Many coaches put their attention in the wrong place, and focus on teaching “Knowledge OF the Game.” While there is some transfer, it’s less effective than teaching “Knowledge WITHIN the game.”
The best teachers/coaches in the world understand a fundamental principle at the center of everything: great coaching is about guiding eyes and minds. It’s knowing where to look and where to pay attention.
Knowledge OF the game vs. Knowledge IN the game
Knowledge of the Game = an explicit, conscious understanding of a game's rules, strategies, tactics, and objectives.
This is often developed through study, analysis, and instruction. Think whiteboard time, video review, and chalk talk. This type of knowledge enables players to describe plays, explain desired outcomes, and set goals.
Knowledge in the Game = implicit, practical game understanding from a first-person perspective.
This is developed through immersive experience and action within a game environment. You’ll often hear about “feeling” the right decision or movement at the right moment. Think of skills that become automatic under game pressure, often unexplainable by the players themselves.
As you can see in the videos above, knowledge ‘of’ the game and knolwedge ‘in’ the game are from drastically different views and abilities to see & read information.
Everyone knows that from the upper deck, passes seem obvious, yet on the ice, they can be difficult to see.
Seduction of ‘Knowledge of the Game’
Many hockey people can be seduced by a player who has a great knowledge of the game and can speak the language of the game. Yet, those same players may lack the knowledge in the game, which, as you can see from the videos above, reigns supreme.
Both types are valuable as knowledge of the game helps with planning and commander’s intent, but should be geared toward helping with improving knowledge within the game, where players are becoming more attuned to the cues and key information around them.
Building Up Your ‘Knowledge of The Game’
Studying to build a comprehensive knowledge of the game helps establish a commander’s intent and provides a solid foundation to draw from when expanding one's understanding of the game.
We recommend studying knowledge of the game with the intent to transfer that knowledge into knowledge within the game.
Study rules - My favorite rule that trips up folks: A player is onside while crossing into the offensive zone, while in possession. There are many other rules that can be used to play better/smarter.
Study tactics - There are only so many team tactics out there… study them and you’ll be able to understand strengths and weaknesses to manage.
Analyze game footage: Watch recordings of your own games and those of others to understand different tactics, opponent behaviors, and situational strategies. Choose 1-player or position and follow them around for a full shift, period, or game.
Discuss and reflect: Talk through plays, strategies, and performance. If you’re a person trying to help someone more in the know, ask good questions to get them thinking. Verbalizing your thinking is a powerful way toward better and clearer thinking.
Developing ‘Knowledge Within the Game’
Players have to perceive the signals that an opportunity is there, recognize how it must be adapted, and act on this information more quickly than the opposition can see and react. This means athletes must be looking for the right cues that inform decisions before those actions can be executed.
The best coaches are working to help players perceive the game better and faster. They’re worried about a player’s perception of cues and reads that need to be made within a game.
It’s great to learn about hockey IQ and have knowledge of the game, but players really need to insert themselves into an environment where they navigate knowledge in the game. That immersive experience is critical. This is why you see more Small-Sided Games (SSGs) taking over practices with the goal of “games that teach the game.”
Related: Why 'Practice Players' Exist and How to Avoid Developing Them
Players should be asking questions, but I recommend asking more specific questions that help guide the coach’s response into something you’ll get more from:
Bad - What should I have done there?
Good - What should I be considering when _____?
Players can reflect and ask themselves questions on missing information or what a better read would be. This leads to a great process. Reminder that you can make a great read and decision, while it could not work out… as the Seahawks learned in the Super Bowl.
Another great strategy is to visualize common situations that you find yourself in while going through your reads.
Related - Using Passing progression to speed up your decision making
Building up your knowledge of the game and prioritizing knowledge within the game are crucial. How much of the game is mental? Better prioritize your training that way, too!
Further Reading
Unlocking Ice Hockey Performance Through Targeted Perception
How the Concept of 'Zoo Tiger vs. Jungle Tiger' Applies To Practice Planning
Why Flow Drills Suck & Why Coaches Should Throw Away Their Cones and On-Ice Objects
Coaching Concepts: Canopy Coaching & Avoid Stealing Their Struggle
Better Hockey Communication: The Two Worst Questions in Coaching