The ice is made by spraying water over a concrete floor containing freezing pipes. A layer of ice, about a quarter of an inch thick, is then painted white. Once the ice is painted white, the lines and logos are then painted on and an additional three-quarters of an inch of ice is laid to coat the markings and bring the total thickness to about one inch.

BLUE LINES: The blue lines are primarily used to enforce the off-side rule, but also divide the ice into the defensive zone, the neutral zone and the offensive zone.
CENTER RED LINE: The red line is primarily used to enforce the icing rule, but also divides the ice into two equal halves.
RED GOAL LINE: The red goal line is used to enforce icing as well as to define a goal.
NEUTRAL ZONE: This is the central portion of the rink between the two blue lines.
DEFENSIVE ZONE: This is the area in which a team's own goal is located. It is the area from the end boards to the defensive blue line.
OFFENSIVE ZONE: This is the area in which the opponent's goal is located. It is the area from the offensive blue line to the end boards.
FACE-OFF CIRCLES/DOTS: This is the area where the puck is put into play with a face-off. There are five face-off circles and four face-off dots throughout the rink. The center ice circle is used at the start of each period and after each goal, while the other circles and dots are used more frequently and for various other reasons during the course of a game.
THE GOAL/NET: The goal/net extends vertically to a height of four feet above the surface of the ice and measures six feet wide. The vertical pipes are known as the goal posts and the horizontal pipe is known as the crossbar.
GOAL CREASE: The goal crease is the area immediately in front of the opening of the goal that is outlined by red semi-circular lines. It defines the playing area of the goaltender into which no offensive player may enter without the puck. Revised during the 99/00 season, the crease rule is now intended to implement a "no harm, no foul, no video review" standard. The rule is based on the premise that an attacking player's position, whether inside or outside the crease, should not, by itself, determine whether a goal should be allowed or disallowed.
THE PENALTY BOX: The penalty box is where a player will sit for a specified amount of time after having broken a rule. There is one box for each team and they are located on either side of the timekeeper's box immediately across the ice from the team benches.

OFFSIDES: When any member of the attacking team completely crosses the opponent's blue line before the puck. The puck must cross the line first! When off-side occurs, play is stopped and the puck is returned for a face-off to the face-off dot in the neutral zone on the side of the ice in which the infraction occurred.
DELAYED OFFSIDES: When a player enters the opposing team’s zone before the puck, offside is not called unless that player or one of his teammates touches the puck in the opposing team’s zone. Once all the attacking players are out of the zone the offside is nullified.
TWO-LINE PASS: Occurs when a player in his own defensive zone passes the puck (untouched) across the blue line and the center red line to another player on his team. When this occurs, play is stopped and the puck is returned for a face-off in the defensive zone where the pass was initiated.
ICING: The act of shooting the puck untouched from the defensive side of the red line (center ice) past the opponent's goal line (other than in the net) and then being touched first by the opposing team. When this occurs, play is stopped and the puck is returned to the other end of the ice to a face-off dot on the side of the ice in which the infraction occurred.
EXCEPTIONS TO THE ICING RULE
1. When a team is shorthanded because of a penalty.
2. When the referee decides that the opposing team could have played the puck.
3. When the puck goes through the goal crease.
4. When the opposing goalie touches the puck.

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THE TOOLS - THE PLAYERS - THE RINK