Can Hockey Players Use Their Feet To Kick the Puck?

Many players are good at directing the puck with their feet to a teammate. Hockey players practice how to kick the puck as it is also a valuable skill in the game. Players can kick the puck in hockey, but not in a certain situation. 

Can hockey players use their feet at any time in the game? Hockey players are allowed to use their feet during a game. This might involve directing a pass to a teammate or deflecting the ball to the net. However, scoring with your feet is not allowed in hockey. 

This article will discuss everything you need to know about hockey players using their feet in a game. 

When Can Hockey Players Kick The Puck?

So, when can hockey players kick the puck? The answer is very simple. Hockey players cannot use their feet at all in the offensive zone or if they are on their knees. So, you can’t just stand up and kick it into the goal. You also can’t be on your knees and kick it past a defender. The game only allows players to deflect the puck into goal or pass to a teammate. 

What about using your feet to pass the puck? That’s legal, too. If you’re skating and want to pass, you can use any part of your body except your hands. But there is some exception to the handpass rule in hockey.

Why can’t you kick the puck in hockey?

The NHL rulebook defines the puck as being “the black disc that travels over the ice.” It also states that players can use any part of their body, aside from their hands, to play the puck. So, why can’t you kick the puck in hockey?

To answer that question, we need to understand exactly what it means to “play” the puck. That term is defined much more specific than simply kicking it in any way possible. To play the puck with your feet is a penalty in all levels of hockey. The exact wording is as follows:

“A player shall be permitted to stop or ‘bat’ a puck in the air with his open hand or push it along the ice with his hand, and he shall be permitted to use his skates in a limited manner. A player shall not kick nor throw his stick at a puck, nor should he hold his stick so that the blade interferes with the movement of a puck or an opponent’s stick and thereby prevent him from playing such puck.

“However, if he has deliberately directed or batted a high or rising shot towards an opponent and such opponent does not attempt to avoid being hit by blocking such shot with either body part (including a gloved hand). No penalty shall be assessed for playing another player with stick/glove.”

The rule above suggests that players cannot kick the puck in every situation. However, kicking the puck is permitted in some situations. 

Can hockey players use their skates to score?

Hockey players can’t use their feet to score a goal. However, they can deflect the puck into the net with their foot. They also use their skate to stop the puck from crossing the goal line.

The NHL rules state that “A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who uses a distinct kicking motion to propel the puck into the net, even if a defending player is checking him at or behind the moment of contact with the puck. If a defending player kicks out his leg in an attempt to stop or deflect a shot and accidentally deflects it into his net, this is still considered a good goal.”

What do hockey players do with their feet when they are out of the play?

You might not realize it at first, but hockey players use their feet during a hockey game. In fact, without their feet, there would be no game to speak of! Hockey players use their feet for two main reasons: to help them skate and to help with balance. What’s more, hockey players often use their feet to turn on the ice or to stop on the ice. 

Indeed, many NHL players can make quick changes in direction because of how they use their feet. If you’ve ever watched an NHL players speed down the ice and then suddenly come to a dead stop on his skates so that he can turn in a different direction, then you’ve seen just how important a player’s feet are when it comes to playing hockey!

Conclusion

As we have discussed, using your feet is not illegal. However, there are situations where players are not permitted to kick the puck. So, it is important to know that hockey players can use their feet to deflect a goal into the net and stop a goal from entering their goal line. Aside from these two situations, they cannot use their feet. 

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