Drills to foster good decisions by defensemen

[Robert Mattson]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any good half-ice games or drills for teaching young defensemen to make good decisions re when to give up the attacking zone. It's one thing to explain to them when they need to start getting back; it's another for them to actually develop the instincts — especially the D in the middle who tend not to recognize danger until it is too late. This is for the travel mite level.

Thanks

[Tom Molloy]

It is a little tougher to teach this in half ice games because the offense is usually just getting over the blue line. You could have them play D vs a breakout and become familiar to the patterns and not to let anyone get behind them.

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

[Robert Mattson]

Thanks Tom! If full ice is available, what are good drills or games to teach the same instincts to traveling mites?

[Tom Molloy]

Any 2-1, 2-2, 3-1, 3-2, 3-3 where the defenders have to communicate to identify the situation and who each is covering would be good. Also play full ice and have the farthest player from the puck stretch and the D has to learn to scan the ice and honour the stretch man instead of focusing on the puck. You could vary the stretch man also so it isn't predictable.

The basic principle is that no one can get behind them and only one player go with the stretch man, not two or more which happens a lot.

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

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