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Partner Passing Progression 1 - Link to Drill
- 2 Minutes
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
Set Up
Put players in lines, about 5-8 yards away. They will run forward while passing the ball back and forth. Players must keep their stick in the outside/upfield hand, so one line is catching/throwing righty while the other executes left. Have them run the width of the field as 1 rep. Complete again so players can work on their opposite hands
Coaching Points & Principles |
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- Keep your stick up as a target for your teammate when you don’t have the ball
- We are running upfield, not shuffling.. try to keep the hips/shoulders in that direction
- Passing – Make good passes keep the ball in the air so your teammate can make an easy catch
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Partner Passing Progression 2 - Link to Drill
- 2 Minutes
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
Am engaging drill to work on players passing and catching skillsets
Set Up
Put players in lines, about 5-8 yards away. They will run backward while passing the ball back and forth. Players must keep their stick in the outside hand, so one line is catching/throwing righty while the other executes left. Have them run the width of the field as 1 rep. Complete again so players can work on their opposite hands
Coaching Points & Principles |
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- Keep your stick up as a target for your teammate when you don’t have the ball
- Stay balanced, running backwards forces players to slow down a little bit and thinking about catching and throwing properly
- Passing – Make good passes keep the ball in the air so your teammate can make an easy catch
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Partner Passing Progression 3 - Link to Drill
- 2 Minutes
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
A good drill to build on partner passing that included a hand exchange
Set Up
Put players in lines, about 5-8 yards away. They will run while passing the ball back and forth keeping their hips upfield, it’s not a shuffle. Players will catch with their inside hand, exchange to their outside hand to make the pass. One line is catching R and Throwing L, and the other is doing the opposite. Have them run the width of the field as 1 rep. Complete again so players can work on their opposite hands
Coaching Points & Principles |
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- Keep your stick up as a target for your teammate when you don’t have the ball
- Try to keep the stick in tight during your hand exchange for a quicker release
- Passing – Make good passes keep the ball in the air so your teammate can make an easy catch
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Full Field Riding and Clearing - Link to Drill
- 12 Minutes
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
This full-field, continuous drill gives both sides of the ball live reps within your team’s clearing and riding systems. Start with the goalie and clearing unit working through your Ladder Clear (Or another system if that’s what you prefer), while the riding team applies your core riding principles at full speed. Once the clearing team successfully crosses the midfield line and establishes an offensive possession, the coach blows the whistle to create a dead-ball situation. The ball immediately starts going the opposite direction, with the units transitioning into their new riding and clearing responsibilities. There are no shots or goals unless the coach calls for live offense—the emphasis is on clearing, riding, communication, decision-making, and getting organized in transition.
The drill can easily be adjusted to prepare for specific opponents or reinforce different concepts. Have your clearing group work against different looks such as a 10-man ride, zone ride, or aggressive pressure, or challenge your riding unit against stack clears, traditional ladder clears, or other opponent-specific formations. Coaches can also emphasize transition substitutions, forcing players to recognize when and where to sub without sacrificing field balance. Keeping the drill moving continuously creates realistic conditioning while giving players repeated opportunities to recognize, communicate, and solve full-field situations. |
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54 - Link to Drill
- 15 Minutes
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
his transition drill will keep practice uptempo with constant unsettled 5 on 4’s. This is a great drill to use in the middle of practice as a warm up before an inter squad scrimmage.
SET UP
Put all the balls in both cages with the goalies. Put 3 Attack and 3 Defense on each offensive end. Split the midfielders up in half, and put 1 lines of each color on the box side of play. The play starts with a 5v4 scenario on end. Once there is a missed shot, save, or turnover, The goalie will put a new ball in play to go the other way. The goalie must outlet to a player in current field of play (not the new midfielder waiting). Send in one of the midfielders on defense, in to the hole, and play 5 on 4 until there is a goal, save, or turnover. Once the clearing team gets passed half field, the rinding midfielders are OUT.
PRINCIPLES & COACHING POINTS
PROGRESSIONS
– Send Opposite side midfielder in on defense |
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- Play fast!
