CROSSICE HOCKEY PLAN

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CROSS-ICE HOCKEY PLAN
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PLAYING CROSS-ICE GAMES

• WHY AND HOW

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Cross-Ice Hockey Why?

• Better development
• More touches/ more involved
• More players per ice session
• Coaches able to be more involved in teaching
• Why do we ask our younger less experienced
  players to play with the same set-up as our elite
  players?
• Every other sport adjusts to the age of the
  player. You do not see young Baseball players
  playing in Fenway!

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How?

• 3v3, 4v4, 5v5 ?
• Cross-ice or half ice?
• How do we change?
• What do we do with the neutral zone?
• Refs?
• Penalties?
• The Score?
• Versus a real game

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The Set-up

• 4v4 is best but adjust based on the
• number of players.

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The Set-up

• 1-3 play to rest ratio is perfect.
• Three lines of 3, 4 or 5.
• Based on the number of players on the ice.

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The Set-up

• Cross-ice is better as you can use three zones,
  but do not be afraid to mix it up, a different
  look once in awhile is a good thing.

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The Set-up

• A shift should be anywhere from 45 to 65 seconds,
  again changing this up is good for the players it
  forces them to adjust.

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The Set-up

• If you are not using center ice for a third game
  then let the groups that are not playing move
  around or play with a puck or have them work on a
  skill.
• If you go with the 1-3 ratio then you have one
  group playing, one resting and one working on a
  skill. At the cost of ice use all of it
  appropriately!

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The Set-up

• Use an older player to drop the puck and keep
  some order on the ice. This helps develop young
  officials and helps to set-up role models within
  your organization.

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The Set-up

• If a player takes a bad penalty send him off for
  the shift and have his group go short handed for
  the shift. This is where the coaches step in to
  explain the standard of play.

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The Set-up

• Try to match up the best players vs. the best
  players have a 1, 2 and 3 line based on talent
  level. If there is a player that is way ahead do
  not be afraid to have his team go 1 man less for
  his shift.

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The Set-up

• Goalies
• 8 under no full time goalies. Rotate all the
  players through the net.
• Older teams try to have only 1 goalie per team,
  if there are more, have the goaltenders involved
  in both the games and the skills at center ice.
  Rotate them in and out every 8-10 minutes.

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The Set-up

• DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE SCORE! THE KIDS AND
  PARENTS WILL KNOW!

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The sell!

• You will get adults who will say this is not
  real hockey! What about off-sides, face-offs,
  icings, systems. They want the score, they want
  control of the kids game!
• IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE!

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How It Benefits

• The players will have much more fun and success.
• It has been proven that more touches and
  repetitions leads to better development and
  confidence.
• Better use of ice time more ice time.
• Keeps parents and coaches in a better frame of
  mind, not focused on scores or the calls or no
  calls rather the development of their young
  hockey player.
• Keeps kids competing at a high level, we are
  currently developing lazy generations of hockey
  players who are not engaged in the game.

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Cross-Ice Practice and Games
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There really is not a right or wrong way. The
actual move from full-ice to small area or
cross-ice hockey is the only way to go.Be
creative and do not be afraid of change or
putting your players in an environment that is
fun, challenging and most importantly creates
passion to play the game!
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Questions?

• rogerg_at_usahockey.org