Hockey Session (Foundation Phase): Level-Up Warm Up

Drill

Objective: This drill will warm up field players' passing skills and goalkeepers' clearing skills.

Set up:

• Create a gate for each set of partners that is 5 yards wide (make the gate larger if you have a group of beginners)
• Mark three different levels of passing zones: the first should be 5 yards from the gate, second should be 10 yards away, and the third should be 15 yards away
• Have you players select a partner

Drill:
1. Partners begin in the first zone and complete 10 push passes or 10 clears to each other.

2. After passes/clears are completed, players move back to the next level and complete 10 passes or clears to each other.

3. After passes/clears are completed, players move back to the final level and complete 10 passes or clears.

Rules:These rules are completely modifiable depending on your needs. 

• The 10 passes or clears must go through the gate consecutively to move to the next level
• If there is a mistrap or the ball does not go through the gate, the count restarts
• For beginners: make the gates wider, the pass count lower, allow mistraps without penalty, or make the passing length levels shorter
• To make it more challenging: if the ball misses the gate, the players must start back at the first level

Recommendation:
This is a good daily warm up for your goalkeepers — this drill will allow them to simultaneously work on their clearing technique and accuracy, as well as their footwork. Talk to them about connecting with the flat part of their kickers and following through the ball.
Encourage field players work on specific passes at each level.
Emphasize setting their teammates up for success by putting the focus on accuracy and ball pace.
Make it a competition!

The NFHCA Drill of the Week is sponsored by FieldTurf®.