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Here's the final part of our series to build your own box hockey game. If you have any questions, feel free to leave 'em in the comments and I'll answer them as soon as I can.
Previous Box Hockey posts are linked to from here.
(in the extended entry)
Finishing touches
Ok, in the first three parts we built the main part of the box hockey table, and all that's left is a few little finishing details and some rules to play.
Using the leftover scrap hardboard, cut out two paddles and six triangles. Sand the edges lightly to smooth them out.
The paddles are what you use to hit the checker puck with. The triangles are a later addition because sometimes the puck slid directly into a goal, often hitting the back wall and then popping back out. When the puck is moving fast enough, it's hard to tell if a goal was scored or not, so the triangles deflect the moving puck and prevent arguments. Use white glue or hot glue to fasten them into place against the back wall behind each goal slot.
Use a yardstick or tape measure to figure out the center line of the board, and mark it with a sharpie or other permanent marker.
That's it! If you want, you can flip the board over and mark or paint a checkerboard onto the bottom, we usually add a simple backgammon board too.
Box Hockey rules
These are all suggestions based on what works for us. House rules are common, and on the playground it's not unusual for the winner to call special rules for the next game. The terms puck and checker are used interchangably.
The two side goals (bigger) are worth 1 point each, the middle, smaller goal is 3 points. The puck doesn't have to completely go through the slot for it to be a goal. We score the point if it breaks the plane of the back of the slot (slide the paddle along the back of the slot board, and if the checker moves, then scoooooore!
Game ends when one player scores 11 or 15 or 21 (decide at the start). Skunks are 7-0 or 11-1 scores.
Decide who goes first by flipping the checker (heads or tails) or by putting the puck on the center line and both players trying to hit it on the count of 3. Or just let the younger player have it first.
You can only hit the puck if it's on your side of the center line.
You can't touch the puck with anything but your paddle.
Have fun. No getting mad.
That's it!
I'd really love to hear if you make a box hockey for yourself, drop me a line if you do.
Posted by Ted at February 27, 2005 01:59 PMHey, you forgot the step where the players all band together and demand more money than the league is making for their salaries and cause the cancelation of the entire season.
Bitter? Yeah... Just a little.
Posted by: GEBIV at February 27, 2005 03:50 PMThe way you describe box hockey is totally different than what I know of box hockey. The box is about 6 ft. long and 4 ft. wide. (approx) At each end of the 6 ft. in the middle is a hole. There is a center board with two holes. The equipment is a round wooden ball and two wooden hockey sticks. The ball is set upon the center board and the two players square off by saying,"hockey one, hockey two, hockey three" and then proceed to hit the ball off the top center board. The object is to get the ball to go into the end hole and score a point.
In looking at your description is not what I know of box hockey. I was attempting to find rules for the box hockey that I know.
Posted by: Holly at August 1, 2005 07:11 PMI'm with Holly - but we played with a real puck and could choose hand or stick. I'm from around the Twin Cities in Minnesota - I would love to find out what the rules areas we played it. I wonder if the local Park and Rec. would have a clue?
Posted by: Judy at September 6, 2005 09:55 PMI'm working on a design for the game you remember, but since I never played it as a kid, the rules will be kinda whatever you remember them to be.
Check back every few weeks, and I'll see what I can come up with.
Posted by: Ted at September 7, 2005 09:56 AM