The wiki for all ice sports

Ice sports encyclopedia

Rules, history, technology and terminology: from icing and offside to the axel and lutz to pebbling in curling. Clearly explained, backed by sources.

Entries: 102
Sports: 13
Reading: 342 min

Sports

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DEL: Deutsche Eishockey LigaThe Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) has been the top tier of German ice hockey since 1994. After the regular season, pre-playoffs and best-of-seven playoffs decide the German champion.League & competition · 3 min
Figure skating jumps: Axel, Lutz, flip & co.Figure skating has six basic jumps: toe loop, Salchow, loop, flip, Lutz and Axel. They differ in the take-off – whether with the help of the toe pick (toe jump) or from the edge (edge jump). The landing is almost always backwards on the right foot (for anticlockwise rotators).Term · 4 min
Ice preparation & ice resurfacer (Zamboni)The ice resurfacer shaves a thin layer off the ice, collects the resulting snow, cleans the surface and lays down a thin film of warm water that freezes into a smooth new layer of ice. Frank Zamboni built the first such machine in California in 1949.Background · 3 min
IcingIcing occurs when a team shoots the puck from its own half over the opposing goal line and nobody touches it. Play is stopped, and the faceoff follows in the offending team's defensive zone.Term · 3 min
Making ice & ice temperature by sportArtificial ice is made by applying water in many thin layers to a chilled concrete slab containing cooling pipes. The finished ice is usually only a few centimetres thick. The ice is tempered differently depending on the sport: colder and harder for ice hockey and speed skating, slightly warmer and softer for figure skating.Background · 3 min
Natural ice vs. artificial iceNatural ice forms through frost without technology, for example on lakes or flooded areas. Artificial ice is produced by refrigeration plants that cool pipes beneath the ice surface. Artificial ice is predictable and even; natural ice depends on the weather but offers special experiences.Background · 4 min
NHL (National Hockey League)The NHL (National Hockey League) is the strongest ice hockey league in the world. It was founded in 1917, has 32 teams from the USA and Canada and awards the Stanley Cup every year, the oldest trophy in North American professional sport.League & competition · 5 min
Offside in ice hockeyIn ice hockey, an attacker is offside if both skates cross the blue line into the attacking zone before the puck has completely crossed that line. Play resumes with a faceoff in the neutral zone.Term · 3 min
Pebbling: why curling ice is bumpyPebbling is the spraying of fine water droplets onto curling ice. The droplets freeze into tiny bumps, the "pebble". The stone rests only on these tips, so it glides further and runs its typical curve.Term · 3 min
Power play and penalty killing in ice hockeyA power play means a man advantage: one team has more players on the ice because an opponent is serving a time penalty. The shorthanded team tries to get through the penalty without conceding (penalty killing).Term · 3 min
Puck: dimensions, material and why it is frozenThe puck is the hard rubber disc used in ice hockey: 2.54 cm thick, 7.62 cm in diameter and weighing 156 to 170 grams. It is frozen before the game, because frozen rubber bounces less and glides more evenly over the ice.Term · 3 min
Shootout in ice hockeyThe shootout decides an ice hockey game if the score is still tied after regulation and overtime. Shooters take turns skating alone towards the goaltender. The result then shows "SO" (after shootout).Term · 3 min
Zamboni: history of the ice resurfacerThe Zamboni is the best-known ice resurfacer in the world. It was invented by Californian Frank J. Zamboni, who built a first working model for his own rink in 1949. Today the brand name stands worldwide for the machine that smooths the ice during breaks.Background · 3 min

Did you know?

Bandy
A bandy field is about the size of a football pitch. That is why bandy is often played on the same ice surfaces used for speed skating.
More: Bandy →
Bobsleigh
The Olympia Bob Run in St. Moritz is rebuilt from natural ice every winter. It is the last natural-ice track on the World Cup circuit.
More: Bobsleigh →
Broomball
Broomball sticks got their name for a reason: originally the game was played with real, taped-up brooms.
More: Broomball →
Curling
Most competition curling stones are made from granite from Ailsa Craig, a small uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland.
More: Curling →
Curling
Without pebble, a curling stone would practically stick to smooth ice and stop after a few metres. Only the tiny ice bumps make the game possible.
More: Pebbling: why curling ice is bumpy →
Eis & Technik
The ice in an ice hockey arena is usually only a few centimetres thick. Underneath are pipes through which a coolant is pumped.
More: Ice & technology →

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Nutrition in ice sports

Ice sports place special demands on eating and drinking: short, hard efforts, long competition days and cold rinks where thirst kicks in later. Here you will find the basics, a game-day planner and answers to common myths.

To the overview Open matchday planner