Last Updated on Thursday, 04 December 2014 10:02
By John Russo
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
A friend of mine and one of the finest coaches I have encountered (Craig Sarner) has some strong feelings about effective coaching. Basically (I have heard him say many times), the best game coaches “get out of the way and let their players and teams play.” Well, that’s not totally true, even in Craig’s opinion. There is, however, truth in having a philosophy of not over-coaching.
I think too many coaches want their teams to have patterns, like football, where they set up and do things a certain way. Again, to some degree that is necessary. There is a certain way the power play needs to be done by all involved. I like the top umbrella, for example. There are certain ways and processes for penalty killing – more or less aggressive in all zones, for example. Coverages in the zone need to have rules (hey, the Golden Rules).
I do think that the offensive portion of the game is one of the primary areas where the players need to have considerable freedom. I like to teach offense by use of “teaching drills.” Those would be what I call small area games. My favorite is the “3-on-3” tag up in one end zone (blue line-in). It is simply 3-on-3, but there are two defensemen on the blue line that play for both teams – whoever has the puck. Once the puck is turned over, the team that captured the puck must “tag it up” by getting it back to the defensemen. Then, the D’s will have one of several options, including x-passing to the partner D, shooting or passing to a forward. The forwards can also pass back to the D’s as part of their attack.
This drill teaches transition, in-zone coverage (it is always man-on-man, and the D’s can’t skate to the net with the puck and shoot), passing and scoring. The drill lasts a minute or a minute-and-a-half or until one threesome scores. The winners stay, the losing three are replaced.
The coach’s job (to teach offense naturally by exercise and experience) is to encourage intensity, push for man-on-man coverage, and from time to time, stop play to discuss what is happening and what is to be learned from it. It is a terrific drill that I have successfully used from Squirts to college. The players like it, the D’s practice what they DO from the point, the goaltenders are worked extremely hard, it is competitive, it teaches. What’s not to like about it?
Another drill that I like for intensity, learning to score, learning to work as a line, and tough work for D’s and goaltenders is what I call 27 and 7. It’s pretty simple – a 3-on-2 in the zone. The coach passes it to one of the forwards and they have 27 seconds (half a minute) to move, pass, get a good shot and score. As soon as the 27 is up, the coach yells that the drill is over and passes a new puck to one of the forwards who now has 7 seconds to get it on the net to score or get a rebound.
It is two separate concepts (work it around and get to the net), both in one drill. The players find out how many passes they can get in 27 seconds – and that 7 seconds is a one-pass situation. It also teaches moving the feet in the offensive zone.
The coach’s job is to warn of time left to encourage the forwards to keep their feet moving. The D’s are under duress and have a chance to try things and to work with their goaltender to defend as a group.
Again, the players love it. It is not a drill; it’s a short scrimmage. If you have eight D’s and five lines (like college and pro), you can do it at both ends. Or just take two lines and four D’s in the drill, with the others working on something else in the other end.
During games is another challenge for coaches. At the college and pro levels (and some high school), coaching happens calmly at the bench between shifts, or even between periods or games. I will always remember watching the legendary Bob Johnson coach. He had a small ring binder pad that he made notes on many times during his games. They were for between periods – and for the next practice.
Trying to change things too much during games seldom works very well. Players should already know that they need to play different ways or styles as the game progresses. Coaches need to teach their players to recognize how the game is progressing.
I have quoted my oldest son, John, (a high school coach) before in this regard. He says, basically, that each game has a certain rhythm or flow, a certain “personality” as it were, that players and coaches need to recognize to successfully compete. It is the coach’s job to monitor this game rhythm and to help the players adjust to it; and to recognize it. Sometimes the rhythm changes right in the middle of a shift!
Many coaches think that the X’s and O’s are the keys to success. Getting their players to be at certain preordained places and do certain preordained things is the way it works. I think that with a few things that is true. However, for most of the time on the ice, the players need to know what we might call, the “overall rules” of good hockey. They need to experience situations so they will react well when they face them.
Playing hockey, for all positions except goaltender, is kind of like being a good running back. Good football running backs don’t have time to plan on being at certain places and doing certain things. The game in front of them is going too fast. It is all about reaction. Well, every hockey player faces speed of game and necessary reaction greater than a football running back – all game and every game. Hockey is too fast – players need to know how to react, when to react, etc. Hockey is a dynamic game, and coaches need to teach their players how to play dynamically.
I do believe that teams should practice 3-on-2’s – and that there are certain ways to be more successful on 3-on-2’s, or more successful in defending 3-on-2’s (for D’s). But I also believe the best way to learn is to do (or face) many, many 3-on-2’s at the critical point of attack. The critical point of attack is coming over the blue line and to the net. So my 3-on-2’s start in the neutral zone (flow off the side boards with a pass from a D) and attack over the blue line into the zone to the net. Over and over and over again.
The coach’s job is to make certain that the attack is at full speed at the blue line and counsel between rushes (the forwards and the D’s); and let the players learn the nuances of the attack and defense naturally. Same for 2-on-1’s. Drills can have the forwards coming out of the neutral zone in waves. The goaltenders also get all of the work they need, and at game pace and intensity.
If players were to get the coaches’ understanding and knowledge of the game from them as teachers and coordinators of fun (but intense fun), in small area game situation games and attacks, they would be better players and would need less and less coaching as they move up the age levels.
It’s not possible to have all of every practice as fun games, but a good portion should be. And, they should be intense and fast paced. Always intense and fast paced. Players have to learn to react, and fast pace teaches reaction at a competitive level.
So, coaches, don’t throw away the “play book.” Just reduce it and add games and game situation drills that let the players learn – and give the coaches the opportunity to coach.
One more “game” drill. It is literally 5-on-5 in an end zone. There are three puck drops (faceoffs) at each dot as needed. Once the puck is dropped, the offensive team gets one point for a shot and five points for a goal. The defensive team gets one point for clearing the puck out of the zone and three points for moving it out of the zone under control. Once there have been three faceoffs at each dot, the two teams switch, offense to defense, defense to offense and go at it again for six more puck drops. The coach is the referee and scorekeeper. There will need to be strategy both ways depending on the score (and need for points). Players will really love this one. It is intense and fun.
Well, another season has started. I hope you coaches will have fun and let your players have fun in practice too – with some teaching games.
John Russo, Ph.D., is founder and director of the Upper Midwest High School Elite League. He was a captain at the University of Wisconsin, and his Coaches’ Corner columns have appeared in LPH since 1986.
John Russo’s new book, “The Best of 26 Years of John Russo’s Coaches Corner” is now available. Go to www.russocoachescorner.com or call 952-944-7137 to order a copy.
