

The 6-foot-long horizontal bar that connects the tops of the goal posts.

cross-checking

Hitting an opponent with the stick while it is held in both hands and no part of the stick is touching the ice. Usually incurs a minor penalty, but a major penalty if blood is drawn or a serious injury results.

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dasher

The small ledge at the top of the boards.

defenseman

A player who is primarily responsible for preventing the opposition from scoring. There are usually two defensemen on ice for a team at any given time, and they are usually positioned closer to their own goal cage than the forwards.

defensive zone

The area in a team's own end of the ice, between the blue line and the goal line.

deflection

A shot or pass that changes direction when it strikes a player, skate, or stick. While often accidental, a deflection may also be a deliberate act of a player who uses the stick to redirect a teammate's shot into the goal cage.

deke

To fake, either with the puck or the body, in order to get a defensive player out of position or off balance. Short for "decoy."

delayed offside

An apparent offside on which the linesman doesn't blow the whistle immediately because a defending player has gained control of the puck near the blue line. If the player loses possession before crossing the blue line, the offside will be called.

delayed penalty

1) A penalty that isn't called immediately because the non-offending team has control of the puck in an advantageous position. The referee raises an arm to signal the penalty but doesn't blow the whistle to stop action and enforce the penalty until the offending team gets the puck. 2) A penalty that isn't immediately assessed because the offending team already has two players in the penalty box. It is enforced when one of the two previously penalized players leaves the box.

delay of game

An infraction that covers several different offenses. The most common is when a player, most often the goalie, shoots or bats the puck out of the playing area. Other offenses include deliberately displacing a goal post from its normal position, freezing the puck against the boards or the net when not being checked, and obvious delays in substitution by a coach. The infraction generally incurs a two-minute minor, but it may result in a penalty shot if a goal post is intentionally displaced when an opposing player has a breakaway.

diamond

A defensive formation, used when a team is short-handed, in which the four remaining skaters form into a diamond arrangement.

double minor

In effect, a four-minute penalty imposed on a player, either for a serious infraction resulting in injury to an opponent or for two different infractions on the same play.

drop pass

A pass on which a player simply leaves the puck behind on the ice for a teammate to pick up.

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elbowing

Striking an opponent with the elbow; usually incurs a minor penalty.

empty net

A net that's unprotected, because the goalie is out of position or because he's off the ice in favor of an extra skater.

empty net goal

A goal scored when the net is not guarded by the goalie, usually because he's been pulled to get an extra skater on the ice.

endboards

A section of the boards at an end of the rink.

enforcer

A player whose primary job is to protect teammates by retaliating against any opposing player guilty of excessive roughness.

extra skater

A player, usually a forward, who is on the ice to replace the goalie, either during a delayed penalty or when a team desperately needs a goal late in the game.

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faceoff

The method of starting play at the beginning of a period or of restarting after play has been stopped for any reason. Two opposing players stand a stick-length apart with their stick blades flat on the ice and a referee or linesman drops the puck between them. Other players must remain outside the faceoff circle or at least 15 feet away if the faceoff is at a spot that's not in a circle.

faceoff circle

There are five faceoff circles, each 30 feet in diameter, one at the center of the rink and two in each end of the rink.

faceoff spot

In addition to the faceoff spots located in the center of each faceoff circle, there are four faceoff spots in the neutral zone, located directly in line with the faceoff spots in the end faceoff circles and 2 feet from the blue lines.

falling on the puck

An infraction, incurring a minor penalty, that occurs when a player other than a goalie deliberately falls on the puck, gathers the puck under his body while lying on the ice, or closes his hand on the puck.

fan

To miss the puck completely when attempting a shot or pass.

feed

To make a pass that sets a teammate up for a shot.

fighting

An infraction that incurs a major penalty. It's called when two or more players drop their sticks and gloves and begin fighting. A player judged to be the instigator may get a game misconduct penalty.

five hole

The opening between a goalie's leg pads.

flat pass

A pass that slides along the ice.

flip pass

A pass on which a player lifts the puck off the ice with a quick wrist snap, usually to clear an opponent's stick.

flip shot

A shot that's similar to a flip pass, except that it's directed on goal.

forecheck

To check members of the opposing team in their own defensive zone, both to slow down their attack and to attempt to regain control of the puck.

forehand

A shot or pass made from the same side of the body as the stick hand.

forward

One of the three players who make up a team's forward line: the center and the right and left wings.

forward line

The three forwards as a unit.

freeze the puck

To hold the puck against the boards or the back of the net with the skate or stick, in order to stop play and gain a faceoff. If a player freezes the puck when no opponent is trying to gain control of it, it's delay of game.

full strength

Descriptive of a team that has its full complement of six players on the ice.

