Reply To: Improving Practice – Ideas Anyone?

[Tom Molloy]

Creating a Transition Game out of a Situation Drill – Example C3-B600, 2 on 1 x 2 – Pro

This is a great drill. It creates 2 on 1 situations, the players have to finish the play and fight for loose pucks etc. The D ends the play by making a pass and the waiting players stay engaged by giving them the decision when to leave.

How could this drill become even more game like???

Turn it into a one puck transition game at each end.

A. Have the next players follow the play into the zone and give passive support with the 2 F's mirroring the play from the puck side boards and the middle. The D be at the mid point.
On a turnover, frozen puck or goal the D pass the same puck to a F who now regroup by skating to the far blue line and turning back and attacking the new D 2 on 1. The same thing happens at the other end and the flow continues. Have half white D and F's and half dark since it is a game and white attacks dark and visa verso.

B. Combine passive and active support with F1 backchecking and helping the D to make it a low 2-2. F2 is passive along with the D at the point.

C. Make the support active for both teams. F1 supports low and F2 cover the D at the point who is on the same team as the original 2-1. Now it is a 3-3 game in the end after a brief 2-1 attack. On transition to defense the supporting 2 F's skate to the far blue line and attack vs the D who was playing the point who has skated to over the red line to close the gap on the oncoming 2-1. Now you have a 2-1 situation and again they get support from the players waiting along the boards in the neutral zone.

If you have a large group you could play 2-2 and have 4-4 at each end or 3-2 and have 5-5 at each end.

Other options are to add dump-ins to work on breakouts, cycling, low coverage and the forecheck.

If a coach can learn to change situation drills into transition games that create the same situations the players will be learning under increasing game like conditions.

'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'