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10U-18U: F1 Forecheck Game

02/02/2017, 11:15am MST
By USA Hockey

Purpose: To teach the finer techniques of your forecheck scheme, especially the role and techniques of the F1. This game helps coaches teach how to apply offensive-zone pressure, steal/regain the puck and create more offense.

Drill Structure: Play 3v3 cross-ice with two nets. Divide the zone in half with a center line made by a marker from the end boards to the blue line. There are two simple rules for the game:

  1. Once the defensive team gains possession of the puck in their defensive zone, they must skate the puck behind their net before breaking out and attacking the offensive zone.
  2. Once the offensive team loses possession of the puck in the attacking zone, they must send at least one player (F1) hard on the puck (this is the aggressive F1 forecheck component).

NOTE: If a forechecking team is successful in regaining the puck before the breakout team reaches the center line, i.e., the forechecking team successfully steals the puck in the attacking zone, reward the forechecking team by allowing it to attack the net immediately. If an attacking team retrieves a puck in the attacking zone, that team does not have to regroup and skate behind their net. Teach players to attack off turnovers.

Coaching Points: This game helps teach the finer points of the F1 forecheck role and should be tailored to fit coaches’ preferred forecheck style. Most coaches like pressure on the puck, so in this game, F1 can be instructed to pressure hard on the puck (but don’t chase O1 behind the net if there’s no chance to get a good angle). This drill creates many live situations for your players to apply attacking-zone pressure on the puck. You can teach F1 proper angles, proper stick position, proper speed and closing techniques. You can also progress and add F2, teaching the anticipation or read-and-react part of your forecheck system to regain the puck.

Equipment: Marker, nets and pucks.

Concepts Taught: Forecheck, angling, stealing the puck, read and react, breakouts, puck support and goal scoring.


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Tag(s): Drill of the Month