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game

A hockey game is made up of three periods of 20 minutes each. There are various methods of dealing with a tie after the regulation game has ended, depending the level of play and the importance of the game in question. See overtime; penalty shootout.

game misconduct

A penalty on which a player is ejected for the rest of the game, assessed for a serious violation such as instigating a fight, continuing a fight after being separated by a linesman, or being the third party to join in a fight. The team doesn't have to play short-handed. Compare match penalty.

game timekeeper

An official who is responsible for everything involved in timing the game: operating the scoreboard clock, sounding the buzzer that indicates the end of a period, and announcing, after 19 minutes have passed, that one minute remains in the period, among others tasks.

give-and-go

A play on which a player passes to a teammate, then skates past him, ready for a quick return pass.

glass

The plexiglas sheet on top of the boards, which protects spectators and players on the bench from the puck.

glove hand

The hand on which the goaltender wears the catching glove.

glove save

A save made with the catching glove.

glove side

The side on which the goaltender wears the catching glove; the opposite of stick side.

goal

1) A score, worth one point, that is made when the puck goes entirely across the opposition's goal line, between the goal posts. 2) Short for goal cage.

goal cage

The target for scorers, it's a tubular metal frame, 6 feet wide by 4 feet high, made up a crossbar and two goal posts, to which a net is attached. The goalposts rest on the goal line.

goal crease

An area in front of the goal cage. In the National Hockey League, the crease is a rectangle 8 feet wide and 4 ½ feet long, surmounted by the arc of a circle that extends a further 1 ½ feet at its height. Attacking players are not allowed to interfere with the goaltender in the crease, although incidental contact is now allowed.

goal judge

One of two officials who are responsible for determining whether the puck has passed between the goal posts and completely across the goal line, the two requirements for a legal goal. The judge sits in a cage behind the goal cage and turns on a red light to signify that a goal has been scored. However, the referee can overrule the goal judge.

goal light

See red light.

goal line

A red line, 2 inches wide, that connects the goal posts and extends to the sideboards in both directions.

goal mouth

The opening at the front of the goal cage formed by the goal posts and the crossbar, plus the ice area immediately in front of that opening.

goal post

One of the two vertical metal bars that, with the crossbar, frame the goal cage.

goalie

The goaltender.

goals against

The total number of goals given up by a goaltender or a team within a given period of time.

goals against average

The average number of goals given up per 60-minute game by a goaltender or a team within a given period of time. The average is computed by dividing goals against by minutes played and multiplying the result by 60.

goaltender

The defensive player normally stationed directly in front of the goal cage, whose primary job is to prevent goals by the other team. The goaltender wears special protective equipment and is given some special protection by the rules, while he is in the goal crease. If assessed a minor, major, or misconduct penalty, the goaltender remains in the game while another player goes to the penalty box in his stead.

goon

A player who is better known for roughness and fighting than for skillful play.

green light

A light behind the goal cage, next to the red light, that goes on when time has expired in a period. When that green light goes on, the red light is locked out, so the goal judge can't indicate a goal if it comes immediately after the period ends.

gross misconduct

A kind of all-purpose category for extreme misbehavior by a player, coach, manager, or trainer. The penalty is suspension for the rest of the game and an automatic fine in the National Hockey League.

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hand pass

The act of batting, deflecting, or throwing the puck toward a teammate, resulting in stoppage of a play and a faceoff at the spot. A player is allowed to stop or bat the puck with a hand, provided it isn't deliberately directed at a teammate.

hat trick

The feat of scoring three or more goals in a game.

head man

To pass the puck ahead to a teammate, especially on a rush; as in, "Jagr head mans the puck to Gretzky."

heel

The section of a hockey stick where the blade is attached to the shaft.

high stick

A stick carried with the blade above shoulder level. A goal cannot be scored with a high stick. See also the following entry.

high-sticking

Checking or menacing an opponent while carrying a high stick. Usually incurs a minor penalty, but a major penalty if the opponent is injured or blood is drawn.

hip check

A check on which the defensive player bumps the opponent with the hip. As a verb, to execute such a check.

holding

Grabbing and holding onto an opponent or the opponent's stick; incurs a minor penalty.

hook check

A check on which the stick is laid on the ice in front of the puck to trap it, often from beside or behind the opponent. As a verb, to execute such a check.

hooking

Using the stick to hold an opponent; usually incurs a minor penalty.

