How to get your team to take shorter shifts

[fawn111 0]

Mens league hockey..... lowest level of competition.We have a pretty long bench.... 14-16 skaters. Experience level of the team is mixed.

Some of these guys are taking long shifts.... like 2-3 minute shifts. So they are out there getting exhausted and are basically worthless after a minute but still stay out there, so that leads others to take longer shifts to make up for lack of ice time, and then they get tired, and in the end no one can get in any rhythm and the team plays like crap and guys get like three maybe four shits a period. The worst of it is, the good players are going hard for a minute and they get of and then sit and watch the lesser skilled guys skate around the ice for far too long and get pissed about sitting on the bench

Any ideas about how to get it into the teams head that shifts should be no longer than 60-90 seconds?

I've stressed that shorter shifts will mean MORE ice time for everyone and putting fresher skaters on the ice will make us better as a team and create better scoring chances and in the end we will be more competitive

thanks

[ReggieDunlop 3]

Mens league hockey..... lowest level of competition.We have a pretty long bench.... 14-16 skaters. Experience level of the team is mixed.

Some of these guys are taking long shifts.... like 2-3 minute shifts. So they are out there getting exhausted and are basically worthless after a minute but still stay out there, so that leads others to take longer shifts to make up for lack of ice time, and then they get tired, and in the end no one can get in any rhythm and the team plays like crap and guys get like three maybe four shits a period. The worst of it is, the good players are going hard for a minute and they get of and then sit and watch the lesser skilled guys skate around the ice for far too long and get pissed about sitting on the bench

Some days I wish I could get like three or four shits a period!!!!! - There is no easy way around this - just have to explain that everybody paid the same amount and should play the same amount - bust their ass and get off or use plan b get em drunk and they will get off on their own hopefully!

[Krev 86]

Mens league hockey..... lowest level of competition.We have a pretty long bench.... 14-16 skaters. Experience level of the team is mixed.

Some of these guys are taking long shifts.... like 2-3 minute shifts. So they are out there getting exhausted and are basically worthless after a minute but still stay out there, so that leads others to take longer shifts to make up for lack of ice time, and then they get tired, and in the end no one can get in any rhythm and the team plays like crap and guys get like three maybe four shits a period. The worst of it is, the good players are going hard for a minute and they get of and then sit and watch the lesser skilled guys skate around the ice for far too long and get pissed about sitting on the bench

Any ideas about how to get it into the teams head that shifts should be no longer than 60-90 seconds?

I've stressed that shorter shifts will mean MORE ice time for everyone and putting fresher skaters on the ice will make us better as a team and create better scoring chances and in the end we will be more competitive

thanks

My mens league team last year had a problem like this. Easily resolved. All the players that are getting short-changed... which is ideally the majority... don't show for the next game. Leave the 4 or 5 guys to play a game by themselves. See them next game, and explain how useless they become after being on the ice for longer than a minute. Either they'll get it and it won't happen again, or they'll quit the team, and you don't want douchewaffles like them on your team anyway.

BTW, the guys on my team got the message. Turns out, they were way more effective with shorter shifts. Who knew!?!

[JoeyJ0506 192]

Mens league hockey..... lowest level of competition.We have a pretty long bench.... 14-16 skaters. Experience level of the team is mixed.

Some of these guys are taking long shifts.... like 2-3 minute shifts. So they are out there getting exhausted and are basically worthless after a minute but still stay out there, so that leads others to take longer shifts to make up for lack of ice time, and then they get tired, and in the end no one can get in any rhythm and the team plays like crap and guys get like three maybe four shits a period. The worst of it is, the good players are going hard for a minute and they get of and then sit and watch the lesser skilled guys skate around the ice for far too long and get pissed about sitting on the bench

Any ideas about how to get it into the teams head that shifts should be no longer than 60-90 seconds?

I've stressed that shorter shifts will mean MORE ice time for everyone and putting fresher skaters on the ice will make us better as a team and create better scoring chances and in the end we will be more competitive

thanks

...and you don't want douchewaffles like them on your team anyway.

First: "Douchewaffle"? I love that, may have to be my new insult. Thanks for the laugh Krev.

Second: I've been experiencing something similar with my team. Usually it is the better players that bust their ass for about a minute and then go to the bench only to sit for 8-10 minutes at a time. My way of getting the point across usually is to take off my gloves and helmet, and put them, with my stick behind the bench lean back against the wall, put my feet up, and close my eyes. Honestly, I'm a very intense person, so when people see me just sitting there relaxing with my eyes closed they know something is up. I've even gone so far as telling people when they come to the bench with their tongues hanging out after their 5 minute shifts to, "stay the hell on, my nap's not over yet!" at which point they'll start to yell at me about how tired they are... I usually continue such behavior for the rest of the period or until someone gets the point that this is me protesting their super long shifts. As has been stated on this site before, if you skate your ass off for a minute you should not have enough energy to keep going.

