Practice-To-Game Ratio

Games are not as important as quality practice time and we can help educate parents, players and coaches that our focus in youth hockey should be THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF PRACTICE TIME.

Many parents new to youth sports make the mistake of overemphasizing game playing time. They have yet to consider the facts. They mean well and they are simply trying to protect their children.

This is from the USAHockey.com site in a discussion of cross-ice games: http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=PL_01_18&id=5238

A study of hockey games played on the full-ice surface by George Kingston in 1976 found the following:

In a sixty-minute running time hockey game between 6-8 year old children, the average player had possession of the puck for 20.7 seconds. Top National Hockey League and international professional players were also timed and no player exceeded 85 seconds of puck possession time. In a sixty-minute children's game the actual playing time of the game was 20 minutes and 38 seconds. Taking this into consideration, the individual player is only on the ice every third or fourth shift depending on how many players are on the team, resulting in even less ice time. An average of less than 0.5 shots per game for youth players and only 1.5 shots per game for junior and professional players.

The study concluded that:

For young players in the "full-ice game model" of development, the youngest players would require 180 games and the older youth players would require 80 games to enjoy 60 minutes of actual puck possession time to execute their stick handling, passing, pass receiving and shooting skills.
Professional and international players would require 60 games to ensure 60 minutes of puck control skill development.

Many players never touched the puck in the game, especially in youth hockey.

And here's another reference to Kingston's study of practice-to-game ratio: http://www.thehockeyfarm.org/opportunity.php

“By looking at the skill level of an average North American player we can easily tell that Canadians and Americans do not practice the craft enough”, says Kingston. “We produce great game players, but they lack fundamental skills. The junior development in Europe is much more efficient because they have a more sound practice-to-game ratio than in North America.”

Kingston says that for players under the age of ten, you need up to five practices for one game. Over the age of ten at least 2-3 practices for every game you play. In Canada and USA youngsters often have a practice-to game ratio that is close to one-to-one.

“Our study gives support to the theory that skill is developed through repetition. So we must try to encourage our associations and youth programs to practice more and play less if we want skilled and offensively creative players in North America”, concludes Kingston.

This difference gives what Kingston describes as a better practice-to-game ratio.