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ice time

The amount of time that the player is on the ice during a game when the clock is running.

icing

Shooting or directing the puck from behind the red line (in the NHL) or from the defensive zone (in amateur hockey) so that it crosses the opposition's goal line and is first touched by an opposing player other than the goaltender. Play resumes with a faceoff in the offending team's defensive zone. It is not icing if the puck passes through the goal crease or if the team is short-handed.

in the net

Said of the goalie, as in, "Dominik Hasek is in the net tonight."

interference

Checking or otherwise impeding the motion of an opponent who is not in possession of or contention for the puck, except immediately after the opponent has taken a shot or made a pass. Incurs a minor penalty.

intermission

A fifteen-minute recess between periods.

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kick save

A save on which the goalie uses his skate or extended leg to stop or deflect the puck.

kill a penalty

To prevent the opposition from scoring a goal on the power play.

kneeing

Using the knee to strike an opponent; usually incurs a minor penalty.

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lead pass

A pass sent ahead of a moving teammate.

left wing

The forward who lines up and operates primarily on the left side of the ice, usually a left-handed shooter.

line

A group of forwards who usually play together for a team because their skills complement one another.

line change

The substitition of one entire line for another, usually done every couple of minutes or even more often to keep rested players on the ice. See also change on the fly.

linesman

One of the two officials primarily responsible for calling icing and offside violations. The linesmen also conduct most faceoffs, separate fighting players, and may inform the referee of fouls, but they cannot themselves call penalties.

loose puck

The puck when it is not being controlled by either team.

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major penalty

A five-minute penalty imposed for serious infractions, such as fighting and spearing, and for lesser infractions that cause injury and/or draw blood. The penalized player must serve all five minutes in the penalty box, even if the opposing team scores.

man advantage

The situation in which a team has one more player on the ice than the opposition. See also power play.

match

A hockey game.

match penalty

The equivalent of a major penalty plus a game misconduct penalty. The guilty player is suspended for the remainder of the game, another player goes to the penalty box for five minutes, and the team plays short-handed for that time. Compare game misconduct penalty.

minor penalty

The standard two-minute penalty assessed for most violations. The player goes to the penalty box for two minutes, but can return to the ice of the opponents score before the time is up.

minutes played

The units of measure for a player's ice time; used to compute a goaltender's goals against average and similar statistics.

misconduct penalty

A 10-minute penalty assessed for such infractions as abusive language toward an official or prolonged fighting. The team doesn't have to play short-handed. See also game misconduct penalty.

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net

The fabric netting attached to the goal cage to trap the puck when a goal is scored.

netminder

The goaltender.

neutral zone

The area contained between the blue lines.

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offensive zone

The attacking zone.

official scorer

An official who keeps a record of the game, including goals scored and the time of each score, players credited with goals and assists, and substitutions.

offside pass

See two-line pass.

offside

A violation committed when a player is already in the attacking zone, with both skates entirely across the blue line, when the puck crosses the blue line into that zone. Play stops and a faceoff is held in the neutral zone. Also offsides. See also delayed offside; two-line pass.

off wing

A wing who is on the side opposite that on which he usually plays, or shoots from the "wrong side" for his position; e.g., a left wing stationed on the right wing or a right-handed shooter playing left wing.

officials

There are as many as eight officials working a hockey game: one referee and two linesmen, known as on-ice officials, plus two goal judges, a game timekeeper, a penalty time keeper, and an official scorer, who are known as off-ice officials.

on the fly

See change on the fly.

one-man advantage

See man advantage.

one man back

Descriptive of the situation in which a team has only one defenseman between the goaltender and the attackers, usually because the other defenseman has been caught up ice.

one-timer

A shot on which a the puck is fired as soon as the player receives it, without stopping it.

open ice

An area of the rink that is free of opponents.

overtime

An extra period of play to break a tie. In most amateur hockey, there is one 10-minute sudden-death overtime period, followed by a penalty shootout if the score remains tied. In its regular season, the National Hockey League plays only one 5-minute sudden-death overtime, with the game concluding as a tie if there is no score. During the Stanley Cup playoffs, the NHL plays successive 20-minute sudden-death overtimes until a goal is scored. See penalty shootout; sudden-death overtime.