[raganblink 82]

Since you don't have coaches its a lot harder... when i played competitive if we didn't come off 45-60 seconds, we didn't get to play the rest of the period. It taught us quickly.

For rec you could say everytime you don't come off after 90-120 seconds, i kill a kitty.

If you're the captain just tell them tough shit you're sitting on the bench if they go long.

[HattrickSwayze 3]

This has been a problem on every team I've played with. No matter how many people are on the bench saying "OK, short shifts guys, skate hard!" nobody listens. You get guys that are floating around, probably thinking they're skating hard, and then stay out there for a minimum 2 minute shift. Maybe you can start with the guy you're rotating with. Just tell him to tell at you after a minute, and you'll do the same. Tell everybody to skate hard enough that they HAVE to come off at a minute. Maybe they'll move their feet. I think once most people try it, they'll understand why it helps. Sometimes it sucks to come off after a minute of not touching the puck, but the extra energy you have in the last 10 minutes of the game is worth it.

[djinferno 2]

old men dont lurn, if they do it now, they wont change...

[farhanshak 1]

yah we had this same problem. it actually ended up costing us a berth in the finals because the douchebags wouldnt get off the ice in over time, werent backcheking, and we got killed on a powerplay.

here is what i try and do

i tell them in the change room to take short shifts and explain to them that if an NHL player (crosby) can only stay out for 45 seconds, there is no way they can stay out for more (they dont always listen, usually listen for one game and then back to the same old)

i tell them everyone paid the same amount of money to play and they hav to be fair (they usually start to listen)

here is what i found worked the best

have the captain tell them all of the above, and if they dont listen, they are scratched the next 2 games. if they complain, then we would explain to them that its the same as the guys that are sitting on the bench watching them play the entire game (the guys on the bench feel like they were scratched)

also, do what KREV suggested. this is what i will bring up next time with the guys that are getting short changed and let the captain know ahead of time. sounds good.

hope this helps.

[jcp2 2]

I haven't figured out how to solve that issue on my current team. It's worse when we have more than ten players, but I only notice when we have to play 5 D. Inevitably, one or two of the D are transferred wings who are shift hogs up front. When they come back, they don't play their position, they stay out too long, and we can't clear the zone. I resign myself to the fact that we'll probably lose, so I just focus on one part of my own game that I need work on.

[Chadd 916]

First, you have to have a strong captain, one that everyone respects and will accept their words/actions. That person has to pull the worst offenders aside and explain what their actions are causing. Not blaming, not accusing, but explaining that what they are doing unintentionally and how it changes the bench and the play of the team. If they argue, get rid of them. Those guys will never be team players. Most guys will listen and try to do the right thing.

That said, you will still have to call for changes at times and you shouldn't be waiting for guys to come off the ice after a whistle. If the guys have been out for more than a minute and there is a stoppage in play, the guys on the bench should be coming on the ice. Saying things like "good shift, great shift guys" as they come out and force the others off the ice. It shouldn't be done in a spiteful manner, but rather as a way of enforcing the 90 second maximum shift.

here is what i try and do

i tell them in the change room to take short shifts and explain to them that if an NHL player (crosby) can only stay out for 45 seconds, there is no way they can stay out for more (they dont always listen, usually listen for one game and then back to the same old)

Crosby, and other NHL players, are going very hard all shift long. You do not get that from players in a beer league. Expecting guys to go less than a minute, and closer to 90 seconds is usually more common, is just asking for trouble in a beer league.

[jumtao 0]

I have the same problem with my. These are some very good suggestions and I think I'll have to try a few of them.

[farhanshak 1]

First, you have to have a strong captain, one that everyone respects and will accept their words/actions. That person has to pull the worst offenders aside and explain what their actions are causing. Not blaming, not accusing, but explaining that what they are doing unintentionally and how it changes the bench and the play of the team. If they argue, get rid of them. Those guys will never be team players. Most guys will listen and try to do the right thing.

