The whole idea of hockey is to shoot the puck through your opponents’ goal and to prevent them from shooting it through yours.  In practice almost any number can play hockey and have plenty of exercise.  The less experienced players should when securing the puck always shoot it as quickly as possible to a more experienced player on their own side to attempt shooting the goal.  Skilful passing is the most important branch of hockey and consequently good team work is absolutely essential to success.

[Illustration:  The hockey player’s costume]

A regulation hockey team consist of seven players called goal, point, cover point, right centre, left centre, right wing, left wing.

The position of goal tender is the most difficult to acquire skill in.  He stands directly in front of the goal and is expected to stop the puck with hands, feet, and body.  While the position of goal does not involve much skating, a goal tender should also be a good skater.  His position requires more nerve and cool-headedness than any other position on the team because the final responsibility of all goals scored against his team is up to him.  His position is largely a defensive one and his work at times very severe.  The goal keeper must very rarely leave his position but must depend upon the two other defensive men the “point” and “cover point” to stop the puck when it away from the direct line of the goal.  The defensive men on a hockey team should not by any strategy or coaxing on the part of their opponents allow themselves to leave their own goal unprotected.

The forwards have most of the work of shooting goals and advancing the puck.  Of course such a man must be very active and a good all round player.  Hockey is a poor game in which to display grand-stand playing.  The player’s whole idea should be to shoot the puck so that either he or some member of his team may score a goal.

The rules of hockey are comparatively few and simple.  The game consists of two twenty-minute halves with a ten-minute intermission between.  In case of a tie at the end of a game it is customary to continue until one side secures a majority of the points.

A standard rink must be at least one hundred and twelve feet long by fifty-eight feet wide.  Nets are six feet wide and four feet high.

One of the most exciting of winter sports is skate sailing.  The same principles that are applied to sailing a boat are brought into play in sailing with skates.  While considerable skill is necessary to handle a skate sail well, any one who is a good skater will soon acquire it.  The direction that you go is determined by the angle at which the sail is held.  When you wish to turn around or stop you simply shift its position until you run dead into the wind.  A skate sail should be light and strong.  A limit of five pounds’ weight is all that is necessary.  The sail is a very simple device.  There are a great many kinds but one of the simplest is made from a T-shaped frame of bamboo with a V-shaped piece of canvas or balloon silk sewed or wired to the frame.  The best skate sails are made with a jointed frame like a fishing rod so that they may be taken apart and easily carried.