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Profile
Power play and penalty killing in ice hockey
- Sport
- Ice hockey
- German
- Überzahl
- Opposite
- Shorthanded / penalty killing
- Most common form
- 5-on-4
- Maximum
- 5-on-3
Man advantage through penalties
When a player in ice hockey commits a foul, they have to go to the penalty box for a certain time. During this time their team plays with one skater fewer: shorthanded. The opposing team has a power play.
- 5-on-4: the normal case with one penalty.
- 5-on-3: with two simultaneous penalties on one team. Fewer than three skaters are not allowed. Further penalties are "stacked" and only start when an earlier one has expired.
- 4-on-4 or 3-on-3: when both teams have penalties at the same time. This is not a power play, but it creates more space.
When does the power play end?
A minor penalty (2 minutes) ends early as soon as the team with the man advantage scores. With a double minor (2 + 2 minutes), a goal only ends the current part. Major penalties (5 minutes) are always served in full, no matter how many goals are scored.
Delayed penalty: the extra skater
If a team commits a foul while the opponent controls the puck, the referee raises an arm but doesn't blow the whistle yet. Play is only stopped when the offending team touches the puck. The disadvantaged team uses this phase and often pulls the goaltender to bring on an extra skater. There is hardly any risk: as soon as the opponent touches the puck, play is stopped anyway.
Penalty killing: surviving shorthanded
The shorthanded team usually defends in a compact box or diamond in front of its own goal. The aim is to block shooting lanes and get the puck out of the zone. When shorthanded, a long clearance is allowed: there is no [icing](/lexikon/ice-hockey/icing). A goal scored while shorthanded is called a shorthanded goal and is a special morale boost.
Power play tactics
Typical set-ups are the "umbrella" formation with one defender at the blue line or the "1-3-1" with a player in the slot. The aim is to shift the opponent with quick passing until a shooting lane opens. Specialised power play units consist of a team's most skilled players.
Statistics: power play and penalty kill percentages
Teams are often measured by two values in statistics:
- Power play percentage (PP%): share of power plays in which a goal is scored.
- Penalty kill percentage (PK%): share of shorthanded situations without conceding.
Together they describe the strength of the "special teams", which often make the difference in close games and especially in the playoffs.
Terms around man advantage and shorthanded play
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Power play (PP) | Man advantage |
| Penalty killing (PK) | Defending while shorthanded |
| Shorthanded goal (SHG) | Goal while shorthanded |
| Power play goal (PPG) | Goal on the power play |
| Delayed penalty | Penalty called with the referee's arm raised |
Frequently asked questions
+What is a power play in ice hockey?
A man-advantage situation: one team has more skaters on the ice because at least one opponent is serving a time penalty.
+Does a power play end after a goal?
For a minor penalty (2 minutes), yes – the penalised player may return. Major penalties (5 minutes), on the other hand, are served in full.
+What is a good power play percentage?
The percentage shows how many power plays lead to a goal. Values around 20 per cent are considered solid in professional leagues, and well above that strong.
Sources & further links
Editorially researched and checked against association and rulebook information. Found a mistake? Write to us via the Contact page.
Read more in the encyclopedia
Term
Icing
Icing 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
Offside in ice hockey
In 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.
Sport
Ice hockey
Ice hockey is a team sport on skates in which two teams, each with five skaters and a goaltender, try to put a hard rubber puck into the opposing goal with their sticks. Three periods of 20 minutes of effective playing time are played.
Term
Overtime in ice hockey
Overtime follows in ice hockey when a game is tied after 60 minutes. Sudden death applies: the first goal wins. In the regular season, a short 3-on-3 period is usually played; in the playoffs, full 20-minute periods.
Penalty kill
A penalty kill is the situation in which a team is short-handed while serving a penalty.