Why does U9 hockey use half-ice instead of a full rink?

Hockey Canada has a national policy that all U9 hockey is played in smaller, modified spaces. Its U9 Player Pathway gives these reasons:

• Players get about 3 times as many puck touches, 2.5 times as many pass attempts and completions, and 4 times as many shots on goal.
• There are about 4 times as many puck battles and recoveries, and about 2 times as much ice time, with less waiting on the bench.
• The emphasis is on skating skills, agility, balance, coordination and the fundamentals of skating, puck control, passing and shooting.
• Putting young players into a competitive environment too early compromises their development, so Hockey Canada asks parents to trust its research.

Offside, icing and positional play are introduced later, when players move to the full-ice model at U11.