Ice hockey / Rule 77
Playing time and intermissions
IIHF · 2026/27In short
Actual playing time rather than a continuously running clock.
Periods
Regulation consists of 3 periods of 20 minutes of actual play. The clock stops when play stops, so elapsed arena time is longer than the scheduled playing time.
Intermissions
The normal interval is 15 minutes unless the IIHF specifies another duration. Unusual delays near a period’s end can cause an early interval, followed by completion of the remaining period time.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Independent topic summaries of the supplied IIHF Rule Book 2026/27, version 1.0, June 2026. This is not the NHL rulebook or a complete reproduction. Women’s, junior and pilot provisions are identified separately; competition regulations govern applicable formats. References use PDF pages.
Sources & approach ↗
Sources & approach ↗