Backyard rink goal size: will a hockey net fit?
Goals are sold in a few sizes, and a backyard rink is a lot smaller than the rink those sizes were made for. This page lists the sizes, then checks how much room a net leaves behind it on three common rink sizes. The room-behind figures are my own arithmetic from the NHL goal line position, scaled down the way the rink lines page scales it.
Goal sizes
A FloHockey article gives the standard goal (NHL, AHL, high school and NCAA) as 72 in wide, 48 in high and 40 in deep, with a tube frame about 2 in across. For youth and junior leagues it gives 60 in wide, 44 in high and 24 in deep. I could not open a rulebook page for the youth size, so check the label on the net you buy.
Room behind the net
On a full-size NHL rink the goal line is 11 ft from the end boards (NHL rulebook, see the lines page for the citation). Scaled to a backyard rink it is much closer to the boards, and the net sits on the ice between the line and the boards. Subtracting the net depth from that distance gives the gap left. A negative number means the net would overlap the boards if you copied the scaled line.
| Rink | Goal line from boards | Room behind a 40 in net | Room behind a 24 in net |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 x 40 ft | 2.2 ft | -1.1 ft goal is 30% of the width |
0.2 ft goal is 25% of the width |
| 30 x 60 ft | 3.3 ft | 0.0 ft (net touches the boards) goal is 20% of the width |
1.3 ft goal is 17% of the width |
| 40 x 80 ft | 4.4 ft | 1.1 ft goal is 15% of the width |
2.4 ft goal is 13% of the width |
The 40 in row uses the standard net and a 72 in opening. The 24 in row uses the youth net and a 60 in opening.
Which net fits
- 20 x 40 ft. A standard net takes 30% of the width and a scaled goal line leaves no room for it. My suggestion: put the net 3 to 4 ft out from the boards so a player can skate behind it, or use the youth size. Either way the end of the rink is mostly net.
- 30 x 60 ft. A scaled goal line still sits close to the boards. A youth net leaves about 1.3 ft behind the line. A standard net just reaches the boards.
- 40 x 80 ft. The standard net fits behind a scaled goal line with about 1 ft to spare, and it covers 15% of the width.
- Boards behind the net. Pucks that miss the net hit the boards at speed. The board height guide shows what the water depth leaves you, and the materials list counts the boards. Ask the seller of your net whether it comes with a backstop.
- Move it with care. My suggestion: lift the net rather than drag it, and keep it off the liner edge. The resurfacing guide covers smoothing the ice afterwards.
Pick the rink first
If you do not have a rink size yet, the size guide compares them, and the 30 by 60 ft rink in the calculator gives the water, liner and board height for it. Change the size there to see what a net-friendly 40 by 80 ft costs in water.