How not to run up the score

[BlackIce 1]

O.K. here is the scenario. My summer team got bumped down a division and with only 3 games left in the season I do not think the league will be reorganizing/realigning at this point. We played this team last night that was very weak (politically correct language). It was a team with many players who were new to the game. A lot of ankle burners. After the first period we were winning 5 - 0. We ended up winning 11 - 1. When the score was about 6 -1 we decided as a team to back off. These are the things we tried to do to back off

- if you'd scored already you weren't allowed to shoot at the net

- we tried to make sure we made a minimum of 5 passes in the offensive zone

- changed up positions so that d-men played forward and visa versa

My question is, in this case what else could we do? I was thinking to even go with 4 skaters. However, I think that would be patronizing! I know that this is more a problem of the league convener/commissioner. To be honest with you we could have beaten them 20 - 0 if we really wanted to but what would that prove? I felt for these guys as they haven't won a game all season. When we shook hands at the end of the game you could see how dejected they were. How would you have handled this?

[coryroth24 15]

My favorite thing to do with the girls I coach is to only allow the defense to shoot and have the forwards there for the rebound. If you miss your first attempt at the rebound or if the D misses the net, cycle the puck back up and do it again. I feel it's a more "humane" was of playing keep away and it still makes it look like you're trying to score.

[sickwilly 37]

In our beer league, one of the teams used to be atrocious. They knew it, we knew it. We used to divide the teams about 50/50. One line of our team would generally skate against the other line from our team. For the standings, they added the goals scored based on what team players were on before the jersey swap. The games wound up being closely played and the guys on each team had a lot more fun that way.

[ndlancer95 0]

my coach in HS puts out the 3rd or 4th liners and the backup goalie in after about 4 or 5-0. then we just go making a lot of easy passes, letting them get their glory. we played against a really weak team on their senior night. They hadnt won a game in 4 seasons, so this was the last chance for the seniors to get a win. we had our 3rd and 4th liners out the entire game and the 3rd string goalie dressed and played. It was still a close game, and they won 4-3 Later, the coaches and other team thanked us for letting the seniors have their last shot at glory.

[coryroth24 15]

my coach in HS puts out the 3rd or 4th liners and the backup goalie in after about 4 or 5-0. then we just go making a lot of easy passes, letting them get their glory. we played against a really weak team on their senior night. They hadnt won a game in 4 seasons, so this was the last chance for the seniors to get a win. we had our 3rd and 4th liners out the entire game and the 3rd string goalie dressed and played. It was still a close game, and they won 4-3 Later, the coaches and other team thanked us for letting the seniors have their last shot at glory.

Not sure many beer league hockey teams have 3rd and 4th lines and/or 3rd sting goalies...

[Neal 41]

Not sure many beer league hockey teams have 3rd and 4th lines and/or 3rd sting goalies...

All the beer league teams I'm on have 3rd and 4th lines and 3rd string goalies.

We just don't have 1st and 2nd lines and 1st or 2nd string goalies.

Back on topic though, I think the key is to make the effort. There may be nothing you can do to completely stop from running up the score, but the effort counts for a lot. There is no good solution here though. The other team is going to be unhappy 95% of the time.

[zachary 2]

There really isn't much you could do. Maybe try just dumping it every time? When I played last summer my team was horrendous and only about 4 of us out of the 20 could actually make legitimate plays so it happened to us quite often.

[flyers10 57]

My current team gets annihilated every week. We must be 1 GF and 55 GA. Being a new team of throw together players of beginner to intermediate levels with only 5-7 skaters showing each week doesn't help. It's getting discouraging fast. Every team knows we suck but they all keep offensive pressure on all game. Most of them will even have a guy cherry picking all the way up the the final horn. Things I would respect from them would be if they had their D play F positions. Work on their passing instead of dipsy do and score. Don't have their #1 player keep taking 100 shots. Let one of our lower players try to make a play once in a while. There's little risk for them to do that. They can just take the puck away 3 seconds later if they want to.

[Law Goalie 147]

Every goalie I've ever asked has found it really, really obvious when a team starts trying not to run up the score -- and most of them were offended by it. Because of their perspective on the game, it's pretty easy for the goalie to see when you're not trying to press the attack, and let's face it: the goalie is the guy whose feelings you're really trying to spare. Ditto the coach, who sees with a similar but different perspective.

If you want to make it less obvious that you're holding back, there's a simple recipe.

Shoot from distance, aim to hit the goalie hard in the crest of the jersey, and pull up early whether or not there's a rebound. don't take one-timers: always receive the puck, get visual contact with the goalie, and hit him. Because all goalies - even bad ones - go into a focussed 'save mode' when they expect a shot, they won't notice that you're aiming to hit them unless you go soft on the release (which will also bugger your accuracy). Keep playing just as hard as you did before, same puck movement, etc., just hit the goalie at the end. The reason for aiming into the centre of mass is mainly because it has no holes, but secondary, because it won't get moved out of the way. If, for example, you decided to shoot only along the ice, even right at the blade of the goalie's stick, a bad goalie will find the most remarkable ways to let those in anyway -- AND he'll know you're doing it on purpose, which will be unbelievably embarrassing to him.

Personally, I don't care. If a game devolves into a shootout competition, it's just fun in a different form.

[chippa13 1844]

It isn't just the goalie but the whole team that you are trying to spare, unless the goalie can't stop a beach ball. If you're the defenseman getting passed around or made into a turnstile on every rush, you aren't having too much fun. If you're the forward that is lucky to touch the puck because your team is so outclassed, you aren't having fun. Everybody feels it when their team is getting trounced.

