Hockey's 60-minute clock counts active regulation time. Whistles for offsides, icing, penalties, frozen pucks and other stoppages pause the game clock. Ice maintenance and intermissions add further time.
A tied game may continue to overtime and a shoot-out, depending on the league and whether the fixture is regular season or knockout play.
Regulation, overtime and real time
| Stage | Playing time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation | 3 × 20 minutes | Stop-clock periods |
| Regular-season overtime | League-specific | NHL uses a five-minute sudden-death period |
| Shoot-out | No fixed clock | Used by competitions that require a regular-season winner |
| Playoff overtime | Competition-specific | Can use repeated full sudden-death periods |
Why the last few minutes can stretch
Late penalties, video reviews, time-outs and a team pulling its goalkeeper can create several stoppages. In knockout hockey, sudden-death overtime can extend the game far beyond the expected finish because play continues until a winning goal.
Planning a recording
- Allow capacity for warm-ups, three periods, both intermissions and overtime.
- Use external power only where the venue and equipment setup remain safe.
- Confirm glass reflections and protective-net interference before the puck drops.
- Keep tripods outside spectator routes and venue run-off areas.
Official rules and related Trackd guides
Frequently asked questions
How many periods are in hockey?
Regulation ice hockey uses three periods.
How long is each hockey period?
At standard senior level, each regulation period has 20 minutes of playing time.
Can a hockey game last indefinitely?
A knockout game using repeated sudden-death overtime has no predetermined finish time; it ends when a deciding goal is scored.
Film the whole game without a camera operator
Trackd turns a compatible iPhone into an automatic ball-tracking sports camera, with no required subscription.