The five-hole is an ice hockey term for the space between a goaltender's legs. The name and its first recorded usage was in 1976 by Flyer Reggie Leach The phrases through the five-hole and gone five-hole are used when a player scores by shooting the puck into the goal between the goaltender's legs. The term is also used in basketball, association football, field hockey, and lacrosse. In baseball, the term is used to describe a wild pitch between the catcher's legs.

Origin

When a goaltender stands in the net in the ready position, there are five open areas (and two closed) that the goalie must cover. There are two additional areas, the 6 hole (under the glove side arm) and 7 hole (under the stick side arm), which are less commonly used terms.