Reply To: Favorite Small Area Games

[RookieCoach]

TomM wrote:
RookieCoach, I really like using transition games. Like you say the game has to suite the players age, situation etc. This may not answer the question but I just watched the first period of the Van-Bost game and my grandson is with me. I asked him if he wants to see Mason Raymond practice when he was a few years older and he said sure. I showed him Mason playing a full ice transition game of continuous 1-1 https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/videos/watch/dt100-continuous-1-1-with-85ers/ is the link and I am sure you can recongnize the player in white doing the tight "Gretzky Turns" as his dad Terry called them and his bent of skatin style that also imitates the 'Great One'.

Another NHLer I coached loved the 3 o 3 with a pass to the point to go on offense.It is very competitive with lots of battle.
https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/videos/watch/dt400-transition-game-of-low-battles-with-point-support/

I always like to use this game to get ready to compete.

Tom, Thanks for the input. That 3 on3 battle is much the same as I use with my Atom age kids. But the only difference is when they pass it back to the point that player can join in on the play as a odd man situation (3 on 2). Players loved this game and I could see it develop their vision or at least looking to make a hockey play . Not to mention puck protection and quick changing from offense to defense.
I have seen first hand how well these SAG games work. The best part is these young players have a smile on their faces and you can see them making up their own strategies in these small competitions.
Thanks Tom , GREAT site . Keep up the great work.
Rookie Coach
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Rookie Coach
Thanks. I like to have between 50-75% of my practice with games and transition games. I talked with a Swedish coach and their research has shown that players touch the puck 600% more in the cross ice games they play instead of full ice.That is why they only play cross ice with the young players.
My grandson played with a boy who scored over 140 goals last year. Usually after walking around two or three players the rest was breakaway while his teammates watched. If they had played cross ice the tighter spaces would require a lot more battlles and close support.
The files section has a pdf with many games including full, cross, 1/3, 1/2, 1/4 ice as well as a transition game pdf. To me the transition gamws are the logical progression from situation drills but for some reason not that many coaches use them, even at the highest level. I think I saw two transition games used by other coaches when I was in Austria.