[BlackIce 1]

Thanks for all of your thoughts on this one. This is just another example of summer beer league hockey and how "hit and miss" the divisions can be.

[Hawkeye 0]

We used to blow teams out all the time and games would get chippy. So we started swapping forwards and D or having the D men take all the shots. Then just taking shots from the peremiter.

I've found that passing the puck around makes it look like keep away and the other team gets pissed.

[coryroth24 15]

The key is definitely to keep taking shots. I've had coaches thank me for not letting my team play keep away because it is pretty demoralizing for kids...

[nystromshairstylist 14]

We used to blow teams out all the time and games would get chippy. So we started swapping forwards and D or having the D men take all the shots. Then just taking shots from the peremiter.

I've found that passing the puck around makes it look like keep away and the other team gets pissed.

Being a noob on the receiving end of endless whoopings this year, I would say to not let your team's top players dangle through the 3/4 beginners we have on the ice on the same play in a long rush, and then score - that's F-ing annoying.

Pass alot, and take long shots as said above - but don't back off on our rushes - that is rather patronizing. But the fancy stickhandling through a bunch of us who cannot transition very quick from backwards to forwards defending a rush just proves your an a$$hole, IMHO of course ;)

[shotty 7]

damn, in my league it seems like when the score is being run up, the dominant team turns it into a skills competition. we played a team ABOUT evenly matched with ours, but half our team was missing, I was too busy to secure decent spares and our rock star goalie was away, so I brought in a guy who hadn't played in two years. it was a meaningless game (final game of season, standings clinched) and these guys were dangling our D, spin-o-ramas, wingers were standing at center waiting for breakaway passes, and the score was 9-2. I think they had a stretch of 6 goals on 6 shots.

[Hawkeye 0]

damn, in my league it seems like when the score is being run up, the dominant team turns it into a skills competition. we played a team ABOUT evenly matched with ours, but half our team was missing, I was too busy to secure decent spares and our rock star goalie was away, so I brought in a guy who hadn't played in two years. it was a meaningless game (final game of season, standings clinched) and these guys were dangling our D, spin-o-ramas, wingers were standing at center waiting for breakaway passes, and the score was 9-2. I think they had a stretch of 6 goals on 6 shots.

We have that happen all the time in the summer. This season especially.

At the capitans meeting before the season we agreed to not have college kids in our league. Basically a gentlemens agreement 30+ league. Under 30 is fine as long as they are a year round guy and over college age.

Two games ago a team comes out with 3 Robert Morris college sophomores and some other dangle punk. Score was out of control, 8-1 in the third and this kid is pulling out all the tricks. When he got caught with his head down and got smoked open ice the game was called before it got worse.

[shotty 7]

unbelievable phenomenon: sick hands, great moves, eyes glued to the puck.

i love it when a guy is coming down the wing at me, and our eyes are locked on each other, anticipating each other's next move. thats usually when i say "put it through my legs, douche"

[chippa13 1844]

well that hardly sounds necessary.

[shotty 7]

thanks mom. it isnt necessary, but it's effective.

[Quintin 16]

You want rubber between your legs? That does seem unnecessary

[Law Goalie 147]

It isn't just the goalie but the whole team that you are trying to spare, unless the goalie can't stop a beach ball. If you're the defenseman getting passed around or made into a turnstile on every rush, you aren't having too much fun. If you're the forward that is lucky to touch the puck because your team is so outclassed, you aren't having fun. Everybody feels it when their team is getting trounced.

Fair points, especially re: my rather lopsided goaliocentric model of the hockey universe.

However, shooting into the goalie (and not pressing the rebound) will allow the other team to get control of the puck (assuming the goalie coughs it up), or get a face-off, which your team can graciously lose, and give the other team a chance to break out. It's a good way to give up possession with zero risk of scoring or embarrassing the other team by making it obvious that you're giving up the game -- like dumping it in on a 3-on-1, pulling up on a breakaway and looking for a pass, etc.

If your team is that superior, you're probably going to get scoring chances; shooting for the crest just gives you a gracious out, and a way to turn the puck over more or less invisibly.

[Chadd 916]

Lots of dumping and changing works and I agree with shooting into the goalie. Pick a spot on his crest or legs and aim for it

[sitzlejd 0]

O.K. here is the scenario. My summer team got bumped down a division and with only 3 games left in the season I do not think the league will be reorganizing/realigning at this point. We played this team last night that was very weak (politically correct language). It was a team with many players who were new to the game. A lot of ankle burners. After the first period we were winning 5 - 0. We ended up winning 11 - 1. When the score was about 6 -1 we decided as a team to back off. These are the things we tried to do to back off

- if you'd scored already you weren't allowed to shoot at the net

- we tried to make sure we made a minimum of 5 passes in the offensive zone

- changed up positions so that d-men played forward and visa versa

My question is, in this case what else could we do? I was thinking to even go with 4 skaters. However, I think that would be patronizing! I know that this is more a problem of the league convener/commissioner. To be honest with you we could have beaten them 20 - 0 if we really wanted to but what would that prove? I felt for these guys as they haven't won a game all season. When we shook hands at the end of the game you could see how dejected they were. How would you have handled this?

I definitely wouldn't go with 4 skaters. I think that would be a slap in the face.

[vek 0]

Pick a spot on his crest or legs and aim for it

For me, aiming for the jersey crest is the perfect recipe for shooting one off the post and in.

[shotty 7]

For me, aiming for the jersey crest is the perfect recipe for shooting one off the post and in.

hahaha, truth.