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BAHA Cross-Ice Program

MAHA adopted a mandatory Cross-Ice Program for all affiliate association in-house U8 teams beginning in the 2005-2006 season. The program is designed for in-house Mite and Termite programs, not travel or select Mite teams (MAHA no longer provides U8 Mite leagues nor promotes Mite or Termite travel).

As USA Hockey and MAHA stress that it is critical that players of similar ability play together for proper player development, there are separate cross-ice program recommendations for Mite A, Mite B and Termite teams. The recommendations are as follows: 

Mite A

  • Half-ice 5-on-5 and a goalie (6-on-6)
  • Three 15 minute runtime periods
  • Rink dividers placed on the red line with game played half-ice
  • Regulation size nets
  • Line changes on the fly
  • Faceoffs at the start of each period only (puck played behind the net with the scoring team backing off after a goal)
  • Minor penalties will result in a penalty shot
  • Officiated by USA Hockey referees

Mite B

  • Cross-ice 5-on-5 (no official goalie)
  • Three fifteen minute runtime periods
  • Rink dividers placed on the blue lines with game played cross-ice
  • Smaller than regulation size nets (approximately 4' x 4')
  • On-the-fly line changes or on the buzzer every 90 seconds (mutual agreement of both teams' coach)
  • Faceoffs at the start of each period only (puck played behind the net with the scoring team backing off after a goal)
  • Minor penalties will result in a penalty shot
  • Officiated by USA Hockey referees or one coach from each team

Termite

  • Cross-ice 4-on-4 (no official goalie)
  • Three fifteen minute runtime periods
  • Rink dividers placed on the blue lines with game played cross-ice
  • Smaller than regulation size nets (approximately 4' x 4')
  • Line changes every 90 seconds on the buzzer
  • Faceoffs at the start of each period only (puck played behind the net with the scoring team backing off after a goal)
  • Officiated by one coach from each team

The program is based on the model of practicing and playing hockey across the ice surface as compared to practicing and playing lengthwise along the full length of the ice. This system has been used in some of the leading hockey nations for several years. Some studies have shown that children who begin their hockey training in this environment can have an outstanding hockey experience and may progress faster than those who begin in the full-ice system.

Some parents may ask, "Why should my child play cross-ice, what will this bring? I want my child to play full-ice like the professionals do because I want my child to experience 'real' hockey." To help address these questions, think about a child trying to skate with a puck while performing a drill from one end of the rink to the other. How long will this take? How much energy will this require? Will the player's decision-making skills be enhanced more in the close action of the smaller cross-ice surface or in the wide-open area of the full-ice surface? In which situation will the child be more involved in the action?

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 Mite (6-8 year old) youth hockey game with at least 20 players per team, the average player had possession of the puck for 20.7 seconds.
  • Top NHL and international professional players were also timed and no player exceeded 85 seconds of puck possession time.
  • In the sixty-minute running-time Mite youth game, the actual playing time was 20 minutes and 38 seconds. Given this, and the assumption that the individual player is on the ice every third or fourth shift (on a team with at least 20 players), on average a player has less than 6-7 minutes of playing time per game on a large team with at least 20 players.
  • An average of less than 0.5 shots per game for youth players on a 20-player team and only 1.5 shots per game for junior and professional players was observed throughout the study.

The study concluded that:

  • For youth players in the full-ice game model of development, the youngest players would require 180 games and the older 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 on a large team with at least 20 players.
  • 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 when they played on a team with 20 players or more.

USA Hockey and MAHA believe that by giving children the opportunity to participate in the cross-ice hockey program that their enjoyment of hockey as well as their hockey skills can be enhanced and offers the following advantages:

General Organization

  • More efficient use of ice time and space.
  • The size of the rink is in proportion with the size of the players.
  • USA Hockey recommends that teams play with two or three units of four or five players and one goalkeeper, which results in each player having more ice time.
  • More ice time for practicing and playing is made available to more teams within a single association.
  • Many teams can practice together by sharing the ice surface. 

Practicing

  • Children have more energy with which they can improve their skills when they are skating 85 feet across the ice surface as opposed to the 200 feet length of the ice surface.
  • Group sizes become smaller which means learning and teaching will become more effective.
  • The close feeling of belonging to a team will motivate a child to participate with even greater enthusiasm.
  • Drills designed according to the varying skill level of players within the group are easier to organize.
  • More puck contact, resulting in improved puck control skills.
  • More repetition/frequency in drills in one ice session.
  • Decision-making skills are enhanced, as more decisions must be made more frequently at a higher tempo.

General Spirit of Participation and Fun

  • More children get a chance to play ice hockey.
  • More children will experience a feeling of success when playing hockey.
  • The same exciting and fun environment as in a "real" game is created.
  • More and less gifted children will benefit from close/tight action on the ice.
  • Children are excited and motivated to continue playing hockey.
  • Hockey will be more appealing and rewarding to a wider range of children and their parents.