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pad save

A save on which the goalie uses a leg pad to stop or deflect the puck.

pass-out

A pass made by an attacking player from behind the opponent's goal line to a teammate in front of the net.

penalty

A punishment levied against a player, coach, or team official for a rules violation. See bench minor penalty; game misconduct penalty; major penalty; match penalty; minor penalty; misconduct penalty.

penalty box

An area containing a bench, just off the ice and behind the sideboards, where players serve penalty time. There are two penalty boxes, one for each team.

penalty killer

One of the players on the ice to prevent a power play goal by the opposition. Penalty killers are usually good at backchecking and puck-handling.

penalty minutes

A statistic that shows the amount of penalty time accumulated by a player or team.

penalty shootout

A method of deciding a winner, in amateur hockey, if the score is still tied after one overtime period. Each team designates five shooters and a goalie, and the teams alternate penalty shots, with a different shooter each time. If the score remains tied after each team has taken five shots, five new shooters are designated and the shootout continues until one shooter scores and his counterpart on the other team fails to score.

penalty shot

A shot on goal, with only the goaltender defending, awarded for certain infractions. The player taking the shot is given the puck at the center ice spot and must keep the puck moving forward once across the blue line. Once the shot is taken, the play is over; a goal can't be scored on a rebound. If a penalty shot is awarded to a player who was interfered with or otherwise fouled on a breakaway, that player takes the shot. In other cases, such as when a defensive player other than the goaltender falls on a puck in the goal crease, the team captain selects a player from among those on the ice to take the penalty shot.

penalty timekeeper

An official who sits between the two penalty boxes and is responsible for recording and timing every penalty.

period

One of the three 20-minute playing segments of play in a regulation hockey game, or an overtime playing segment.

pipe

A goal post.

point

1) A goal or an assist credited to a player. 2) A unit used to determine league standings, in which a team is given 2 points for a win and 1 point for a tie or overtime loss. 3) An area near the boards and just inside the opposition's blue line, where a defenseman is normally stationed when his team has control of the puck in the attacking zone.

poke check

A stick check on which the player jabs his stick blade at the puck or an opponent's stick to dislodge the puck.

policeman

An enforcer.

post

Short for goal post.

power play

The situation in which a team has more players on the ice than the opposition because one or more opposing players are in the penalty box.

power play goal

A goal scored by a team on the power play. Compare short-handed goal.

puck

A black disc made of vulcanized rubber, 1 inch thick and 3 inches in diameter, weighing between 5 1/2 and 6 ounces.

puck-handler

The player currently in possession of the puck.

pull the goalie

To remove the goaltender from the ice and replace him with a forward to gain more attacking power. The goalie is pulled when there's a delayed penalty on the opposition or when a team needs to score in the closing minutes of a game.

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rag the puck

To retain control of the puck, without attempting to score, for a considerable period of time, usually through clever stickhandling; a tactic used to kill time while a team is short-handed or when it holds a lead with not much time left in the game.

rebound

A loose puck that has bounced off the goaltender, the crossbar, or a goal post after a shot.

red light

A light behind the goal cage, next to the green light, that is turned on by the goal judge to indicate that a goal has been scored.

red line

A line, 12 inches wide, that extends across the ice midway between the goal lines. Also known as the center line.

referee

The chief official in a hockey game, who calls most of the serious infractions and assesses penalties.

referee's crease

A semi-circle with a 10-foot radius, marked in red, in front of the penalty timekeeper. When the referee is reporting penalties, no player is allowed to enter this area.

restraining circle

A faceoff circle.

right wing

The forward who lines up and operates primarily on the right side of the ice, usually a right-handed shooter.

rink

The playing area for hockey, an ice surface in the shape of a rectangle with round corners, 200 feet long and usually 85 feet wide in North America but 100 feet wide in international play.

roughing

An act of excessive roughness against an opponent, often rather minor violence that stops short of fighting; incurs a minor penalty.

rush

A rapid movement of the puck, by one or more players, into the attacking zone and toward the opposition's goal cage. As a verb, to make a rush.

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save

The act, by a goaltender, in deflecting or stopping a shot on goal. As a verb, to make a save.

scramble

A battle among several players for possession of the puck.

screen

To take a position between the goaltender and a teammate who controls the puck.

screen shot

A shot taken when the goaltender's line of sight is blocked by players of either team in front of the net.

shadow

To cover an opponent, one on one, everywhere on the ice. As a noun, a player assigned to shadow a specific opponent.

short-handed

Descriptive of a team that has fewer players on the ice than the opposition because of a penalty or penalties. See also power play.

short-handed goal

A goal scored by a player whose team is short-handed. See also power play goal.

short side

The side of the goal cage where the goaltender is playing; so called because there's a smaller area to shoot at on that side.

shot on goal

A shot that goes in the net or would have gone in the net if it hadn't been blocked or deflected by the goalie or another defensive player.

shut out

To hold the opposition scoreless for an entire game or any specified period of time; e.g., "The Bruins shut out the Rangers for the last 18 minutes of the second period."

