Three zones and five lines
All three rulebooks read for this site describe the ice the same way. A red goal line crosses the rink near each end. Two blue lines divide the ice between the goal lines into three zones, and a red centre line runs across the middle. From a team's point of view, the zone with its own goal is its defending zone, the middle is the neutral zone and the far end is its attacking zone (IIHF Rule 1.6, NHL Rule 1.6, Hockey Canada Rule 1.3(d)). The blue lines are what offside is judged against, and the centre red line decides icing.
IIHF: Official Rule Book 2026/27
| Feature | IIHF rule |
|---|---|
| Rink size (Rule 1.2) | 60 m long, 26 m to 30 m wide, corners rounded to a radius of 7.0 m to 8.5 m; any other size at an IIHF competition needs IIHF approval |
| Boards (Rule 1.3) | Ideal height 1.07 m; ice and boards white except a light-yellow kick plate |
| Glass (Rule 1.3) | 2.4 m above the boards behind each goal, running at least 4.0 m from the goal line toward the blue line; 1.8 m along the sides, except in front of the players' benches |
| Goal lines (Rule 1.5) | Red, 5 cm wide, 4.0 m from each end of the ice |
| Blue lines and centre line (Rule 1.5) | 30 cm wide each |
| Goal (Rule 2.1) | Posts 1.22 m high and 1.83 m apart inside, joined by a crossbar, painted red, held by flexible pegs so the net comes loose on heavy contact |
| Goal crease (Rule 1.7) | Marked by a red line, which counts as part of the crease; the crease extends upward to the top of the crossbar |
| Trapezoid (Rule 1.8) | Behind each goal, 6.80 m wide along the goal line and 8.60 m along the end boards |
| Faceoff spots (Rule 1.9) | Blue centre spot, 30 cm, inside a blue circle of 4.50 m radius; four red neutral-zone spots, 60 cm, 1.50 m from each blue line and 14.0 m apart; four red end-zone spots, 60 cm, inside circles of 4.50 m radius with hash marks and L-shaped lines |
| Officials' crease (Rule 1.7) | A semicircle of 3.0 m radius in front of the scorekeeper's box |
| Benches (Rules 3.1 and 3.2) | Players' benches at least 10 m long and 1.50 m wide; penalty boxes at least 4.0 m long, on the opposite side from the benches |
The IIHF text read for this site did not give the blue-line position in a form that could be read reliably; it appears in a diagram that was only partly legible. Wikipedia, a secondary source, says IIHF blue lines are 15.0 m apart, which fits the diagram's figure of 22.50 m from the end boards to each blue line. Treat that figure as unconfirmed.
NHL: Official Rules 2026-2027
| Feature | NHL rule |
|---|---|
| Rink size (Rule 1.2) | 200 ft long and 85 ft wide, corners rounded to a 28 ft radius |
| Boards (Rule 1.3) | Between 40 in and 48 in above the ice, ideally 42 in; white, with a light-yellow kick plate |
| Glass (Rule 1.3) | 8 ft above the boards at each end and at least 6 ft along both sides; glass required in front of the penalty benches |
| Goal lines (Rule 1.5) | Red, 2 in wide, 11 ft from each end of the rink |
| Blue lines (Rule 1.5) | 12 in wide, 64 ft out from each goal line |
| Centre line (Rule 1.5) | Red, 12 in wide, with regular markings so it cannot be confused with the blue lines |
| Goal (Rule 2.1) | Posts 4 ft high and 6 ft apart inside, held by 10 in flexible pegs |
| Goal crease (Rule 1.7) | Two 4 ft 6 in lines starting 1 ft outside each post, joined by an arc of 6 ft radius; painted light blue; extends upward 4 ft to the top of the goal frame |
| Trapezoid (Rule 1.8) | Red lines starting 8 ft from each goal post at the goal line and reaching the end boards 11 ft from the post |
| Faceoff spots (Rule 1.9) | Blue centre spot, 12 in, inside a circle of 15 ft radius; red neutral-zone spots, 2 ft across, 5 ft from each blue line, set 44 ft apart; end-zone spots 2 ft across inside circles of 15 ft radius, set 20 ft out from the goal line and 22 ft either side of the line between the goals |
| Referee's crease (Rule 1.7) | A red semicircle of 10 ft radius in front of the penalty timekeeper's seat |
Wikipedia (secondary) converts the NHL rink to 61.0 m by 25.9 m and gives the trapezoid as 22 ft wide at the goal line and 28 ft at the end boards. It says the width at the goal line was increased from 18 ft for 2014-15, and that the trapezoid was trialled in the AHL in 2004-05 and adopted by the NHL for 2005-06.
