International Hockey Centre of Excellence Centre d'excellence en hockey international Olympic Saddledome, Box 1060, Calgary, Alberta 12P 21<8 Saddledome Olympique, C.P. 1060, Calgary, Alberta 12P 2K8 (403) 261-0460 PROGRAM OF EXCELLENCE COACHES SEMINAR PUCK CONTROL & SUPPORT GEORGE KINGSTON JUNE 1988 Operated by Hockey Canada in co-operation with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association HOCKEY 111" CANADA Sous la responsibilite de Hockey Canada en collaboration avec l'association Canadienne de Hockey Amateur
PUCK CONTROL & SUPPORT GEORGE KINGSTON 1, PUCK CONTROL A. PUCK CONTROL = SUCCESS IN POSSESSION-ORIENTED GAME SUCH AS ICE HOCKEY. ALTHOUGH INCREASINGLY HOCKEY HAS EVOLVED TO A TRANSITION GAME, B. POSSESSION = INCREASED OPPORTUNITY FOR ATTACK AND IMPROVED OPPORTUNITY TO SCORE, C. PUCK CONTROL MAY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH SOUND INDIVIDUAL TECHNIQUE AND JUDGEMENT, GROUP TACTICS AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, SUPPORT,. D. INDIVIDUAL TECHNIQUES ESSENTIAL FOR PUCK CONTROL ARE: I. PASS RECEIVING WITH USE OF STICK IN FULL ARC AND USE OF SKATES II. PASSING III. PUCK PROTECTION IV, PUCK RETRIEVAL (IN TRANSITION GAME) V. DELAY VI. DECOY OR STRETCH SKATING (PURPOSEFUL MOVEMENT AWAY FROM PUCK) E. INDIVIDUAL JUDGEMENT --- READ AND REACT: TO ANTICIPATE PUCK CARRIERS INTENTIONS; TO READ CHECKING PRESSURE BEING APPLIED TO PUCK CARRIER; TO ADJUST POSITION TO OPEN UP A PASSING LANE BY AND TO MOVING TO AN OPEN SPACE, KEY IS TO DEVELOP POISE TO HANDLE AGGRESSIVE PRESSURE BY OPPONENTS. F. GROUP TACTICS INCLUDE: I. SUPPORT TO ENSURE SHORT PASSES AGAINST AGGRESSIVE PRESSURE II, ACTIVE PASSES (WIDEMAN, BACKMAN, HEADMAN) III, REGROUP TO COUNTERATTACK IV. FORMS OF SUPPORT INCLUDING WIDE RIM, POP PASS OFF BOARDS; DELAY; CROSS (CARRY OR DROP/TRAILER/LATERAL FEED PASS); CARRY BEHIND NET; BANK PASS; ACTIVE PASS V. CYCLING IN QUIET ZONES VI. PURPOSEFUL MOVEMENT: FLOW; DECOY OR STRETCH SKATING; FILLING THREE LANES AND ESPECIALLY THE MIDDLE LANE IN ALL THREE ZONES; EXCHANGING POSITIONS AND INTERCHANGING ROLES. 2
2 VII. QUICK PUCK MOVEMENT VIII. "TOTAL HOCKEY" WHICH CHANGES 3-2 ALIGNMENT TO 4-1 OR 5-0 DEPENDING UPON OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE NUMBER OF PLAYERS ON OFFENSE. IX, COMMUNICATION X. SCREENING/PICKING INTERFERING WITH OPPONENT 2. SUPPORT A. SUPPORT IS CONCEPT OF FOUR PLAYERS BEING ACTIVE AWAY FROM THE PUCK CARRIER TO: I, CREATE OPTIONS FOR THE PUCK CARRIER BY OPENING PASSING LANES AND IMPROVE PUCK CONTROL II, CREATE NUMERICAL SUPERIORITY OR OVERLOAD IN THE AREA OF THE PUCK CARRIER III, COUNTERACT AGGRESSIVE PRESSURE OR AVOID COVERAGE ON PUCK CARRIER AND/OR IN THE AREA OF PUCK CARRIER IV, CREATE