“Thinking Inside the Box”: Ice Hockey Goaltender Glove Position Analysis

Ice hockey goaltenders must position their equipment within the net's frame for optimal performance. “Box control” is a non-standardized concept created by goaltender coaches to teach glove positioning, highlighting how the net's size dynamically changes based on puck location. It remains unclear whether goaltenders effectively execute box control, and what factors influence optimal coverage. This study aims to determine if goaltenders perform box control by investigating three-dimensional glove position changes based on duration of movements, perceived fatigue, and gender. Fourteen experienced goaltenders’ completed three conditions where glove position was tracked between puck-shooting positions using motion capture: 1) baseline, 2) short trial, and 3) long trial. Baseline captured the goaltender's optimal stance, while short and long trials captured three pre-determined movement patterns. After each pattern, the goaltender reported a rating of perceived exertion (RPE). The positions within the short and long trials were compared to the baseline to compute three-dimensional translational and rotational differences, which were analyzed using two-way ANOVA's. In the short trial, goaltenders had significantly more translational error for pucks located on the far left and right. In the long trial, goaltenders drifted back into the net with increased trial duration. Error increased with increasing RPE. No league-identified gender differences were found for the short trial, but men's league goaltenders had higher error in the long trial. Experienced goaltenders struggled to adjust and maintain their optimal positioning, indicating a need for alternative standardized coaching methods for teaching box control.