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How do hockey players know when to sub out?

Author

William Rodriguez

Published Jan 23, 2026

The lines should be set and known before they get on the ice. The coach will have to do some shuffling during a game if a player becomes unavailable. But otherwise they can just call out a line and the players know who is expected. During play, the coach will tell the bench which line should be ready to go out next.

How do hockey substitutions work?

Players can be substituted at any time during a hockey game as long as the player coming off the ice is within 5ft of the player bench. A minor penalty, called too many men on the ice, is given to any substitute who comes onto the ice before the player they are replacing comes within 5ft of the bench.

Why do hockey players switch out so much?

The primary and overlying reason for short shifts is the short bursts of energy that the players must exert once they hit the ice. Hockey is a high energy and high-intensity sport that requires you to skate hard and fast while also fighting for the puck or protecting the puck from getting to your team's net.

How do they track ice time in hockey?

There are 14 antennas placed around the arena. There's a sensor in the shoulder pads being tracked 200 times per second, and a sensor inside the puck that can be tracked 2,000 times per second.

How do hockey players change lines?

To start a line change, Evans says, the head coach will call out the center's name, and that line will race onto the ice as the other comes off — NHL rules allow for a small overlap of players near the bench. Most teams, including the Kings and Ducks, use four front lines of two wingers and a center.

45 related questions found

Why are there so many subs in hockey?

The theory is that after 45 seconds or so, the human body simply isn't able to handle to speed and tenacity required to play at the highest level. As a result, a substitution can be made either on the fly or during a stoppage in play.

How long is a hockey players shift?

On average a player's shift in hockey is 47 seconds on the ice. There are differences amongst defensemen and forwards, as a defensemen will take a slightly longer shift at avg. 48.6 seconds versus a forward who takes an avg. 46-second shift.

How do NHL players know when to get off the ice?

Hockey players know when to change based on a number of factors including the length of their shift, changing as a unit with your line mates, strategic matchups against your opponent, and only changing when it will not cause a scoring chance against.

Do NHL players wear tracking devices?

The NHL is using real-time tracking technology in pucks and on the back of players' jerseys, shooting to generate more data for teams, broadcasters, fans and gamblers.

Do NHL players wear trackers?

The NHL Puck and Player Tracking technology will include 14-16 antennae installed in the arena rafters; four cameras to support the tracking functionality; one sensor placed on the shoulder pads of every player on each team; and 40 pucks manufactured with a sensor inside for each game.

Is there a mercy rule in NHL?

The mercy rule is most common in games such as baseball or softball, where there is no game clock and play could theoretically continue forever, although it is also used in sports such as hockey and American football.

How often do hockey players switch out?

In hockey, players can change lines during stoppages in play or “on the fly” – during game action. In the NHL, today's players take approximately 45 second shifts to maximize their effort in short periods of time. Recreational players usually take 1 to 2 minute shifts.

Why do hockey players get tired so fast?

That's ice hockey in a nutshell. A blazingly fast sport which taxes the aerobic and anaerobic systems to the limit and beyond, ice hockey is a relentless grind in the guise of a pleasant skating sport. One of the primary causes of fatigue in sports is the incessant pounding of the legs on hard ground.

What is the 5th line in hockey?

What does the 5th line refer to in hockey? The 5th line is an expression referring to the fans of the home team. Fans can affect the game by cheering on and motivating their team or sabotage the opposing team by getting into their heads. This concept is why home ice is so coveted in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

What deems a puck being called out of bounds?

(a) Anytime the puck goes outside the playing area, strikes any obstacles above the playing surface other than boards, or shielding, or becomes unplayable due to a defect in the playing rink, play shall be stopped and a last play face-off conducted.

What is hockey lingo?

Lettuce: hair, on the head and the face. Light the Lamp: scoring a goal — a red light goes off behind the net when a team scores a goal. Lip lettuce: a mustache. Muffin: a shot that should have been stopped after wavering back and forth in the air all the way to the net.

Do NHL hockey pucks have chips in them?

The league released a statement on Jan. 19 outlining its decision to recall pucks with embedded tracking-chip technology. This is the first complete season of puck tracking for the NHL, which hopes to supply more data to player performance, such as player skating speed and puck possession time.

Are NHL pucks chipped?

In the meantime, beginning with Tuesday's games, the NHL will revert back to using pucks from the 2019-20 season without tracking chips.

Are there chips in NHL jerseys?

Microchips to be placed on player jerseys and inside game pucks. Puck and player tracking is coming to the NHL next season. Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the long-expected news Friday during all-star weekend in San Jose.

Why do hockey players leave their sticks on the ice?

Hockey is a rough contact sport so it is quite common for a player to lose his stick in the normal course of play. If a player accidentally drops his stick, he is allowed to go pick it up because it has not broken – he just dropped it!

How do NHL coaches call line changes?

"Change" and "Change-it-up" are the typical call to change lines. A coach may tap your head/helmet and tell you to go out there for so-and-so. It's hard to explain, but it's not that confusing when you're doing it.... most of the time :D.

What is a checking line in hockey?

The third line is often called the checking line, and is generally made up of more defensively oriented forwards and grinders. This line is often played against an opponent's first or second lines in an effort to reduce their scoring, and physically wear them down.

What age do hockey players retire?

The average retirement age for hockey players is between 28 and 30 years old. In recent years retirement has moved forwards, thanks to the better conditioning that allows players to play at an older age. The age of retirement also depends on the player's position in hockey.

What is the longest NHL shift?

Alexei Kovalev confronts Mike Keenan over infamous seven minute shift. Former NHL star Alexei Kovalev was a skilled offensive talent, who often took extremely long shifts. On one occasion in 1994, he took a shift for 65 seconds, which angered his head coach Mike Keenan because it was too long.

What is the average ice time for NHL player?

Usually, out of the 60 minutes, average players get around 22-24 minuets per game while the best usually go for 28-30 minutes. In fact, the minutes per ice per game leader of the 13/14 regular season, Ryan Suter, went for just under 30 minutes per game.