to the top of the faceoff circles) while in the defensive zone. Games are divided into three 15-minute periods. If there is a tie at the end of regulation time, it is followed by overtime, and if still tied after the overtime period, a shootout occurs to determine the winning team. Women's sledge hockey The United States women's national ice sledge hockey team is run by USA Hockey; however, the Canada women's national ice sledge hockey team is run independently and does not receive federal funding. The two groups are primarily responsible for promoting women's sledge hockey internationally. While Para ice hockey at the Paralympics has been a mixed-sex sports event since 2010, only three female players have participated in the Paralympic tournament as of 2022, including Norwegian players Britt Mjaasund Oyen (1994; the event had not been explicitly designated as a men's event that year) and Lena Schroeder (2018), and Chinese player Yu Jing (2022; Jing would only play in one game). In 2006, Amanda Ahrnbom had been named to the Swedish roster, but was deemed ineligible shortly prior to the Games as the event was only open to male players. As of 2022, teams consisting entirely of male players are allowed to send seventeen players, but can send eighteen players if a woman is included. While the inclusion of women on otherwise-male teams has been considered an important step forward for the sport, criticism has been raised regarding the slow development and lack of concentrated efforts to promote women's sledge hockey—especially outside of the Paralympics. Peggy Assinck, a member of the Canadian national team, argued that the mixed format at the Paralympics has actually been detrimental to the development of women's sledge hockey development, stating that "the argument has always been, 'Well, there is a place for them. They just haven’t broken (onto) the roster yet.' And in a full-contact sport, that’s a lot to ask". The first IPC Ice Sledge Hockey Women's International Cup was held in 2014. In 2022, the event was succeeded by the Para Ice Hockey Women's World Challenge. See also Para ice hockey at the Winter Paralympics World Para Ice Hockey Championships World Sledge Hockey Challenge IPC Ice Sledge Hockey European Championships British Sledge Hockey Association, the governing body for the sport in the U.K. USA Warriors, a Para ice hockey team consisting of combat-wounded U.S. soldiers Power hockey, electric wheelchair hockey Ice