Offensive Zone Forechecking Back in the Game Again?

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Offensive Zone Forechecking Back in the Game Again?
By Greg Siller
Dec 15, 2005, 13:30

With the amount of restraining, holding, and general obstruction that has been allowed to pervade the pro ranks over the last few years, the neutral zone trap has become the formidable and acceptable approach to regaining control of the puck from opponents. With its popularity a few years ago with the New Jersey Devils, the Trap (or a slight variant) has been used by most pro teams as one of their primary defensive tactics ... until recently.
With the recent (and hopefully sustained) emphasis on enforcing obstruction rules, resourceful teams that have previously been frustrated with trying to aggressively regain control of the puck deep in their offensive zone (while being held up), are now being given a new opportunity to create exciting and effective possession turnovers by incorporating offensive zone forechecking.
When your team loses possession of the puck, or neither team has definite puck possession, your only role is to gain/regain control of the puck (no matter which of the three playing zones your team is in). In the offensive zone, this is done by forechecking.

Three Areas

Forechecking is a tactic used by a team to gain/regain control of the puck by pressuring your opponents. Forechecking systems are described using three numbers corresponding to the three areas within a forechecking zone. For example, a typical 1-2-2 offensive zone forechecking system consists of one forechecker near the goal line (Area 1 in Figure 1), two forecheckers near the face-off circles (Area 2), and two defensemen at the points (Area 3). A more aggressive forecheck would consist of a 3-1-1 positioning whereas a less aggressive forecheck consists of the 1-1-3 (such as the Red Wings Left Wing Lock) positioning (a variant of the Trap).

Guidelines To Go
� Your first teammate (generally a forward) closest to the opponents puck carrier is the lead forechecker, with a second teammate reading the play in order to intercept any passes or move in to gain control of the puck (tandem forechecking).
� A good forechecker converges on one�s opponent under full skating control (not necessarily full speed). This way he or she can force the puck carrier to commit himself and is ready to change location/direction quickly to counteract any move made by the puck carrier.
� The forechecker should always keep his head up and play-the-player first. Angle the puck carrier toward the boards or net to cut off the skating space. Do not approach the puck carrier straight on and do not chase the puck carrier behind the net unless you are close enough to force a turnover or you are forechecking with a teammate.
� Finally, the foundation of good team forechecking is spirit and determination. Good coaches never forget that a team that makes well-organized forechecking a part of their defensive strategy will frustrate and disorganize teams (and can improve their probability of defeating that team as well).

Close To The Net
An ideal forechecking location is the area closest to the goal (Area 1 in Figure 2) because this is the area where the puck carrier has the smallest amount of open playing surface to maneuver in. The net blocks the middle portion of the low forechecking area and if the forechecker plays the angles right, he can force the puck carrier to stay between him and the net and skate right into the hands of the center (middle portion of Figure 3).
Area 2 is the next best forechecking zone, because the puck carrier is hemmed in by the corners. When forechecking in area 2, go after the puck carrier at an angle, force him along the boards and try and retrieve the puck. Area 3 is included because the forechecker can angle the puck-carrier along the boards, and create a turnover (top area of Figure 3). Defensemen can also forecheck (called pinching) by moving up into the zone to confront the puck carrier (as in the case of RD moving toward XF in lower portion of Figure 3).

Forechecking Drill

The Left Side 2-1-2 Forechecking Drill, as shown in Figure 4, requires two deep forecheckers (RW and C), one mid-level forechecker (LW), and the two defensemen (LD and RD) to execute. Once the opponent (XD) takes the puck behind his net, RW moves to flush him out. The center (C) moves in and forces XD to get rid of the puck around the boards to his teammate XF. The mid-level forechecker, LW, moves in to gain control of the puck from XF, with secondary support from C and LD (if required). Once LW gains control of the puck, move it quickly to LD, RW, or C for a quick scoring opportunity.
Incorporating solid forechecking tactics into your defensive strategy will give your team the ability to pressure your opponents, force turnovers, and create many exciting scoring opportunities in your offensive zone!

Greg Siller, hockey author and advocate of offensive zone forechecking, can be contacted at [email protected] or via his web site at www.prolearning.com.