Positions · Goalie

Puck tracking

What should a goalie's eyes do before, during and after the shot?

Your state

Not started

Open the lesson steps below to move forward.

Why it matters

Concepts earn their place by changing a decision on the ice.

Almost every save problem is a tracking problem first. Position without visual attachment is guessing in a good stance.

Coaching note · Developing

Hold tracking through the save.

Teaching lens · Teen (13–17)

Pair every read with the decision it changes, then rep it against real resistance.

Cue: “What was your second option on that play?”

Session dose · 15–25 minutes, with one game-speed progression.

The reads

Where is the puck relative to the shooter's body?
Is there a screen or a change of possession coming?
Where did the puck finish after contact?

Head leads the rotation to the puck

Head rotates to the new puck location before the body pushes.
Eyes stay attached through contact.
Track to the rebound, not just to the save.

Key points on the ice

Head rotates to the new puck location before the body pushes.
Eyes stay attached through contact.
Track to the rebound, not just to the save.

Common mistakes

Each mistake is paired with the fix a coach would actually say.

Looking at the shooter's chest.

Attach eyes to the puck and hold the attachment.

Losing the puck after the save.

Track through to the rebound location.

Decision scenario

Read the conditions first — the right answer is the best one under these conditions, not a universal rule.

The puck moves quickly from the top of the circle to the back door.

Practice this on purpose

Only reps that are feasible in your practice reality (any setting · 20 min) are shown. A logged rep is evidence for one named learning outcome only — never for another position's concept.

Off icesolo4 min

Pre-shift reset routine

Arrive on the ice with one clear job instead of five worries.

1Breathe out longer than you breathe in, four cycles.
2Name one job for the shift out loud.
3Name the first read you expect to make.

Progression

· Use it every shift for one game.
· Use it after a mistake.
· Use it before a defensive-zone draw.

Needs: home space · just you · non-contact.

Confirm the intended learning outcome

Pick the outcome this rep was for. Atlas never assumes what a rep proved.

Self-report override

The guided path to Understood is the decision scenario, and to Practiced is logging a rep. These buttons are your own honest self-report — Atlas does not verify them, and views or clicks never count as mastery.