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Рус

NEUTRAL ZONE AND THE RULE BOOK

Many hockey fans praise the day the so-called tag-up rule came into being. At elite levels, when defensemen dump the puck back into the offensive zone with one or more of their teammates still there, there is no need to worry. As long as those teammates don’t touch the puck, they can get back to the blue line, tag up, and then go right back in on the forecheck. Play continues. No whistles. Everyone is happy.

So why were battle lines drawn a few years back when some members of the youth hockey community wanted the same rules to apply to them? No one wants whistles. Why can’t we just dump it in and clear the zone, too?

The answer came from those of us who saw what the tag-up rule would do to skill development in youth hockey. No one would ever have any incentive to learn how to maintain possession of the puck, either through stickhandling or, even better, through a series of short passes made forehand to forehand while teammates took the time to clear the zone and avoid being offside. The tag-up rule at youth levels simply dumbs down the game and removes an incentive for developing good puckhandling and passing skills.

Which leads me back to regrouping. Today’s game doesn’t come with an earlier era’s need to always move forward. What the Soviets first showed us 40 years ago has become a common philosophy today: If you don’t like what you see going forward, drop the puck back and start over. And you can see the results.

What team practice, at virtually any level, doesn’t include a regrouping drill today? Moving the puck back to the defense, defenseman-to-defenseman passing, center curls, wingers crossing, and the like. What skills are needed to run this effectively? The ability to make quick, accurate forehand-to-forehand passes in small areas buys time and allows for everyone to regroup. Coaches should always consider as part of their weekly drill collection some sort of controlled, small-area passing drills, with an emphasis on one-touch passing, forehand to forehand. Equally important is learning how to receive a pass, including those that may go awry.

Major concepts in neutral zone and transition play include the following:

Make sure defensive pairings are comfortable with each other. If one defenseman is on his off hand (i.e., left-hand shot on the right side), it’s important that he always present his forehand to his partner so the two can pass to one another without fumbling the puck.

Verbal communication is vital. The defenseman without the puck should always be instructing his partner and not simply watching.

The two wingers should also present their forehands to all teammates.

Wingers should switch with their center when they see the center coming to their side of the ice, thus taking the center’s position.