how do ice hockey TV audience recognize the players although their quick continuous motion effectively conceals their names, faces and numbers?
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Body language, how they carry themselves, custom colored laces, sticks, the positions they are playing. Plus there’s only five skaters on each side, that’s not a lot of names to remember.
Players have positions. 3 forwards and 2 defensemen. Just knowing that along with a little knowledge about hockey to know where each positions plays will make the guess much easier. Add in style of play, left/right hand, what side of the rink they normally play on, etc and it gets easy over many games.
The more games you watch the easier it gets to recognize the numbers. Also fans who know the usual defensive pairs and lines will know just by memory.
Mostly because of their position on the ice and number on their back. There’s a few assistant-captain and captain with the A and C on their shirt. And then there’s each individual habits, way of moving and apparence (skin color, beard, etc) that define them individually
Just to reinforce what was already said.
I have been to enormous amount of football (soccer) games. Even from a distance (60 m ~ 65 yd) given enough time anyone can recognize some traits of any given player. It’s not that hard.
But the main point is that being in the stadium makes you pay attention differently than from TV
(seriously) we don’t for most players, especially for visiting teams and especially for non regular sport fans.
We know a few more known star players, but most of them we just don’t.
For sport presenters and commenters, it’s their job to learn all the players, faces, jersey number, play position (forward, defense, goalie) and play style.
I work on a stat crew for hockey — it’s all about reading numbers. Most players will have of course the big one on the back, but they will also have the smaller one on each sleeve, and if you’re lucky, also in front. Generally we will have two people on our crew concentrating on numbers, one will say who has the puck, and the other will write it down. That way if a goal is scored, we can give out the assists.
Broadcasters before every game will memorize the numbers for both teams. And while broadcasting, they can translate that into names.
As a fan, I can tell the players on my team apart by how they move, how they turn, how they skate, how they shoot, their hair, their height, etc.
Hi!
* The Goalie is easy to recognize because of their equipment and position between the posts.
* Left and right defence have positions that make it easy to keep track of them. If you know their position and know their name, you are set.
* Left and right wing (forward) are again easy to track
* Centre is again an easy position to follow.
* Sometimes it gets a little jumbled around the net but really there are few enough people on a team, and the positions help.
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