The rules of the hockey match has its own characteristics. They formed gradually, over the more than two hundred year history of this game, popular in many countries of the world.
From the history of ice hockey
Despite the fact that in the works of European medieval graphics and paintings there are repeatedly images in which people play a game we know well, Canada is considered to be the birthplace of hockey . The question of how long a hockey match lasted was of little concern to anyone at the dawn of this sport. People played hockey for their own pleasure and until they get bored. But historical sources brought to us the date of the first hockey competition, it took place on March 3, 1875 at the Victoria rink in Montreal. And with the start of official competitions, it began to matter how long a hockey match lasts. The first set of rules for playing hockey that came to us was established, adopted and printed in 1886. In the future, the hockey game quickly gained popularity and throughout the twentieth century spread throughout the northern hemisphere. Traditionally, two schools have developed in hockey - Canadian and European. And the competition between them contributed to the development of this sport. Hockey tournament has become one of the main points of the program of the Winter Olympic Games.
Hockey match duration
Meanwhile, the rules of the hockey match were not universal for various countries and parts of the world. In Europe and America at the beginning of the century, it was noticeably different. The duration of the hockey match was easy to determine if the game allowed a draw. In this case, the game consisted of three time periods lasting twenty minutes with two fifteen-minute breaks between them. Only pure playing time was taken into account, the time was counted by the stopwatch and stopped when the judge stopped the game for some reason.
Game to victory
But such a practice was not acceptable for large tournament competitions with a large number of participating teams. Drawless results of matches would lead to a drag on the competition indefinitely. In addition, the game began to lose its sharpness and dynamism. Therefore, the practice of hockey competitions around the world gradually came to the need to play for a specific result, revealing the winner in the match. A draw was no longer satisfactory for both spectators and competitors. Accordingly, the answer to the question of how long a hockey game lasts has lost its unambiguity. The match began to continue until the winner was revealed. At the heart of the regulation were all the same three periods of twenty minutes. But if they ended in a draw, then the teams began to be offered extra time. The extra period is called overtime. Its duration is ten minutes. It is played until the first abandoned puck. In order to sharpen the game, four players can be on the field on each side instead of five. This gives the game dynamism and changes the established tactical structure. According to the regulations of the Continental Hockey League, if the extra time did not reveal the winner, the teams continue to sort things out by throwing free kicks - shootouts. First, three from each team, and then to victory. And in this case, only on the final goal depends on how long the hockey match lasts. The shootouts look spectacular, but still in decisive matches it is customary to do without them.
Playoff tournaments
The game acquires special acuteness and expressiveness in the final stage of the Continental Hockey League Championship. This is a relegation game, the losing team is eliminated from participation in further competitions. Therefore, the answer to the question of how long a hockey match in the playoffs lasts is completely unpredictable. The situation is significantly complicated by the fact that in this part of the tournament the rules exclude free throws. If the extra time does not reveal the winner, then after the break one more overtime is appointed. Their number is not limited. The game will continue until victory. The price of one abandoned puck in the final part of each match can be very high. The game often takes on a sticky character and is delayed because of the fear of the players to make a mistake and give the opponent a chance at a decisive throw. That is why matches in the playoffs are so exhausting for both players and fans.
KHL record
The longest hockey match in the history of the Continental Hockey League took place on March 21, 2014 in Prague, in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. The game between the teams “Leo” and “Donbass” ended at the 127th minute with the victory of “Donbass”. The match ended in the seventh period with a score of 3: 4. This is the ultimate answer to the question of how many minutes a hockey match lasts. There is no doubt that this record will certainly be surpassed. But when this happens - one can only speculate.