Brian Bahr/Allsport |
RULES
The biggest difference between NHL and Olympic hockey is the size of the rink. The larger Olympic surface (200x100 feet) puts a greater emphasis on skill and speed with less physical play. Beyond that, rules are virtually identical: Teams play five skaters and one goalie per side and the game is split into three 20-minute periods with two 15-minute intermissions. Minor penalties such as slashing, tripping and interference still are two minutes, while major penalties such as spearing are five minutes.
The top two teams from the eight-team preliminary round-robin advance to the eight-team round-robin championship round. Teams earn two points for a victory and one point for a tie. The top two teams in each group will advance to the medal round. In the event of a tie in the final points standings, preliminary- and championship-round rankings will be determined by the following criteria, which will be applied in the following order until the tie is broken:
1. Head-to-head results.
2. Goal differential.
3. Goal differential based on common opponents.
4. Goals scored.
5. If the two teams in question are playing each other, a 10-minute sudden death overtime will be played.
6. If a tie still exists, then a shooting competition is employed, which has thusfar never happened.
Round robin games can end in ties, but overtime is played in the medal round. In the quarterfinals and semifinals, games tied after 60 minutes of regulation play a 10-minute sudden-death OT followed by a five-player shootout. In the finals, the overtime period is 20 minutes, followed by a shootout.
The women's game varies only slightly: There is no body checking.
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