Catching Rims and Breaking out Drill

Catching Rims and Breaking out Drill

Linden Guenther Photo
Linden Guenther
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This is one of my favorite drills to give youth players plenty of reps catching rimmed pucks. It will give them opportunities to settle the puck, and immediately look for a breakout option. 

There are also numerous progressions and teaching points from here. 

The Drill

The drill is set up as shown above.

Coach has a pile of pucks behind the net. The drill beings with the coach rimming a puck, and the lead player from the opposite line skating the route shown, being sure to get low for the breakout pass. Once the puck is controlled on the wall, a pass is made to the breaking out player. This will will lead to a 1 on 1 situation as play continues up the ice for a shot on net. 

As soon as the player on the half wall makes the breakout pass, he immdiately begins the same skating route, going in the opposite direction, and the coach rims a puck to the other line. 

The drill then continues as a continous flow drill. 

To develop youth players for all positions, have the defender go to a foward line when their rep is finished, and have the shooter join the defender line at half.

What makes this drill great?

There is almost 0 standing around time. Players will be hustling back to get to the appropriate line at the end of the drill. A teams of 12 skaters will ensure the drill has enough players to run smoothly, but there will be almost no standing around time before joining the next rep. 

There are numerous restrictions and variations you can place to modify the drill to work on particular skills. 

Variations

Off the glass. Have your players practice chipping off the glass. They may need reps finding out how hard they can propel the puck going high off the glass without simply icing it. 

For this variation, the players waiting in line may have to move their line back outside of the defensive zone, to give room for the off-the-glass play. 

 

Finally, add the decision-making component. Have a coach apply pressure, either pinching along the wall so that the forward has to look to the middle and make a breakout pass, OR have the coach cheat the pass in the middle, so that the forward has to chip or go high off the glass. 

Both examples options are shown in the below diagram. 

 

 

This progression will give players numerous reps controlling the rimmed puck, but will also teach hockey IQ and decision making. It forces players to play with their heads up, and to consider what their options are before the puck arrives on their stick. 

There are also many attacking and defending restrictions you can place on the players to emphasize different teaching points. Revisiting this drill throughout the year, but modifying those attack or defensive points allows you to limit board / instructional time as players will be able to quickly get set up for a familiar drill, but work on different areas of the game. 






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