Trapping in roller hockey

[umroller]

What traps or locks have people devised for roller hockey? i.e. what is a good trapping system to use while forechecking in the offensive zone or to use in the neutral zone/center rink area? Throw out some ideas and systems guys.

[Eccinline19]

Well, our team doesn't play any type of trap. We play a man to man system. But in order for it to work, every guy has to make sure he covers his man. If one guy loses there man, it won't work.

[umroller]

Let me clarify,
We also play a man-to-man but there are many different ways to forecheck in the offensive zone. It's not always good to go right to your man when forechecking. Better things to do may include forechecking strategies including a 1-1-2 or 1-2-1 forecheck system which will do a better job of trapping the other team in their defensive zone and causing a turnover. I'm curiuos if anyone has devised any specific trapping strategies to be used while forechecking or anywhere else on the rink slike the "left wing lock" as an example.

[Eccinline19]

The reason no one is going to answer is because in no offsides roller hockey, you can't have a real system, because cherry pickers get behind you. Our house league has the old RHI offsides(which makes the game a lot better), so we usually play a 2 or 3 man forecheck with each man taking a zone.We tried this in some tournament games, but we got smoked. So, I think man to man is the only good system.

[morrisville75]

there are none

[calihockey]

I disagree. I have seen many different teams use a trap in roller hockey. Only a few were good at it. In roller its a lot easier to read when they have only 4 skaters. It is alot easier to beat if you roll something back door and pull of a miss-direction play. There is a team i play in house against that traps decently. The only bad side to it is they have to play zone to do so. We all know that zone is alright for in house but tournament hockey your opponents are usually to go and you have to play man on man in which trapping is very difficult. CCM Hoser Juniors were the best at trap last year. They caught so many teams with their pants down. Kinda wierd how the best trapping team wont the championship in pacific cup yet you say their is no traps.

[morrisville75]

you was it there i have not.

play play diffent where you live

[dcdawgs]

Unfortunately more than half of the players playing roller hockey don't know that there are even set plays you can establish. I coach a couple of junior roller hockey teams, and one of the plays I use I got while trying out with the Washington Power of MLRH. In the offensive zone, you keep the puck to one side of the rink with 3 of your players. Your center is down low, your forward is in the middle near the boards, and one of your defensemen was up top. You then create a lot of attention to that side, usually by passing the puck around. Then you sneak your other defensemen back-door. It works when you have one of your forwards making the pass. It only works if you have players who can pass good.
If you can get it to work good, then you will be successfull.
Josh

[Hockey_nut97]

Not to sound like a jerk, but why are you trapping in Inline hockey. The sport is meant to be open and free wheeling. After watching the Penguins play, you learn to hate any form of the trap. Hockey should be fast, open, and high scoring. Trapping is about the worst thing ever invented for the sport of hockey, and if you endorse it you should be banned from the sport. Sorry

[umroller]

First of all, you did sound like a jerk, re-read your immature statement about how I should be banned from playing the sport...very funny. Secondly, trapping is a great way to create turnovers and odd-man rushes the other way. Yes, roller hockey is 4 on 4 with no offsides and no icing and generally no contact which makes it much more of an open game. That doesn't mean that a team cannot attempt to slow down the progress of the opposing team by insituting some set plays such as a offensive zone forecheck-trap or a neutral-zone trap. No need to whine about the way other teams may decide to play. Go out there and play your own game and if the other team is trapping, figure out a great way to break it.



http://members.aol.com/umroller/images/benecrha.jpg

[KenFas]

As I read responses to your question I notice players in roller still do not take defense seriously. We all know roller hockey is fast and flows end to end but that does not justify not having defensive systems to prevent the puck from going in our net. One trap we deploy for all of our age group teams from 10u all the way to adult and really works well. By the way we learned it by having it done to us. Dont let the forwards attack the puck behind the net when the opposing team has set up for the breakout. Making sure the forwards are covering the wings and the defensemen are backing up the play inside of half. This usually forces the puck carrier behind the net to skate out since he is the only one with no defensive pressure. As soon as he commits to half of one side of the floor both fowards attact the puck carrier one to the top of puck carrier the other from the side and underneath. It generally causes a panic forcing puck carrier to dump the puck or force a pass under pressure. We've had games where every one of our goals have come off the trap For all you guys who dont like defense. The Key is suprise and if the trap is broken a real hard backcheck to the in side of the floor for the forwards and getting to the top of the box in a zone defense in your own zone. It works well for small fast teams.

[umroller]

That seems like a possible forecheck/trapping scenario, but a good coach will easily be able to beat that trap. It's not speed that'll be able to do it but good passing. as soon as the forwards converge on the puck carrier, a few quick passes by the team breaking-out will be able to beat the forecheck/trap and may even cause a odd-man 3 on 2 or 4 on 3 rush because it will have been 2 forwards converging on the one puck carrier. You say that good backchecking can save the play if the puck carrier beats the trap, but that's only if it's the puck carrier who was trying to skate the puck out of the zone still has the puck. If he has passed it away, backchecking may be of no use, the forechecking forwards may have taken themselves out of the play. But it's a good start for an idea, I'll talk it over with my co-coaches. Thanks.



http://members.aol.com/umroller/images/benecrha.jpg

[Hockey_nut97]

Granted I did sound immature, but I think that playing a defenseive style in and offensive game is rediculous. The sport was made, so that it is more open and free wheeling. They took out the 5th skater so that there would be no clogginmg in the nuetral zone. The most FUN way to play the game is through speed and breakouts. Hockey in general has gotten away from Fire Wagon Hockey. Everything now adays is all about winning and not having fun. Tell me something would you rather play in a low scoring INLINE hockey game or a high scoring thriller.
Secondly, I dont think the trap even belongs in Hockey. It is a good defensive system, but it makes hockey games really really boring to watch. Sports are supposed to be fun for the fans and the players. Hey, some people love the trap, others hate it. I just happen to hate the trap.