- Get the ball down the alley and through X
- Find the 2v1
- Defense communicate and get into a diamond set
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Offense Skill: Slip Shooting w/ Nations - Link to Drill
- 10 Minutes
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
A shooting drill for teams that play 2-player games
Set Up
There will be 4 lines, 2 high center and 2 on the high wings. The balls start up top with a pass down to their adjacent wing. The player follows their pass, acting like they will set a pick, but then slip to the open field field. The ball carrier throws the ball to the slip player. At this point, the slip player with the ball, will make a pass to the opposite line cutting from up top
Coaching Points and Principles |
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- Slips – open to your teammate and into shooting space
- Lever or throwback passes – need good quick touch passes
- Inside Finishing – Catch and shooting cutting, with a quick release
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Defensive Skill Session: Crease Drill - Link to Drill
- 10 Minutes
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
A good drill to work with your defense on crease positioning
Set Up
Use cones or extra players and put 2 on the crease, and 2 on the lower back areas behind goal (Back left, Back right). Put 2 Defensive players in the crease and have the goalie start by yelling where the ball is. The defense will move and get into a good position, and then after 2-3 seconds, the goalie will yell the other location and the defenders need to move into position.
Coaching Points & Principles
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- Sticks UP! Always have your stick up in the passing lanes so you are ready to knock down passes, or check down
- Adjacent crease defender should have their back to the sideline, turned sideways so they can see both their player and ball
- Backside crease will have back to the goalie, protecting the inside crease
- Goalie is communicating where the ball is
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Shell Motion - Link to Drill
- 20 Minutes
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
A drill that works on your defensive principles and protecting the house/scoring area
Set Up
On one end of the field, put 5 offensive players and 5 defensive players out, with 4 perimeter and 1 crease player. Use cones to create an 5×5 – 8×8 house area in front of the goal. The offense will move the ball on the perimeter, and the defense will work together to approach the ball, and off ball players working to sink in to help the house. Defenders 2 passes awat should be all the way inside the house, with the adjacent teammates with 1 foot in the house. Have the offense move the ball around so the defense has to constantly move on and off ball to maintain position. Initiate the motion by having a player carry the ball like a sweep from up top, while exchanging spots with other players. You can also incorporate picks to trigger that motion
Coaching Points and Principles
Defensively
Offense
- Move the ball quickly, and think about spacing make good 8-10 yard passes
Progressions
- Add in cuts/motion
Play 6v6 of 4v4
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- Players approaching the ball should break down with their stick out, thinking about the angle of approach, keeping ball carriers away from the middle.
- Off ball defense get you sticks up in the passing lanes
- Communicate “Ball” “1 slide”, “2 Slides
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Numbers Scramble Game - Link to Drill
- 20 Minutes
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
A fast paced drill that creates unsettled situations in a small sided game environment.
Set Up
On one end of the field, put in 6 offensives player and 6 defensive players. Every player on each team, has a number 1-6. Make sure numbers are guarding their counterpart (1 can’t guard 1). The offense will play ball control, using motions to get the defense moving. When coach yells out a number and whistle, that number will exit the game for both teams. If coach yells (TWO), the offensive and defensive 2 players leave the field. That leaves a 5 v 5 on the field, but also leaves 1 offensive player open. We want the offense to move the ball to find the open teammate and the defense to communicate and slide/bump to keep he offense in neutral.
Coaching Points and Principles
Progressions
- Start 5v5, and transition to 4v4
- Start 7v7, and transition to 6v6
- Call two numbers so more players leave
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- Defense – Communicate! When players leave the field, we need to communicate and match up. Use slides/bumps to shorten that transition part. Keep sticks in the air off ball, don’t allow skip passes!
- Offense – Move the ball fast! attack the goal, find the open teammate, and try to create an advantage on the field
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6v6 Scrimmage - Link to Drill
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
A live 6v6 scrimmage allows players to apply the skills and concepts practiced throughout the session in a game-like environment. Play continuously while encouraging communication, decision-making, and teamwork. Keep coaching interruptions to a minimum, using brief teaching moments between possessions to maintain the flow and maximize repetitions.
Constraint Ideas: Possession clock • Every player touches the ball • Assisted goals only • Bonus points for defensive stops or caused turnovers • Start from specific situations (clear, ground ball, man-up, etc.) • Limit dodges or require a dodge before shooting • Reward good spacing and ball movement • Play uneven numbers (6v5, 5v6). |
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