One inconsistency in the NHL's 2026-2027 rulebook is worth knowing about. Rule 1.8, which describes the ice markings, starts the trapezoid lines 8 ft from each post. Rule 27.8, the goalkeeper rule that enforces it, describes lines starting 6 ft from each post and reaching points 28 ft apart at the end boards. Both appear in the same edition, so we report both rather than pick one.
Hockey Canada: Playing Rules 2026-2028
| Feature | Hockey Canada rule |
|---|---|
| Rink size (Rule 1.2(a)) | A recommendation for new rinks: at most 60.96 m (200 ft) by 30.48 m (100 ft) and at least 60.96 m (200 ft) by 25.91 m (85 ft), corners on a radius of 8.53 m (28 ft) |
| Boards (Rule 1.2(b)) | No more than 1.22 m (4 ft) and no less than 1.02 m (3 ft 4 in) high; white, with a light base plate (yellow recommended) up to 30.48 cm (12 in) high |
| Glass (Rule 1.2(c)) | Recommended, not required |
| Goal lines (Rule 1.3(a)) | Red, 5.08 cm (2 in) wide, 3.35 m (11 ft) from each end |
| Blue lines (Rule 1.3(b)) | 30.48 cm (12 in) wide, 19.51 m (64 ft) from each goal line on rinks 56.39 m (185 ft) or longer; on shorter rinks they split the space between the goal lines into three equal parts |
| Centre line (Rule 1.3(c)) | Red, 30.48 cm (12 in) wide, midway between the goal lines |
| Goal (Rule 1.4) | Posts 1.22 m (4 ft) high and 1.83 m (6 ft) apart inside; magnetic or breakaway pegs recommended |
| Goal crease (Rule 1.5) | A semicircle of 1.82 m (6 ft) radius from the middle of the goal line, with small L-shaped marks; light blue inside; extends upward to the top of the goal frame |
| Trapezoid | None: the 2026-28 Playing Rules describe no goaltender's restricted area |
| Faceoff spots (Rules 1.6 to 1.8) | Blue centre spot, 30.48 cm, inside a circle of 4.57 m (15 ft) radius; red neutral-zone spots, 60.96 cm, 1.52 m (5 ft) from each blue line; end-zone spots inside 4.57 m circles, 6.09 m (20 ft) from the goal line and 6.71 m (22 ft) either side of centre; circles shrink on rinks narrower than 22.90 m (75 ft) so they do not overlap |
USA Hockey: 2025-29 rules
The USA Hockey 2025-29 rulebook text could not be read for this site, and no USA Hockey source we read gives its rink dimensions. They are not stated here rather than guessed. In US college hockey, an NCAA proposal of 21 May 2026 would add a trapezoid to Division I men's games in 2026-27 and Division III men's games in 2027-28; at that date it was still a proposal.
How the sizes compare
The lengths are almost the same: 60 m under the IIHF rules, and 200 ft (about 61 m) in the NHL and in Hockey Canada's recommendation. The width is where they differ. The NHL rink is 85 ft (25.9 m by Wikipedia's conversion), so a 26 m IIHF rink is close to NHL width, while a 30 m IIHF rink is about 4 m wider. Hockey Canada's recommended range for new rinks runs from the NHL width up to 100 ft (30.48 m).
Some markings line up across all three rulebooks: a 6 ft (1.83 m) wide goal that is 4 ft (1.22 m) high, and faceoff circles of about 15 ft (4.50 m to 4.57 m) radius. The NHL and Hockey Canada put the goal lines 11 ft (3.35 m) from the ends, against 4.0 m in the IIHF rules, and the IIHF and NHL rules both say faceoffs happen on one of nine spots (Rule 76.2 in each). The IIHF and NHL both mark a trapezoid behind the net; Hockey Canada's 2026-28 rules do not. What happens on each faceoff spot is covered on the faceoffs page.