In Hockey, why are there 3 periods instead of 4?

Question

In most sports there are 4 quarters, or 2 halfs of playing time with a short break inbetween. Why is it in hocky there is an odd number of periods of playing time (3) and not an even number?

I was just curious while I was watching a game. I'm not dogging the NHL or hockey in general . I'm trying to get back into hockey now that they are broadcasting more Blackhawks games on TV. So don't think I don't like the game.

Answer 1

Actually, only the sports you thought of have even numbers. I'm not so sure it is a huge majority of sports that do. Baseball has 9 innings, UFC has 3 rounds, boxing has 15 rounds....

I think you have partially hit it. Most sports have a short break in between. Part of it could be that in hockey they resurface the ice in between. 3 - 20 minute periods instead of 4 -15 minute quarters means you resurface twice instead of three times, one fewer long break. Similar if you did 2 half's that might be waiting too long to resurface, with players using a deteriorating surface. Just theories, 3 periods just seems to work. I could see why an even number works well for say football. Being a traditional outdoor sport, and changing ends, it gives each side an even chance in the elements. Especially wind, each team would play equal time against the wind.

Answer 2

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RE:
In Hockey, why are there 3 periods instead of 4?
In most sports there are 4 quarters, or 2 halfs of playing time with a short break inbetween. Why is it in hocky there is an odd number of periods of playing time (3) and not an even number?

Answer 3

At one time I believe hockey would have been played with two halfs as many of the early proponents came from a rugby background. Early hockey was not the fast moving game we know today-no forward passes, and if you needed some fresh ice you just played on a different part of the lake.

However when hockey moved indoors and sped up flooding the ice became necessary. Before the Zamboni that was a labour intensive procedure, so there was no way they would want to do it any more than necessary. Therefore 3 periods are ideal to have two floods so that the surface is always reasonable. Nowadays we have on ice entertaiment during the intermission after the flood is finished by two Zambonis. Back in the day it would have taken almost the whole intermission to flood the ice.

Answer 4

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Hi 1. I get the laptop set up next to the couch and get the pizza ordered. Log on and start chatting with my other hockey friends and do our own keys to the game. Pay for the pizza and grab two beers out of the fridge crack one and crack open the pizza box and check if it is cool enough to inhale. 2. I am required by work to always answer my phone. If it is nothing important though I do not pay any attention. 3. Due to time difference I have fallen asleep during many a games. Sorry but 9am on a weekend is way to early for me when the Tuna does not get home till 5am. If it is an evening game, well then im at work so no drinking and no sleeping. 4. Commercial is coming up, I can wait, I am a guy after all. 5. Eat all the steak meat out. Then take the veggies and put them in a wrapper with some ranch dressing and call it good. 6.I read summaries for almost every game and rather I watched it or not. I do not listen to sports radio due to time constraints. Thank You

Answer 5

It's simple. All the other sports are doing it wrong.
The ice doesn't need to be scraped every 15 minutes and wouldn't hold up well enough over 30 minutes. 20 is a much nicer number. Why would you consider an even number to be significant when the rest of the world is measured in three dimensional cubes? Why does a baseball game last 9 innings? Why is a basketball game only 48 minutes? What is the value of a twelve minute quarter in basketball? Why does football use time as a factor in a game where success is measured in distance?

Answer 6

This Question is a good mind boggler that may only be answered with theories. A search though history shows the new and infant NHL changed many rules in 1911 to include 3 zones and 3 periods of play. (And I thought it was always that way) The 3 zone rule seems to be a clear way to control the flow of the game, so I think the powers in charge were possibly thinking about flow and resting players as well as flooding or resurfacing the ice. (Zamboni wasn't around untill 1950 so they may have needed more time to resurface instead of one half time.)

Answer 7

Why does football have any breaks at all, other than to sell TV ads and drive up concession sales?

Studies show that the ball is in play only an average of 7 minutes in an NFL football game. And given that the offense and defense split that time, a player is only playing the game about three or four minutes a week. So it's not like they're getting tired out there.

Football doesn't need any breaks at all.

Answer 8

Because that's how it's always been.
It's benefits are 3 spurts of continuous action, with 2 breaks for players to get rested up.

But really, this is hard question to answer.
Why does football, basketball, or baseball do it the way they do?

Answer 9

If there were 4 periods the play would be too stop start and if there were any less the players would get too tired quickly.


So it is a balnce of a flowing game and letting the players "refuel".
hope this helps

Answer 10

that would mean 80 minutes of play. The amount of time that football players play with their 4 quarters is 60 miuntes and the amount of time hockey players play total is also 60. its the same.