Answer: What Part Of Hockey Is Forechecking?

This entry is in response to our long running poll asking the question, “What Part Of Hockey Is Forechecking?“

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Before I get going here, let me suggest that, both the understanding and some misunderstandings about our game can be attributed to the guys who man the radio or TV booths. They’re, of course, responsible for describing the actions going on before them. The so-called “play-by-play” guys can be the worst offenders, but the “color commentators” — most of whom are former players — can be just as guilty. In some instances, they may feel a need to teach the game, while most of the time I suspect they feel more responsible for exciting their fans. Where I see them make the most mistakes, however, is when they try to use terms relating to either individual or team-type strategies or tactics.

None of us can fix such things from where we dwell, but we should attempt to explain terms properly to our players. Why does it matter if our players understand our game’s terminology or not? Well, let’s see…

Let me first approach this in one way, and then later come at it from a different perspective:

Let’s envision our team going on the attack, reaching partway into the offensive zone, and then losing the puck. (It really doesn’t matter where that turnover takes place up-ice, but…) Are you with me so far?

On the way up-ice — from the six guys on the ice to the players and coaches on the bench to the fans in the arena or those at home watching or listening — we’re all thinking “attack”, or “O-F-F-E-N-S-E”! I mean, we’re working towards scoring a goal here.

Now, what happens? We cough up the puck, and our roles have to change in a heartbeat. We’re no long on the attack, but we’re instead — all six guys on the ice — thinking and playing defense.

Okay, I suggested above, that I’d like to also approach this from a different angle:

If you had to categorize a group of terms that include body-checking, hipchecking, backchecking and poke-checking, I’m sure you’d notice the common root word, as in “checking”.

In so doing, can you also pretty quickly recognize which team is in possession of the puck? Ya, it’s the player who is being hipchecked or poke-checked, or it’s the team that’s being backchecked against, that at the moment owns the puck.

So, from all of that, can we agree that we as individuals or as a team are on defense whenever there’s a need to “check”. In fact, the term “check” or “checking” relates to anything we have to do without the puck, or defensively. That term can also be used as a verb, as in my assigning one of my players to check (or cover) a given opponent.

Okay, so Old Coach Chic is a nitpicking jerk. I mean, some might think that I’m splitting hairs here, making such a big deal out of a few seemingly meaningless hockey terms. However, think along with me for a sec…

I have for a long time felt that the best players in the world can change roles faster than the less talented players. And, while some might believe this boils down to a matter of recognizing changes faster than others — or that it comes down to executing a change in roles quicker than others, I’ll suggest that it is both.

So, for my money, a team’s success often boils down to its players understanding the differences in roles, oftentimes from second to second to second. Five guys go on the attack at one moment, but only three or four recognize the need to instantly switch to their defensive roles moments later? No, I don’t think so.

In answer to our recent poll question, then… There should be nothing wishy-washy about defining the term “forecheck”. Quite obviously, the “check” part tells us that it’s a defensive measure. (Any confusion about that we can likely chalk up to a misleading radio or television commentator, who might imply that heaving forechecking can lead to some goals.) Taking it a bit further — and in contrast to “backchecking”, the term we’re discussing happens to occur towards the “fore”.

So, are we done yet? If not, please comment down below.