Hockey Session (Under 12s): Week 4: Passing Skills (2)

Field Layout

Shuttles - Push 1

Power Push Skill

• Belly button faces forward (Drag push is when the feet are on the side of the ball)
• Performed off right and left foot - hard, power step with bent knee of whichever foot they are passing off of
• Player carries the ball forward, ball must be in front of body ( 1 stick length)
• Right Hand, left hand, and stick all come through the ball with power at the same time(Perform with right hand only to develop strength)
• Hands and body finish through the target
• For deceptive pass, player runs forward in the same position, and angles stick in the direction of the pass - the player should look away from the target if they can

• 2 Lines on the 25 Facing each other
• In between the two lines are three 2-3yd gates
• 5yds from either 25 line is a "release line" - players want to release the ball before the line

Phase 1:

• Player 1 runs forward with the ball on stick - belly button faces player 2, and releases a power push through the middle cones to player 2. Player 1 runs to the back of the opposite line. Perform skill off the left foot first. Then off the right foot. Time for a minute and see how many passes each group can pass through the middle cones. See if they are better off of their right or left foot. Since players stay facing their target they need to use their legs and core to power through the ball

• Do the same exercise with the right hand only - this will work strength and will be challenging - will force athletes to use legs. You can bring the release line closer to the middle for this part of the exercise

• Add the left hand and perform phase 1 thru the target again 

To Use the Skill in A Game

• two players are in the middle. 2 players on the end line
• The attacking player in the middle works with the two other players to get the ball from End Zone to Endzone using the power push skill. If the defender wins the ball, she becomes the attacker. Switch after one minute of work.

Intercept to Score

Hitting + Overheads 

This exercise puts hitting into a game situation - feel free to break the skill down during the station to focus on hitting or overhead technique

• Player 1 Receives an overhead from a playerDribbles a ball toward the top of the circle, and then takes a shot
• Player 1 Stays in the Circle for the next two balls
• Player 2 takes a ball and tries to hit thru the sideline gate, past player 3
• Player 3 intercepts and then hits the ball into the circle to player 1 for a shot or tip
• Player 3 joins for the next ball
• Player 4 tries to hit the ball past player 5, player 5 intercepts and then hits into the circle for player 1 & 3
• After a few reps, make it competitive by adding a defender on the first ball who stays in the circle to intercept the next two balls
• The Intercepted balls can also be overheads

On A separate area of the field, set up an overhead area with targets that are 15yds, 25yds, and 40yds away. Give athletes 3 tries to see how many areas they can hit

3v1 Break

Passing Box

Coaching Points

• Reposition into an open Passing Lane
• Play the open pass. 
• Two Touches
• Give a Clear Target

• Set up four cones in a rectangle 20x25yds. The attacking players must stay in the lanes outside of the cones. 
• 3-4 attackers each on a line (if 3, then the attackers can move to the open line), 1 defender who can move anywhere in the area.
• The attackers are looking to combine 4 passes. After 4 passes they go to goal. The defender tackles back. The attacker and defender in the circle join. The defender is looking to intercept the passes. If the Defender wins the ball, she can play to her teammate inside the circle. The 3-4 attackers who lost the ball don't join the play.
• If the defending team wins the ball in the circle, they outlet it to their grid of attackers and the game starts again.
• Alternate which team starts in the 3v1.