Ice hockey is played on a ice rink by six players per side, each on ice skates. The objective of the game is to score goals by playing a hard vulcanized rubber disc, the puck, into the opponent's goal net, which is placed at the opposite end of the rink.

The players may control the puck using a long stick with a blade that is commonly curved at one end. Players may also redirect the puck with any part of their bodies, subject to certain restrictions.

Ice Hockey	Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey	Ice Hockey

One of the six players is typically a goaltender, whose primary job is to stop the puck from entering the net, and who is permitted unique gear towards that end.

A typical ice hockey game having six players, have one goal-keeper and the other five players are divided into three forwards and two defensemen. The forward positions are named left wing, center and right wing. Forwards often play together as units or lines, with the same three forwards always playing together.

The defensemen usually stay together as a pair, but may change less frequently than the forwards. A substitution of an entire unit at once is called a line change. Substitutions are permitted at any time during the course of the game, although during a stoppage of play the home team is permitted the final change.

When players are substituted during play, it is called changing on the fly.