How To SEAL and Break Free of A Defender in Ringette

By Lisa Brown

Your team should have a set break-out or break-outs that you run. The point of a break-out is to make sure your team can actually get the ring up the ice more often than not. Also, ideally, your break-outs should create fast break scoring chances.

Many more goals are scored in ringette on the fast break than once your team is set up 3 v. 3 against the other team’s triangle.

But, a good break-out pattern isn’t enough. The individual players in the break-out also have to use certain skills to make sure they’re getting open. “Sealing” is one trick that I learned that helped me get open when I was playing forward in a ringette game. It’s a secret I stole from basketball…

When you SEAL a defender, you push yourself right up against the defender trying to mark you. You jam yourself right up against her:

Then, at the last minute, you BURST away from the defender quickly using aquick first step, guaranteeing yourself a one-step lead (if not more). Here is a DVD clip where the forward (in black) does NOT use a quick first step to get away. The defender easily stays with her and marks her effectively:



Now watch the forward (in black) as she SEALS the defender and breaks free to get the ring:



You can use this anytime a defender is marking you to ‘bust loose’, snag the ring, and go to the net home free!

Light it up out there,
Lisa B.