That said, you will still have to call for changes at times and you shouldn't be waiting for guys to come off the ice after a whistle. If the guys have been out for more than a minute and there is a stoppage in play, the guys on the bench should be coming on the ice. Saying things like "good shift, great shift guys" as they come out and force the others off the ice. It shouldn't be done in a spiteful manner, but rather as a way of enforcing the 90 second maximum shift.

here is what i try and do

i tell them in the change room to take short shifts and explain to them that if an NHL player (crosby) can only stay out for 45 seconds, there is no way they can stay out for more (they dont always listen, usually listen for one game and then back to the same old)

Crosby, and other NHL players, are going very hard all shift long. You do not get that from players in a beer league. Expecting guys to go less than a minute, and closer to 90 seconds is usually more common, is just asking for trouble in a beer league.

yah you are right chadd...i usually tell the guys if they can stay on for 45 seconds, there is no way you can take a 2-3 minute shift. but chadd is definitely right, ideally in a beer league i think a 90 second shift at the absolute tops should be somewhat okay. if you are running 3 lines and you have 12-15 minute periods, if you arent on at least 3 full times a period minimum, something is wrong.

[fawn111 0]

Chadd, that is grat advice.... just skate out there and tye usually get the idea. I was doing this last season.... we had a woman on the team who was very nice, but didn;t know how to skate hard, thus never really got tied. We were both at LW so after a whistle i'd usually skate out and she would always come off when she saw me coming. I guess this would work for most everyone else too.

Lot's of good advice. Problem is is that we don't really have a captain. I guess you could call me GM as I do the bulk of the scheduling and player recruitment and whatnot.... but I am definitely in the middle of the pack skill-wise, not that you have to be skilled to be a captain. I was just afraid of being overly vocal with the rest of the team because I am not the most experienced hockey guy there. In fact I've only been playing ice now for less than than two years. But no one else is stepping into that leadership role, so I might as well take it I guess.

[Chadd 916]

Chadd, that is grat advice.... just skate out there and tye usually get the idea. I was doing this last season.... we had a woman on the team who was very nice, but didn;t know how to skate hard, thus never really got tied. We were both at LW so after a whistle i'd usually skate out and she would always come off when she saw me coming. I guess this would work for most everyone else too.

Lot's of good advice. Problem is is that we don't really have a captain. I guess you could call me GM as I do the bulk of the scheduling and player recruitment and whatnot.... but I am definitely in the middle of the pack skill-wise, not that you have to be skilled to be a captain. I was just afraid of being overly vocal with the rest of the team because I am not the most experienced hockey guy there. In fact I've only been playing ice now for less than than two years. But no one else is stepping into that leadership role, so I might as well take it I guess.

I've been trying to get some guys to step up and become leaders on my team, but there really aren't a lot of guys that feel comfortable doing so. That puts most of the burden on me and I really don't care for that. Unfortunately without a leader, speaking up about a problem can be written off as bitching. You are on point about guys tuning you out if you're too vocal. That's why you have to be careful in how you resolve the issues. You need to convince guys to meet you in the middle, not force them to do it your way.

As for the talent thing; the captain has to be accepted by everyone. That doesn't mean he has to be more talented, just that the talented guys have to buy into what he is saying. There have been times that I have been in the middle of the pack in terms of talent, but the other guys have asked me to serve as captain.

With adults, the role of a captain is fairly limited. Make sure you pick a couple guys that share your views and bring them in on all major decisions. Those are the guys that will have to gently remind guys to change earlier or whatever other behavior you want to modify. Get input and feedback when you can because every person you can get to feel like they have input, is a guy that will buy in to things like shorter shifts.

One other quick tip for people that stay too long; if you see that one of your linemates has changed, you should be heading for the bench. At that point you only need one guy on the line to change early and set an example. It will isolate the long shift people even more.

[eric42434224 1]

Some guys dont skate hard, and therefore never really get winded, and end up staying out forever. I go balls out for 60-90 sec, and I and dying to get to the bench.

[Larry54 243]

One other quick tip for people that stay too long; if you see that one of your linemates has changed, you should be heading for the bench. At that point you only need one guy on the line to change early and set an example. It will isolate the long shift people even more.

Good point. On a team that I played with, the centerman decided when to change, so all you need are a few responsible players playing center, and the rest willing to respect his cue. The defensemen were left to fend for themselves, though. :lol:

[chk hrd 164]

I'm lucky, my team keeps it pretty short and we always try to switch out as a unit. If we are running three complete lines everyone changes. If we are running three sets of wings and two centers the wings change together and the centers go when they need. Same for D. That way players don't have the excuse of "I didn't realize I was out to long" you see your partner changing then it's time to go.

I've played with super shifters. They usually think they are above everyone else and are the laziest skaters; no fore check, no back check. Just hang around the neutral zone until they get the puck or it goes in the O zone.

The other player is usually the guy who can't skate worth a piss. The are so bad skating they expend very little energy and don't get tired. Meanwhile the game is flying by them. You can usually break ther habits because they are new to the game.

