Triangle Scoring Game

By: Kendall Coyne Schofield

Description

The Triangle Scoring game from Kendall Coyne Schofield is a race to score first and involves moving the puck quickly and using deception with your passes and shots.  It's a great game to work on quick power play puck movement and for the defensemen/penalty killers to work on pressuring and having their stick in the proper lane.

Set Up

• 2 Nets should be set up on the goal line in an offensive zone in line with the face-off dots
• Draw a triangle from the goal line to the top of the circle - if you don't have a marker use a few cones/tires (they can act as an additional constraint for the team trying to score)
• 1 goalie in each net
• 1 puck per triangle (on the outside)
• 3 players on team "X" on the outside of the triangle
• 1 player from team "O" on the inside of the triangle
• Set up the other triangle with the opposite set of players - 3 "O"'s on the outside and 1 "X" in the middle
• Coach should be ready with a pile of pucks up top

Game

The objective of this game is for the players on the outside of the triangle to score before the opposing team does.  Each goal counts as a point and the game can go up to a certain number, with team "X" playing against team "O"

• On the whistle the game starts
• The players on the outside of the triangle are stationary, but can pass the puck through the triangle
• The objective of the players on the outside of the triangle is to score before the outside players of the opposing triangle score
• It's a race to see which team can score first
• The player on the inside of the triangle can move anywhere throughout the triangle, but not leave it
• The objective of the inside player is to clear the puck out of the triangle
• Whichever team scores first is awarded a point
• As soon as 1 side scores, the whistle blows and the next set of players moves in for each triangle
• Keep Score!

Variations

• Coaches can award a point to the team when a player on the inside of the triangle clears the puck
• Coaches can make clearing the puck and scoring different point values
• You can require one or two-touch passing/shooting
• Can allow players to skate through the triangle
• Can use the face-off circles instead of a triangle (see the Circle Scoring Game)

Coaching Points

1. Use Deception - deception can be used by using your eyes and body language to be deceptive with passing and shooting to throw off the defender and/or goaltender
2. Quick Release - to be successful, this game requires quick puck movement and quick releases when scoring opportunities present themselves
3. Active Stick - the player in the triangle needs to have a very active stick as the puck moves around and through the triangle