Ice hockey is a fast-paced, hard-hitting game. Hockey players need to have a high degree of athleticism in order to keep up with the demands and length of a hockey game. The National Hockey League -- NHL -- along with many youth hockey organizations have implemented rules in order to help keep the game of hockey running smoothly. This includes game length.
Regulation
A regulation hockey game consists of three periods, each 20 minutes long. There are two 15-minute breaks between periods. These breaks are known as intermissions and give players a brief chance to return to the locker room and take a brief rest during a game. There also are television commercial breaks, which generally last a minute or two. Each team is also granted a 30-second timeout, which can be used at any time during the hockey game.
Overtime
Should 60 minutes of play result in a tie, the game is not over. There is one five-minute overtime period placed immediately at the end of the third period. There is no intermission, only a brief television timeout. During overtime, four on four hockey is played -- opposed to the traditional five on five. The first team to score wins.
Shootouts
If at the end of the overtime period, there is still no change in score, a shootout will occur, with individual players going one on one with the goalie in hopes of scoring a goal. A shootout is a test of three match. If there is still no score, shooters will continue to shoot until there is a score. A shootout may last a few minutes or longer.
Youth Hockey
Youth hockey regulations are different than those of the National Hockey League. According to USA Hockey, youth hockey games may last between 12 and 15 minutes per period. This largely depends on age and classification -- the skill level of the youth hockey players. Youth hockey also contains two 15-minute intermissions. Youth hockey teams generally play a 10-minute overtime period.
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