TIME AND SPACE FOR PUCK CARRIER V. CREATE MOVEMENT AND OFFENSIVE PRESSURE THROUGH INCREASED ACTIVITY OF ALL FIVE PLAYERS B. SUPPORT IS ESSENTIAL FOR PUCK CONTROL AGAINST AGGRESSIVE CHECKING PRESSURE SUCH AS THE BEST EUROPEAN TEAMS EXERT. C. EXCHANGING POSITIONS AND CREATING MOVEMENT RESULTS IN GOOD SUPPORT. I SUPPORT I MOVEMENT INTERCHANGE NUMERICAL SUPERIORITY D. SUPPORT..., PUCK CONTROL., MOVEMENT ARE INTER-RELATED AND MUST BE TAUGHT IN COMBINATION RATHER THAN AS SEPARATE ENTITIES. ' E. PLAYERS AWAY FROM PUCK CARRIER MUST READ THE GAME AND REACT WITH GOOD SUPPORT F. SUPPORT IS ESSENTIAL AGAINST AGGRESSIVE CHECKING, RESTRICTIONS OF SPACE AND TIME AND TO COUNTERACT IMPACT OF FATIGUE. 3
... 3 3, SOME KEY TEACHING POINTS A. PURPOSEFUL MOVEMENT --- REASONS FOR MOVEMENT: I. SUPPORT II. NUMERICAL SUPERIORITY III. AVOID COVERAGE IV, CREATE TIME AND SPACE V. PUCK CONTROL "DON'T MOVE JUST TO MOVE:" B. MOVE -- OPEN PASSING LANE -- COMMUNICATE. COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL. "LACK OF TALKING REPRESENTS LACK OF TACTICAL UNDERSTANDING" C. PASSER AND RECEIVER MUST BE THOUGHT OF AS A "UNIT" WITH THE RECEIVER PLAYING THE DOMINANT ROLE BECAUSE THE RECEIVER IS BEST JUDGE OF WHETHER A PASS SHOULD BE MADE. THE RECEIVER HAS TO COMMUNICATE HIS AVAILABILITY AS AN OPTION, D. WHEN THE PASS IS MADE THE PASSER ASSUMES THE SUPPORT ROLE, SO GIVE AND GO OR GIVE AND FOLLOW MOVEMENT PATTERNS NEED TO BE USED. E. SUPPORT MAN MOVES TO CREATE TRIANGLE: HIS ROLE AS RECEIVER IN RELATION TO PUCK CARRIER AND DEFENDER 40- <1 CC\ F. SUPPORT CAN ALSO BE PROVIDED BEHIND PUCK CARRIER ESPECIALLY IN CASE FOR BACKMAN PASS AND FOR CYCLING IN QUIET ZONES.
DRILL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TEACHING PUCICLORTROI & SUPPORT IN GAME SITUATION -- AGGRESSIVE CHECKING PRESSURE, RESTRICTIONS OF SPACE AND TIME, FATIGUE -- CAUSE SUPPORT TO BE NEEDED. WITH THESE FACTORS IN MIND, ONE MUST DESIGN DRILLS NOTING THE FOLLOWING: "REDUCED SPACE WILL INCREASE PACE" -- REDUCE THE AREA AND THE GREATER THE CHECKING PRESSURE WILL BE... INCREASE THE PACE AND THE GREATER THE NEED FOR PRECISE PUCK MOVEMENT AND QUICK AND CLOSE SUPPORT WILL BE... 5, FXAMPLES OF SUPPORT & PUCK CONTROL SITUATIONS A. FILLING MIDDLE LANE - ON BREAKOUT - IN NEUTRAL ZONE B. QUICK BACK PASS/POP OR BANK PASS OFF BOARDS JUST INSIDE OFFENSIVE BLUELINE C. CROSSING OR INTERCHANGE OF POSITIONS -- PUCK CARRIER LEAD -- FREE MAN LEAD D. OFFENSIVE TRIANGLE REPRESENTING SUPPORT FOR PUCK CARRIER E. FORWARD TO FORWARD BANK PASS DEEP IN OFFENSIVE ZONE F. DEFENSEMAN TO FORWARD PASS TO BACK OF NET AREA G. CYCLING DEEP IN OFFENSIVE ZONE (QUIET ZONES) H. DELAYS I. SHOOT-INS/DUMPING PUCK IN -- WIDE RIM -- DIAGONAL -- FORWARD TO FORWARD BANK PASS