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Offensive Zone Play: High F Options

The three routes the high forward can take off the wall — scissor, slice and wide — so the puck carrier always has an inside or an outside look.

SCISSORSLICEWIDEF1F2F3D1D2HIGH F OPTIONS
F = forwards, D = defence (our five skaters) / Net we are attacking is at the top, our blue line at the bottom / Solid arrows = skating routes / Dashed arrows = puck movement / Black dot = puck

What this is High F Options is the route menu for our high forward when the puck is being worked out of the corner. Instead of guessing, the high forward picks one of three defined routes so the puck carrier knows exactly where the support is coming from.

Reading the diagram The dashed arrow shows the puck coming down the wall from F1. F3 is the high forward, and the three arrows out of him are the options: the Scissor curls up the wall behind the puck to swap lanes with the carrier, the Slice cuts hard through the middle of the circle to the inside ice, and the Wide route pushes across to the far dot to stretch the coverage. F2 holds the slot so all three routes have a finisher in front of the net.

Key ideas One route, called early. All three are good; the crime is standing still and taking none of them.

What to look for

  • Scissor: curl up the wall and swap lanes with the carrier
  • Slice: cut through the middle for the inside ice
  • Wide: push to the far dot to stretch the coverage
  • Slot forward stays home so every route has a finisher

Coaching cues

  • Pick a route early and sell it
  • Full speed on the route, not a drift
  • Call it or show it with your stick
  • Never take the same route as the carrier

Common mistakes

  • Standing still and waiting for the puck
  • Two players choosing the same lane
  • Slicing into pressure instead of open ice
  • Leaving the slot empty so nothing gets finished
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