I get ribbed every now and then for taking to short of shifts. It's usually when we have a short bench and I try to fore check and back check pretty hard. A couple of times up and back plus a little time in front of the net and I'm done. At least I know when to get off and don't stay out with dead legs and no gas.

[chippa13 1844]

If you only have two lines then all you need to do is make sure your line is on board with quick shifts. The other line will learn fast enough that long shifts don't fly when they're exhausted after the first period.

[Chadd 916]

If you only have two lines then all you need to do is make sure your line is on board with quick shifts. The other line will learn fast enough that long shifts don't fly when they're exhausted after the first period.

Unfortunately, that isn't always the case in my experience.

[Too Old 1]

I see this every week but at drop-in. There are a few hotdogs and puckhogs that stay out forever. Like 4 minutes. Last night at drop-in I was sitting there with 2:39 left in the 3rd. We hollered to change it up. Two guys listened. I said F it and just went to the locker room. I said something when the others came in, and nobody said much. We also had one guy on our team that went end-to-end every single f'ing time he got the puck. Then he had the balls to tell a d-man on our team to "stop pushing the puck up the boards... pass it". Yeah... what... to him, so he can act out his fantasies each time up the ice? It's little wonder some of us guys that are a bit older get sick and tired of this crap. Enough to the point that I've begun to play on a B-league team in a town an hour away. It's a fun bunch of guys and well worth an hour drive each way. Plus it's more meaningful to me to play in actual games rather than just drop-in. It's night and day; everyone moves the puck and plays their position. Sadly we don't have leagues here due to a handful of douchebags that ruined it for everyone with their fighting and bickering all the time.

[chk hrd 164]

pretty much the reason I stopped playing drop in. I've tried to get the rink to set the clock to sound the horn every 2 minutes to let people know it's time to change. They won't do it because they don't have anyone to monitor the ice. That's BS because people can police themselves; someone hogs time, all you need to do is take the short walk to the pro shop and let them know. It never ceases to amaze me how inconsiderate and/or selfish people can be.

[Scotty 8]

Our men's league team has the EXACT same problem. You described it perfectly. I hustle my ass off for a minute or so and jump off and we have some guys who just started playing and they'll be out there 5-6 minutes sometimes.

We were winning 6-5 the other day and going into the last 3 minutes. Our worst 2 players on the team had already been out there 4-5 minutes when someone took a penalty. Everyone changed except for these two, who simply lined up for the faceoff huffing and panting, but acting as if nothing was wrong. A bunch of players just let them go, but my buddy on the team just absolutely erupted in a barrage of expletives as he tried to get them to comprehend how stupid this situation was. One of them realized it and came off, but as I replaced him to take the faceoff, I looked at the other and simply said, "I'm winning this faceoff and as soon as we get solid control of it, you're going STRAIGHT TO THE BENCH." Thankfully he listened.

It really just takes setting the example and drilling it into their heads by repeatedly saying it. Don't hesitate to have players yell from the bench when it's time. They'll start learning.

[Tikkanen 1]

Some guys dont skate hard, and therefore never really get winded, and end up staying out forever. I go balls out for 60-90 sec, and I and dying to get to the bench.

Exactly. I play in a league with guys who go back to the locker room after a game with perfectly dry hair. I'm frickin soaked from head to toe. So either they have waterproof hair or they aint skating that hard. The best way to get guys to take shorter shifts on teams is to video tape them. Nothing is more humbling than seeing yourself skating so slow out there on TV. You think you're out there flying, lookin good, feelin good and then the reality sets in when you actually get to watch yourself. Another great tactic is to keep plus/minus stats. If you have 30 goals on the season and you're a minus 25 you might think about changing how you play. And from 16 years of rec league experience there are a ton of guys who are just brutal in the plus minus category despite having a lot of skill.

[BucksAway 16]

I play roller hockey and we only have a total of 5 players

I get no breaks or anything...i think you should all do some extra training and become more fit

I skate hard the whole time i play, i can barely stand after the game

[Too Old 1]

I play roller hockey and we only have a total of 5 players

I get no breaks or anything...i think you should all do some extra training and become more fit

I skate hard the whole time i play, i can barely stand after the game

You can't be serious, can you? There've been a couple nights at drop-in when we had 10 or less skaters and 2 goalies. Either you go 3-on-3, 4-on-4, or even move the nets up to shorten things up. Unless you want to slow down so much that by the end of the game you can't hardly move. It's not any fun to be stuck out there like that if you truly put even any effort into the game. And you sure don't do yourself any good with that kind of punishment.