Hockey Session (Under 18s): Defensive principles

1v1s (10 mins)

1820(ish) All groups - finish s&b warm up with some 1v1s for a few minutes

Set up 2 or 3 channels/playing areas

(1) Start just playing through a few 1v1s, making sure people do both attack and defence, and that players face different people

(2) Progress to make the defender channel the attacker - have the cones on each corner be different colours, and call the attacker to go for one colour/direction. The defender has to channel them away from that cone 

• You could make it so the 'target' cone is worth more points, and keep a score.
• Target cone = 3pts for attacker, 0 for defender. Other cone = 1pt each

6v4 (10 mins)

Unlocking Space and Counter-attack 

Objective: Goal scoring and defense are equally emphasized. The objective for each team - depending which side they find themselves - is to score / to effectively clear the ball to start a counter attack.

Focus should also be on LEADING and RE-LEADING to receive. Players need to unlock spaces by leading and other players need to lead into those spaces. Attackers outside of D (guards) need to keep scanning while off the ball for opportunities to crash ball in or drive and shoot

Plan:

1. Starting team has six players in the 25yard area attacking the Goals, the defensive team has 4 players and 2 in the "END ZONE"

2.The END ZONE,  is a safe zone, the opposing team may not enter/tackle/put pressure on the ball

3. Activation starts with a long corner (can restart at different areas for LCs) OR can start with free hit outside the 23. Variation!

4. If the defensive teams wins the ball, they must safely play the ball into the END ZONE.

5. Once the ball is in the END ZONE, the two in the END ZONE can now join and counter to goals and the team that got dispossessed must drop two players and transition into a defensive role and defend the goals with 4 players

Encourage players to use the END ZONE to change point of attack and transfer the ball

Defensive team focus on tackling outside the circle and have a mini-game-game mentality inside the circle 

Defense is always at numerical disadvantage

Keep track of who scores

Goal = 5 points

Effective Baseline circle entry = 1 point 

Winning a PC = 1 point

1 point for slowing counter attack down and pushing it wide

1v1 to 5v5 (15 mins)

1v1 plays out on the far left channel, then once the ball goes out or the attacker scores a goal they wait in the D while the next 1v1 plays out in the next channel. Once they enter the D the it turns into a 2v2 until the ball goes out or a goal is scored. The next channel then plays out a 1v1 which will turn into a 3v3 and so on until all the channels have gone and the final ball in play becomes a 5v5. Reset once the ball is out of play or there is a goal. Encourage players to go to a new channel.