To a new hockey fan, the combinations of players and officials on the ice can be confusing. The confusion can be compounded by the rapid movement of the game and by line changes, which happen frequently and on the fly during a game. However, the configuration of the team is straightforward, as are the roles of the officials on the ice during the game.
During a hockey game, there are six men on the ice for each team: 3 forwards–a right wing, a left wing, and a center–two defensemen and the goalie. Forwards and defensemen play for shifts of 60 to 90 seconds at a time, with defensemen often playing slightly longer shifts than forwards. The total amount of time a player is actually on the ice during a game is listed in his stats as TOI, or Time on Ice. A high TOI statistic runs 20 minutes or more per game for star players.
The goalie, alone of the players, remains on the ice for the entire game, unless the coach decides to pull him and put in a backup due to injury or because the goalie is not performing well. The goalie does not even leave the ice if he commits a penalty. Instead, another member of the team is appointed to serve the time in the penalty box.
In addition to the players on the ice, there are also four officials: two linesmen and two referees. All four wear the traditional black-and-white striped uniform. The referees are distinguished from the linesmen by orange armbands.
Linesmen and referees have different duties. Referees are the senior officials, supervising all game play and acting as the arbiters of disputes. They call penalties, negotiate questionable goals or controversial calls, and make sure major infractions from any individual game are reported to officials higher up in the organization. (Major infractions are then evaluated for additional punishment such as fines and suspensions.) A referee also drops the puck for the faceoff at the beginning of the game and determines game stoppages, such as when the goalie stops the puck or a player is injured.
The main duty of the linesmen is to support the referees. They call rule infractions such as icing and offsides and drop the puck during faceoffs resulting from these infractions. They also break up fights during the game and can call game stoppages under certain circumstances. If a referee does not see a goal scored, the linesman can call the goal and stop play.
There are a few other officials on the ice as well, with very specific duties. A goal judge sits at each end. His job is to determine whether the puck passed between the goal pipes, and whether it passed completely over the goal line to constitute a goal. Official timekeepers and scorekeepers also participate, but are not generally seen on the ice.
SOURCES: The Concise Encyclopedia of Hockey, by M.R. Carroll
Hockey Rules in Pictures, an Official Publication of the National Hockey League
Hockey for Dummies, by John Davidson