An investigation into representative training design in men's domestic ice hockey

Participation in British ice hockey remains relatively small but is steadily increasing. As the sport grows, a need to understand how training environments reflect the perceptual-action demands of competition also emerges. Representativeness provides a valuable lens for examining this relationship by using match environments to inform the design and evaluation of training activities. The thesis aimed to investigate the representativeness of training structures within a British senior domestic ice hockey context through three interconnected studies. Study one was a systematic review evaluating the scientific literature surrounding the representativeness of training activities across sport. The review revealed a narrow evidence base dominated by senior male Australian samples and revealed substantial methodological inconsistencies, including unclear operational definitions and limited reporting of reliability. These issues restricted cross-study comparisons commonly assumed to simulate match play were often less representative than expected. This presented the need for coaches to critically examine how training activities are designed. Study two addressed the absence of ice hockey research by describing the distribution and sequencing of training activities across a competitive season within a domestic men’s team. Structural patterns emerged, including increased use of playing-state activities during fixture-dense or high importance periods and a consistent part-whole-part sequencing within sessions. These findings provide a foundation for understanding how coaches scaffold learning and manage physical demands. Study three quantified and compared the technical-tactical characteristics of shooting. Although some activities were not intended to replicate match-play, key contextual constraints differed notably from match-play, shaping the representativeness of shooting behaviours. The study reported that shooting tasks should be aligned with specific match moments rather than assuming whole activities inherently reflect competitive demands. Collectively, this thesis offers practical implications for governing bodies, coach educators and practitioners, and identifies future research including integrating coach intention into representativeness analyses and examining transitional and management states.