[Justin]

Hello,

While I think you both have reasonable points, I think the bottom line is this: Competition is a test of skill that usually results in a "winnner" of some sort. One team wants to win, and will take measures to do so. Sports should always be fun, especially amateur sports. However, if you look at just about any sport, you can find little things that are so boring to watch that it is almost unbearable.

First let me disclaim that I have played every sport I'm about to mention in a competitive manner, meaning little league or youth organization, so I'm not disparaging them without experience.

In basketball, there is the constant fouling of a player when you are losing, in hopes of gaining possession off a foul shot rebound or inbound steal (How about Hack n' Shaq during last year's end of season and playoff run? 2 minutes turned into 2 hours of basketbrawl).

In football, we have the kneeling in the last 2 minutes of a game to seal a victory, the fair catch, and other mediocre rules that seemingly reduce the action in a game.

In soccer, well.... it's soccer and there isn't much scoring to begin with.

Baseball is really the only sport that doesn't feature set playing schemes aside from field positioning and hit placement, however it is so extremely slow-paced compared to the other major sports that this might ultimately qualify it as one big boring play altogether.

Granted, trapping in hockey can be implemented throughout the course of the game and not just in certain situations, but is there any real way to 'outlaw' trapping? I mean, you could theoretically impose rules that prevent too many players on one side of the red line at a time, but this would be very hard to call and would probably bring about a ton more stoppages than there already are for offsides calls and icing.

Let teams who want to play the trap, play the trap. I think that sooner or later, someone will come up with a a way to beat the trap effectively every time, and eventually trapping will fall victim to newer systems; perhaps even more boring than the first.

Justin Nazarenko
Inline Hockey Central



http://www.inlinehockeycentral.com/images/justin.jpg

[umroller]

I couldn't have said it better myself....in fact, I didn't.



http://members.aol.com/umroller/images/benecrha.jpg

[KenFas]

I dont want anyone to get me wrong I love rollerhockey for the speed and open floor playmaking that creates some really fun offense to watch,but its obvious that the topic of trapping strikes alot of interesting opinions. I do feel however that the defensive skills and tactics employed in rollerhockey are just as facinating to watch. Another thing that goes overlooked by many is even on the best of teams in the biggest of tournaments the age old addage still applies offense is fun defense wins championships. The best coaches learn to mesh explosive offense with solid defenive schemes to win. The best defense in roller or ice is a puck controlling offense. But any team that can keep the shot count down for the opposing team usually wins. Teams that only run up and down the floor usually give up as many shots as they get. Then the entire game comes down to goaltending. I also contend that having fun is why we all coach and play but winning is always better than losing and defense gives teams the best chance to win. Unlike Ice hockey trapping in rollerhockey only works as a alternitive to a complete defensive scheme. Without bluelines holding back players from moving into the next zone we have found that trapping as an element of suprise creates alot of nuetral zone turnovers and creates alot of odd man rushes in transition. What can be more exciting than that. Rollerhockey offensive finess many times is created by impatient forchecking giving the opposing team the odd man rush by beating forwards caught to deep in the offensive zone. Trapping starts to work when defensive teams sit back and catch the oncoming breakout and closing up passing lanes. Trapping is always risky because you have to double up on a puck carrier to employ. But if suprise is on your side it is fun to watch.

[newtron]

Where I come from(Detroit&SoCal) trapping is used most often as an attack from a defensive postition or to counter a very good offesive player. This is also observed at most Narch competitions. Its just another tool to alter or implement an overall game startegy. I don't agree with have the banter. Its used in every sport, in football we called it high low. In roller we called it outside inside, if executed incorrectly leaves your naked butt wide open. As for game strategys, I don't know of any "Winternational team" going to Vegas without plays and strategies. The sufistication of a "Narch" team is very high and can only be implemented by a great coach. Just ask Shayne, Joe, Tom, Gibo, Sparky, etc. Rollerhockey is way past what the general public perceives. Have you read the latest coments by Jager? The influence of roller on ice is huge. It is hilarious watching NHL overtimes(4on4) with million dollar pros that have no clue to 4 on 4. Learning season? I thought this post was about "trapping" not politics of egos. All good coaches use a form of trapping. Its used for attacks and catching a faster player. Just one more tool. Discuss that.

[Hockey_nut97]

I undertand the points everyone made, and I agree with almost all of them. I am willing to concede to the fact that the trap can be used in inline hockey (if done properly). I just feel that the best way to win is with puck control, and it's no simpler than that. My opinion will always be that your best defense in inline hockey is a strong offense.
So good luck with the trap, and I hope that you are successful in using it.