3 v 3 Neutral Zone Break Game

By: Nolan Baumgartner

3 v 3  Neutral Zone Break is a competitive small area game that also encourages some creativity and anticipation to be successful. Each team has coaches that are involved in passing. These positions can also be players if you do not want to use coaches.

Setup

• 3 on 3 in the neutral zone.
• Goals and goalies on the blue line.
• Coaches are on the blue line with pucks.
• Game starts with a coach flipping in one puck into the neutral zone. The team plays 3 v 3, both trying to score.
• The one major wrinkle in the game is that a team can throw the puck behind their own blueline at any point to get a new puck and pass from their coach.
• If an offensive team shoots the puck and misses the net, it is the other teams puck as the coach will pass them a new puck.

Coaching Points

• Coaches / passing player at the blue line be alert! This game is only successful and fun if that coach or passer is alert and ready to make passes if a puck goes wide or a puck is shot back past a teams own blue line.
• Team with the puck, be alert and look for fast break opportunities, especially if a player dumps the puck back past their own blue line.
• Offensive players keep sticks on the ice and be ready for passes from your teammate or the coach.
• Defensive teams be alert of all players on the ice and be aware of potential fast break opportunities. Keep sticks on the ice to block passing lanes.

Variations

• Can have the coaches that are passing be players.
• Can have this game be 2 v 2 or 3 v 3 with the neutral zone setup.
• If you make it 4 v 4 you will want to move the nets back to the top of the face off circles, and any puck dumped past where the net is can activate a new puck.