The basic rules of ice hockey include offside, icing, penalties, and the role of the goaltender. Offside occurs when an attacking player precedes the puck into the opposing team's zone. Icing is called when a player shoots the puck from their own side of the center line across the opponent's goal line, and no player touches it. Penalties are given for rule violations such as tripping, slashing, or roughing. The goaltender's role is to defend their team's net and prevent the opposing team from scoring.