NICKEL HOCKEY

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There are only two infractions that carry penalties. The first is placing a defensive stick within the goal "pit", and the second is moving one's stick across the red line. Either of these fouls results in the other player's getting a free shot . . . in which case he or she is allowed to swat the puck from any point on his or her side of the board, while the unlucky opponent's stick must be held, motionless, at the apex of the defended goal. (Free shots thus require banking the coin off the wall, and are far from being the "sure scores" they may sound like!)

If the puck is knocked clear off the board, the player who's not responsible for the overly eager swat is allowed to shoot the nickel just as in the opening move. Should the coin stop on the centerline, the shot goes to whoever reaches the puck first (unless, of course, he or she goes past the line in pursuit of the elusive five-cent piece!).

SNOWBOUND STRATEGIES

Probably the most difficult nickel hockey skill is simply keeping cool when you're on the defensive. It's pretty hard to maintain a Zen-like calm when your opponent has the puck whizzing about like an enraged bumblebee, but—in my experience at least—a player who stops defending his or her goal to chase after the nickel is usually beaten and back at the end of the waiting players' line in no time flat.

In fact, a lot of our group's hockey aficionados figure that the most important tactics to master are those that can help you move to the front of the line, and therefore back into the game, as rapidly as possible. (Announcing that there're fresh, hot doughnuts in the kitchen is a time-honored ploy! I And, if you can find the.. few minutes necessary to knock together your own nickel hockey board before next Saturday night, I think you'll understand our enthusiasm!

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