A Deep Dive Into Hockey Line Changes
Today we are going to lay the foundation for a “boring,” yet vitally important, part of a hockey game. Just like Formula 1 pit stops… they may not be the reason for a win, but they can play a massive part in a loss!
Hockey Shift Length: The Art of the Undercut
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September 3, 2020
Rarely do line changes get attention outside of coaching circles. But ensuring line changes occur smoothly is a monumental step toward a successful game and season.
Stoppage-in-Play Line Change
Stoppage Change = Switching of players when play is stopped.
On the Fly Line Change
On-the-Fly = Switching of players when play is active and ongoing.
Long Line Change
Long change = Line change when the defending zone is farthest away from your team’s bench (gray shaded area) during play
Stoppage -in-Play Line Change
We’ve covered the rules and procedures around stoppage-in-play line changes.
On the Fly Line Change
During open play, most rulebooks/interpretations give a ‘5-feet of the bench’ grace for players to change on/off the ice. Officials and referees will often give a warning first if a team is being loose with players entering play too early. Sometimes this is missed or ignored.
Too-Many-Men (TMM) is a penalty called when a team has more players on the ice than they should have.
A TMM penalty is called if, while both players entering or exiting the game are on the ice, either player deliberately plays the puck or has physical contact with an opposing player causing their team to gain a competitive advantage.
A TMM penalty is not called if either player entering or exiting the game is struck by the puck accidentally. The play will not be stopped and no penalty shall be called.
With the basics out of the way… let’s talk about ways that teams can avoid penalties.
The most important way to avoid issues around line changing is to actively communicate and confirm the logistics before the change occurs.
Players can talk to their partners and linemates about “I’ve got first player off” or “I’ve got (insert player name here).” Both are great ways to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Coaches should communicate early and also communicate contingency plans. “Green line is up next. Followed up by yellow.” or “If the shift goes long and we are hemmed in our own zone, go with red line instead” are both great ways to ensure everyone on the bench knows who should be changing.
The basic universal configuration has the defense closest to their defending side and forwards closest to the attacking zone. From here, all other bench configurations are created.
A full bench is configured with the most rested-and-ready forwards in the middle
Defensemen do change in and out of the gate, however, so they just head to the back of the D-line (the middle of the bench) when their shift ends.
Having just four bodies changing at the gate at once makes gate use an option. Plus, on-ice D changes are easier to anticipate given the on-ice distance they have to travel to get to the bench, which limits traffic jams.
Forwards work the opposite. You slide down the bench as guys come off until you’re in front of the coach, which also serves the coaches well because the freshest forwards are usually in front of them.
Through the chaos and clutter, there is no time or space to go single file through the door while the players on the ice wait or try to get in before their teammates enter the ice). By setting the logistics of players entering and exiting the ice, the team can efficiently change players and avoid a traffic jam.
Which player jumps vs which player goes through the gate/door? I ran a Twitter poll and here are the results from fellow coaches:
There are benefits to each. I prefer fresh players moving toward the coaches calling out who is up next and fresh players jumping while exiting players go through the gate.
There are a few reasons, but in general, we’ve found that:
At the NHL level, it’s often turnovers
Youth, players coming on/off the ice deliberately play the puck.
A great way to help avoid these is to communicate and change faster. Like a sprinter, finish into the bench rather than slowing up a little bit before getting there.
In a few weeks, we will discuss strategies for improving line changes and turning these vulnerable moments into a competitive advantage.
Further Reading
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