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Posted: April 30, 2009 6:29PM; Updated: April 30, 2009 6:25PM

Hugh Samson and Jeff Butler, two avid hockey coaches, have developed an application for the hot iPhone market: Hockey Playbook, great for other coaches, players and fans of ice hockey, ball hockey and inline/roller hockey.

 

Hockey Playbook is a smart phone ‘playbook in your hand’. Users can draw out Plays and Drills right on the iPhone ‘rink,’ just like a chalkboard. The diagram lines are erased by simply shaking the iPhone. Plays can also be saved for later review.

 

“For less cost than a roll of tape this is a great instructional tool that gets the attention of a player, especially a kid, right away, because it’s a new and unique way to show them plays and drills using the latest technology,” said Samson.

 

The plays and drills, once saved, can also be networked to a lap or desktop computer and then emailed out to everyone on the team. Unlike a regular board or diagram, where the circles and lines and arrows on one page can be confusing, the step by step diagrams of Hockey Playbook let the players see the play develop in stages and know their responsibilities.

 

“I used to spend hours every week planning practices, going through old playbooks and sheets of paper,” said Butler. “Hockey Playbook puts them in one place, there with you all the time. And if you see a Power Play or drill that another coach is using, you can sketch it out in seconds right on your phone, or someone can sketch it for you.”

 

Not just for coaches, the Samson and Butler figure that Hockey Playbook will also be a handy app for parents and hockey fans who want to dissect plays in the stands, or maybe point out some friendly strategic points to a fellow player after a rec game.

 

“I used it yesterday to show somebody Carolina’s tying goal the other night,” said Butler.

 

Hockey Playbook can be purchased on the iPhone app store for $2.99 – less than a roll of tape. A demo video and detailed screenshots can be found at www.fonesportz.com.