shutout

A game in which the opposing team is held scoreless.

sideboards

The section of the boards along the side of the rink, between the goal lines.

skater

Any player who is not a goaltender.

slap shot

A shot on which a player raises the stick in a full backswing and then drives through the puck with a strong follow through.

slashing

Swinging the stick at an opponent when it is below the shoulders, an infraction even if the swing misses its target. Usually incurs a minor penalty, but a major penalty if the opponent is injured.

slot

An area immediately in front of the goal and extending about 10 yards out, considered the best area from which to score a goal. The center usually tries to position himself in the slot when his team has control of the puck in the attacking zone.

smother the puck

To cover the puck with the hands or body. The goaltender is allowed to smother the puck in the goal crease when he's being challenged or checked by an opponent, but otherwise it's an illegal act that draws a minor penalty.

snap pass

A quick pass made with a snap of the wrists, similar to a wrist shot.

snap shot

See wrist shot.

spearing

Jabbing, or attempting to jab, a player's body with the point of the stick blade. Incurs a minor penalty if there's no contact, a major penalty plus a game misconduct penalty if there is contact, and a match penalty if the opponent is injured by the spearing.

split the defense

To skate between two defenders into or within the attacking zone.

stick

The hockey stick may be no more than 63 inches long from the heel to the end of the shaft. A skater's stick may be no more than 12 ½ inches long from the heel to the end of the blade. The blade of a skater's stick must be between 2 and 3 inches wide at every point, with a curvature of no more than ½ inch, measured from a straight line drawn between the heel and the end of the blade. The goaltender's stick must be no more than 15½ inches long from the heel to the end of the blade, and the blade must be no more than 3 ½ inches wide except at the heel, where it must be no more than 4 ¼ inches wide.

stick check

Checking an opponent with the stick. See hook check; poke check; sweep check.

stick-handling

Carrying the puck on the stick while moving along the ice.

stick save

A save made with the goaltender's stick.

stick side

The side on which the goaltender holds the stick; the opposite of glove side.

stop

A save; as a verb, to make a save.

sudden-death overtime

An overtime period that ends, along with the game, as soon as goal is scored.

sweep check

A stick check on which the defender puts the shaft and blade flat on the ice and sweeps it along the surface to knock the puck away from an opponent.

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take the body

To body check an opponent.

third man in

A player who gets involved in a fight between two other players; draws a game misconduct penalty.

three-on-one

A rush on which there are three attackers to only one defenseman.

three-on-two

A rush on which there are three attackers against two defenseman.

time out

A 30-second stoppage of play during which a team and coach can discuss strategy. Each team is allowed one time out per game.

too many players on the ice

An infraction that draws a bench minor penalty. It most often occurs when a team is trying to change on the fly and one of the forwards is late coming off the ice.

trailer

A player who follows along behind a teammate who has the puck, ready to receive a drop pass or backward pass.

trap

A defense designed to slow down the opposition's offense by trapping the puck in the neutral zone, then regaining control of it.

triangle

The defensive alignment generally used when a team is two players short because of penalties. The three remaining players form a triangle, with one of them near the top of the slot to cover the points, while the other two are near the goal cage.

tripping

Placing a stick or any part of the body in such a way as to cause an opponent to trip or fall, an infraction which incurs a minor penalty.

two-line pass

A pass that crosses two or more lines without being touched, a violation that results in a faceoff at the faceoff spot nearest the point where the pass originated.

two-man advantage

The situation in which a team has two more players on the ice than the opposition. See also man advantage; power play.

two-on-one

A rush on which there are two attackers to only one defenseman.

two-on-two

A rush on which there are two attackers confronting two defensive players.

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umbrella

A formation often used by a team on the power play to spread the defense; so named because it resembles the shape of an open umbrella.

up ice

In the direction of the team's attacking zone.See also caught up ice.

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waffle pad

A large rectangular pad on the front of the goaltender's stick hand.

washout

1. A goal that is disallowed for one of several reasons, such as the puck being kicked into the goal cage, or being batted in with a high stick, indicated by a signal from a linesman that is similar to baseball's "safe signal." 2. The same signal, indicating that no icing or offside violation is being called.

wing

One of the two forwards who flank the center and, with the center, make up a line. Also known as a winger or wingman. See also left wing; right wing.

winger

Same as wing.

wingman

Same as wing.

wrist shot

A quick shot made with a snap of the wrist, using little or no backswing. See also snap pass.

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Zamboni

The machine used to clean and resurface the ice between periods.

zone

One of three areas demarcated by the blue lines. See attacking zone; defensive zone; neutral zone.

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