Hockey Drills

Spread your team anywhere inside the half of a pitch. Only give your team 3 balls. You may pass the ball around to anyone inside the half. This will create a lot of talking and activity. Do this exercise for about 5 minutes. It is important that the players keep talking and moving off the ball, always making themselves available to receive the ball. For quick decision making do the same exercise inside the circle.

Exercise starts with the ball being played to the half back, then down the line for a player running out to receive. This player should then control the ball before switching it across to the center half. The center half then passes the ball to the Inside-forward who then passes the ball to the far post for the original receiver to run onto and score. The next ball starts immediately after on the opposite side for the player to lead out and receive the ball, pass it to the Center Half. The Center Half then passes the ball to the next channel and the ball should be passed to the far post for the player who started the move to receive and finish.

This is a game where you learn to pass the ball beyond defenders, to players in space. No aerial ball allowed. Two teams positioned either side of the 23m line. One player from each team goes to the end zone behind the opposing team. The team with the ball has to try and pass the ball into the end zone behind the defence. Whoever makes the successful pass can join the player in the end zone. The aim of the game is to be the first team to have all their players in the end zone behind the opposition. The ball can only be won by the opposition intercepting a ball on the way to the end zone or back.

The goalkeeper passes the ball to player 2 who on receiving the ball has to try and score a goal. As soon as they receive the ball the defender is allowed to come in and try to win the ball. If the defender makes a tackle they have to run with the ball over the end line (opposite the goal).

First set out some 2 vs 2 pitches consisting of 2 goals, 15 to 20m apart with each goal being 1 stick length wide. Once the pitches are laid out, number the pitches 1,2,3,4, etc with 4 players and one ball per pitch. The aim of the game is to try and score goals from about 2m out. The length of the game is approximately 2-3 minutes long and starts on the first whistle and stopped by the second whistle.

Set out lines of cones in two different colours. One player always along the red line and the other always along the blue cones. Players pass the ball to the other player every time they reach a cone, culminating in a switching of sides and changing of passing order when they reach the final cone.

Moving back and forth between two cones players make straight and diagonal passes to each other while moving.

A. Player 1 passes the ball to player 2. B. Player 1 then follows his/her own pass. C. Player 2 passes the ball back to player 1 for a wall pass back in the space D. Player 2 runs onto the ball and has a shot at goal.

Set up two cones about 2 meters apart. Players dribble the ball back and forth between the two cones without taking their hands off their stick.

The player with the ball passes the ball square to the other attacking player. Upon receiving the ball player 2 runs laterally across the defender, staying just out of reach. In the meantime player 1 has to run diagonally into the space behind the defender. Player 2 has two options they can pass the ball into the space behind the defender for player 1 to run onto or player 2 can keep the ball and continue to run past the defender. Player 2 can pass at any time and must run to be available for the return pass from player 1.

Practice starts with player 3 passing the ball to player 2. Who in turn passes the ball to player 1. Player 3 has run towards the top of the circle to receive the ball form player 1 and shoots at goal. Rotation of players - 1 moves to 2, 2 moves to 3, 3 moves to 1.

Player 1 passes the ball to 2 who in turn passes it to 3 on the run. Player 3 then runs round the cone anti-clockwise before passing the ball to player 1. Player 1 then again passes to 2 who in turn passes to 3 who then runs clockwise round the cone and then passes back to 1.

Split the group into 2 teams (no more then 4 / 5 on each team) put one goal on the half way line and one in the normal position on back line. Set out a circle with cones for the goal ion the half way line. Each team positions them self to the left of the goal. Every player needs a ball. One of the players in one of the teams starts with the ball. This player has to run with the ball to the opposite goal and strike the ball into the goal. On doing so one player from the other team can now run with the ball to the other goal and try to strike the ball into that goal. The player that struck the ball first has to run back and try to defend against the 2nd player that has set off.

The white team play 3v2 against the blue team. When the attack is finished, the white team play 3v2 against the orange team. Then the orange team play against the blue team etc. Attack starts with pass from the wide player. Tips; If centre player carries the ball, the pass goes to the wide player, centre player follows pass to recieve the return ball, then pass goes to opposite side for shot (3 passes). If wide player carries the ball it should be passed to the middle player, then wide again for shot (2 passes).

In the grid play a 5 vs 5 or 4 vs 4 possession hockey game. There a two jokers stood at either end of the area. These two players may receive the ball from either team and are stood in the scoring zone. The aim is to play possession hockey and use the two Jokers. Everytime the team in possession passes the ball to a joker and receives a pass back they score a point. The first team to score 5 consecutive points is the winner.

Set up the break each time as shown in diagram for a 3 v 1 in the attacking team's favour. The break starts when the defender (number 1) passes the ball to one of the attacking players. After this the break is on and the game is played out as normal.