# Hockey: Can Puck Leave the Ice? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 11, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072 "2010-03-11T03:20:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072/21 "2010-11-21T21:44:30Z")
ressercuting a dead topic is it actually a rule that players have to wear skates? ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072/22 "2010-11-21T21:47:57Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > ressercuting a dead topic > > is it actually a rule that players have to wear skates? I posited the idea that you could play in some form of shoe/cleat a few years back on hockeyfights. The general consensus appeared to be: a) Antonio, you’re a moron b) You’re on ice; skates are going to be way faster than shoes, even spikey cleats c) This falls into the Air Bud school of “There’s no rule against a dog in football.” Just because it’s not explicitly forbidden doesn’t mean they’d have to allow something that would ruin the play surface. d) Antonio, you’re a moron. Hope that helps! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072/23 "2010-11-21T21:54:46Z")
> [@Critical\_Mass](#): > > The puck can and does leave the ice surface regularly. Any part of the goal is fair game for goal scorers. > > However, there are some play stopping limitations related to flying pucks. Pucks leaving the playing surface (over the glass) cause a stoppage in play. If they are shot over the boards (intentionally or not) by a goalie trying to clear the puck from the defensive zone the goalie is penalized for delay of game. Goals do not count if the player bats it out of the air with his stick higher than the cross bar of the net (about mid chest level). Players may not advance the puck to a team mate if their stick is above their shoulders. Players may not advance the puck to a team mate using their hand, although a player may catch a flying puck in the air and direct it to their own stick (closing their hand on the puck is not permitted). Nitpick about hand passes: A player may pass the puck to a teammate if in their defensive zone. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072/24 "2010-11-21T22:23:10Z")
Many years ago, the newspaper showed a dotted line on a hockey arena. Two players smashed their sticks together and the puck went way up in the air, higher than the lights. No body knew where it went. It came down and landed on the goalies back and bounced into the net. The dotted line was the puck trajectory. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072/25 "2010-11-22T01:21:18Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Why not just get a Sumo wrestler? 😛 Not NEARLY big enough. Not even close. Hockey nets look small on TV but in person you’d be amazed how big a hockey net is. You, personally, stretching your arms out as wide as you can, cannot touch both posts at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072/26 "2010-11-22T02:49:07Z")
Speaking of nets, I’ll see you tomorrow Rick. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072/27 "2010-11-22T15:47:13Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Not NEARLY big enough. Not even close. > > Hockey nets look small on TV but in person you’d be amazed how big a hockey net is. You, personally, stretching your arms out as wide as you can, cannot touch both posts at the same time. Anyone over 6’ tall can probably reach both posts with arms stretched wide. Probably some 5’10 and 5’11" folks who can do that, too. Back to the issue: An incredibly large human can probably lay on their side and cover a huge portion of the net opening. They’d be terribly exposed (pads are limited in size – this was mentioned) and they’d still leave the top of the net open, especially the corners, which are easy to hit for a pro. So, the fat goalie would be hurt beyond imagination and/or scored on a lot. ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072/28 "2010-11-22T22:04:12Z")
Here’s a [take](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP8ZVWiZUMA) on the fat goalie concept from the show “Sports Science”. Pretty definitively shows that a fat goalie wouldn’t work in the NHL. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072/29 "2010-11-22T22:46:14Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Not NEARLY big enough. Not even close. > > Hockey nets look small on TV but in person you’d be amazed how big a hockey net is. You, personally, stretching your arms out as wide as you can, cannot touch both posts at the same time. This is why it is so important for a goalie’s defense to keep shots from developing in the slot area (in the rectangle in front of the net). If he has the angles working for him (i.e. shots from the sides), a solid NHL goaltender should stop them 99% of the time. The 6 feet of goal mouth he has to cover can effectively become 4 feet or so on a shot from one of the faceoff dots, which is a very big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072/30 "2010-11-23T01:45:21Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Not NEARLY big enough. Not even close. > > Hockey nets look small on TV but in person you’d be amazed how big a hockey net is. You, personally, stretching your arms out as wide as you can, cannot touch both posts at the same time. No shit. Although Marty Brodeur comes pretty close. 😉 I’m currently watching the Pens/Panthers game. Marc-Andre Fleury isn’t especially large (6.2, 180lbs), his strength lies in flexibility. (Aw FUCK!!!) ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072/31 "2010-11-23T04:24:48Z")
The limited pad size would be the killer for Mr. Gravitationally Challenged, in goal. There would be so much skin exposed, he’d be black and blue within minutes and probably have to be carted from the ice. It’d be fun to watch, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hockey-can-puck-leave-the-ice/532072.md?page=1)