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Fighting has been a part of ice hockey since the sport's rise in popularity in 19th century Canada. [1] There are a number of theories behind the integration of fighting into the game; the most common is that the relative lack of rules in the early history of hockey encouraged physical intimidation and control. [1]
The National Hockey League rules are the rules governing the play of the National Hockey League (NHL), a professional ice hockey organization. Infractions of the rules, such as offside and icing , lead to a stoppage of play and subsequent face-offs , while more serious infractions lead to penalties being assessed to the offending team.
The rules define the size of the hockey rink where a game is played, the playing and safety equipment, the game definition, including time of play and whether tie-breaking methods are used and the actual playing rules themselves. The IIHF rule book is used in both amateur and professional leagues worldwide.
In ice hockey, a play is offside if a player on the attacking team does not control the puck and is in the offensive zone when a different attacking player causes the puck to enter the offensive zone, until either the puck or all attacking players leave the offensive zone. Simply put, the puck must enter the attacking zone before attacking players.
Fighting, or fisticuffs, is also penalized but is considered by many hockey enthusiasts, particularly in North America, to be quite distinct from stick-swinging or other violent acts. They regard fighting as an entrenched, acceptable and integral part of the game. On the ice, referees may impose penalties for prohibited activities.
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Fighting skills can allow insufficiently talented or smaller players to play in leagues where their hockey skills alone would not have otherwise granted them admission. [2] Enforcers sometimes take boxing lessons to improve their fighting. [2] Some players combine aspects of the enforcer role with strong play in other areas of the game.
Some intramural university leagues do not permit body checking, in order to avoid injury and incidents of fighting. "Leaning" against opponents is an alternative to body checking but can be penalized for holding if abused. Many studies have been done regarding injuries in hockey that have caused stricter rule enforcement in the 2010s.