Most sports across the world are played with a ball of varying sizes and shapes such as football, soccer, basketball, baseball, rugby, tennis, lacrosse, cricket, etc. However, the game of ice hockey differs as it’s played with a hard disk known as a puck. How much does a hockey puck weigh?
An official regulation-sized hockey puck weighs between 5.5 and 6 ounces (approximately 156 to 170 grams and 0.343 to 0.375 lbs) and is black in color. You can find training hockey pucks that are both lighter and heavier than regulation-size, blue pucks typically weigh 4 oz and orange/red pucks weigh 10 oz.
What are the Dimensions of a Hockey Puck?
The dimensions of a regulation-sized puck are 1 inch (25 millimeters) thick by 3 inches (76 millimeters) in diameter and it is shaped similar to a round coin. However, some pucks that are used for practice purposes may be slightly larger or smaller than a regulation-sized model.
What are Hockey Pucks Made of?
Ice hockey pucks are made of vulcanized rubber but other versions can be found for indoor and children’s games and these are typically made with softer rubber or foam/sponge-type materials. A regulation puck consists of a combination of natural rubber, bonding materials, chemicals, and antioxidants to give it its resilience and hardness.
The mixture hardens at a specific temperature and comes out of a machine looking like a circular log. This is then cut in intervals of one inch and each piece of rubber is then placed into a mold which is compressed to create a puck. Each puck is trimmed to make sure there’s no excess rubber sticking to it. A slightly rough texture is then added to the outer edge puck’s edge to create friction for better puck handling and control.
Read our full post on “What Are Hockey Pucks Made Of?” here.
Are there Different Types of Hockey Pucks?
Yes, you can find hockey pucks that are lighter and heavier in weight. These are often used for training purposes. For example, practicing with a heavier puck will help you develop your wrist strength while shooting and passing.
In addition, smaller and lighter pucks are often used in children’s leagues when they’re very young and just learning how to play the game. You’ll also find that pucks often come in different colors as well in these instances but black is still the norm.
What are Roller Hockey Pucks?
A roller hockey puck looks the quite similar to an ice-hockey puck in design but it’s usually a bit lighter as it’s made of tough plastic material rather than hardened rubber. These pucks are built with small protruding ribs on the top and bottom section to help them slide better on the playing surface by creating less friction.
Most roller hockey pucks are made in lighter colours such as orange, green, yellow and red etc so they’re easier to see on the playing surface. Depending on the specific league and surface the game is being played on, some types of roller hockey pucks may have have plastic rollers or bearings inserted into the bottom of them to help them glide better.
How Much Do Orange Hockey Pucks Weigh?
Players can also practice with heavier pucks with a 10-ounce (280 gram) model being quite popular. These are usually orange or red in color and are often used by those who are looking to develop their wrist strength.
I remember practicing with these pucks for many passing drills, it really helped develop our ability to pick up passes on our backhand.
How Much Do Steel Hockey Pucks Weigh?
If you’re really hoping to increase the speed of your stickhandling and your wrist and arm strength, you may want to practice with a steel hockey puck. These pucks weigh 2 lbs (32 ounces, 910 grams) and should only be used when practising by yourself as the puck could do some serious harm to another player if it struck them.
How Much Do Blue Hockey Pucks Weigh?
Blue ice hockey pucks are generally used for training purposes and in games for youngsters. These typically weigh in at 4 ounces (113 grams) each, which is about two-thirds the weight of a regulation puck. They’re used since regulation pucks are generally considered to be a bit too heavy for young children.
How Much Does the Green Biscuit Hockey Puck Weigh?
A Green Biscuit hockey puck weighs 4.4 ounces and is designed for off-ice training. It’s the same size as a regulation puck and is used to help improve your stickhandling and passing. This puck is designed to glide over rough surfaces such as asphalt and concrete.
It consists of two durable plastic pieces which come with a hollow spot in the middle. The two sections are held together with metal bolts while rubber spacers cushion them. This construction design is also supposed to prevent the puck from flipping over while you’re practising with it.
How Much Does a Ball Hockey Ball Weigh?
All-surface ball/street hockey balls are generally orange, blue or pink in colour and made of PVC materials or liquid-filled gels to help reduce their bounce. A typical 2 5/8th inch ball from a manufacturer such as Franklin weighs approximately 6 ounces (168 grams).
You’ll find that the weight varies though depending on the type of ball, the hardness, its size, and the materials used in making it. Some manufacturers, such as Howies, sell 65 millimetre balls which weigh just 1.9 ounce and you’ll be able to find models which weight between 1.7 to 3 ounces.
Related Hockey Puck Questions
Why are Hockey Pucks Frozen Before a Game?
Ice hockey pucks are frozen before highly-competitive amateur and professional games to solidify them and help stop them from bouncing during the action. Frozen pucks glide on the ice surface faster and smoother but their odds of bouncing increase as they begin to warm up. It’s estimated that 40 to 45 pucks are used for each NHL game.
What are White Hockey Pucks Used for?
White hockey pucks are generally used for goaltender practice. The pucks are regulation weight and size with the only difference being their colour. Since the ice surface is white, these pucks easily blend into the surroundings which means the netminders really have to concentrate to be able to pick up and track the flight of the puck after it leaves the shooter’s stick.
Therefore, when they are in a game situation where black pucks are used, it’s believed the goalie will find it a lot easier to track the puck and this should help improve their performance.
Why are Standard Hockey Pucks Black?
Standard hockey pucks are black for the simple reason that they contrast with the white colour of the ice and snow, if you happen to be playing outdoors. This makes them easier for the players, officials, fans and television viewers to keep track of it during a game. Also, when pucks were first used in the 19th century, black was basically the only colour of rubber that was readily available.
Final Thoughts
Hockey pucks originally came about when players cut off the edges of a rubber ball to help stop it from bouncing all over the place. They’re now the norm in the sport and that will never change. If any changes to pucks are ever made in the future when it comes to professional hockey it will likely just be in their colour.
Read our hockey puck articles below to learn more about the frozen disk:
- How Many Pucks Are Used in An NHL Game?
- Can You Lay on the Puck in Hockey?
- Can You Grab the Puck in Hockey?
Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.
