The Constraints Led Approach (CLA) is a skill acquisition coaching methodology. It makes use of constraint manipulation to create ever changing and dynamic learning activities that develop skill in players through exploration and problem solving.

 

In a CLA, constraints are not negative barriers or limiters that remove opportunities for action from players. Rather, they are sources of information, which provide players opportunities to act. We refer to these opportunities to act as affordances. Therefore, in a CLA, we use constraints to afford opportunities for players, not take them away.

 

We categorize constraints as one of three types. Player constraints, environment constraints or task constraints. As a hockey coach, you have greatest control over the creation and manipulation of constraints within the activities you design for practice sessions. These would be task constraints. Player constraints (height, weight, size) and environment constraints (lighting, noise, ice condition) are usually out of our control.

 

Viewing constraints as sources of information is one aspect of this methodology that makes it so powerful. Our objective is to develop skilled players. A large part of being skilled is the ability to solve problems, and problems are presented to players via information they collect. Therefore, working with a methodology based on creating and manipulating sources of information should help players develop into skilled players capable of solving problems.

 

But we are not interested in just any problems. The greatest benefits will be realized when players are solving real game problems. This is the skillfulness we seek and the skillfulness that transfers. Therefore, using a CLA within representative learning designs that expose players to elements and problems from the game is where we find the greatest impact to skill development. Perception and action remain coupled in this combination and the objective becomes repeating the search for solutions rather than repeating a single solution.

 

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How the CLA Works

 

We have established that within representative practice activities there are sources of information (i.e. task constraints). The number of players, the intention/objective, puck location, player locations, space, location in the zone, are examples. These constraints can create problems for players to solve. A CLA allows the coach to change or manipulate these constraints and by doing so change sources of information.

 

There are a couple important points to remember. First, we are not trying to change the problem when we manipulate task constraints. We are simply changing the sources of information or how the player may perceive the sources of information. We want players to learn to solve problems many ways and we want players to learn how to perceive the same problem in the many ways the game may present it. This differs from the concept of drill progressions. In many drill progressions the problem is changed. With a CLA we preserve the problem thus allowing the player to develop many ways of perceiving it and many ways to solve it.

Second, we want constraints to afford the players opportunities to learn what the activity is intended to teach. Constraints should afford the players the opportunity to act in a way that we desire.

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The example below illustrates a practical illustration of putting the CLA into action. The intention within each activity is the same, develop the player’s skill in catching rims and attacking off the boards. It is important to understand that manipulating constraints is not intended to change the intention of the activity. The intention for manipulating constraints is to afford players opportunities to seek out and create various solutions to the problems in the activity.

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Starting Setup:

• The setup represents a common game situation. An east-west rim, or rim release, requiring a player to catch that rim, possess the puck and get off the boards in possession while under pressure.

• The problem for that player is clear…find and move to space and escape the pressure. 

• This common problem is presented in each activity in this series, and we will use a CLA to help players discover various solutions to that problem.