Ice hockey uses a vulcanized rubber puck instead of a ball, which is easier to control on the ice. The puck evolved from a ball, and is typically black, weighs six ounces, and can be propelled at 100 mph. Safety equipment is necessary, and variations of the puck exist for street and roller hockey.
Unlike many sports popular today, ice hockey does not include the use of a ball. Instead, the sport uses a hockey puck, which is a vulcanized rubber puck that players send across the ice using hockey sticks. The puck is used similarly to balls in other sports, but because ice hockey is played on ice, the shape of the hockey puck makes movement across the smooth surface of the ice easier to control than that of a ball. A hockey puck is typically about three inches in diameter and is almost always black, except in the case of practice pucks and special novelty pucks.
The hockey puck evolved from a ball, but early players discovered that the shape of the ball made the bounces unpredictable. Because the ball was too active on the surfaces they were playing on, players began trimming the top and bottom of the ball to reduce the bounce. As the game progressed, the hockey puck was born. To further discourage an overactive rebound during games, pucks today are often frozen for several hours before the game is played.
A hockey puck typically weighs about six ounces, although other weights are available. A training disc can be a few grams lighter to discourage injuries during workouts. Due to the shape and weight of the puck, players can propel the puck with their stick upwards at one hundred miles per hour (about 160 km/h). This has led to the development of safety equipment for use in ice hockey, most notably the helmet, which protects players from head injuries and, in many cases, facial injuries. Goalkeepers wear special protective masks that cover the head, ears, face, chin and neck.
There are also variations of the common ice hockey puck. For example, street hockey – hockey played on the sidewalk – employs the use of a puck that has smooth balls embedded in the base of the puck to aid in rolling over the rough surface, or small ribs or vents to aid in movement. These are often made from plastic rather than rubber. Roller hockey pucks also feature spinning balls on the base of the puck, but are typically similar in weight to a regular ice hockey puck.
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