Hockey: Elimination Skills: Changing direction under pressure

*** AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON *** Coaches Objective:  To teach the attacking player to give the impression of attacking the defenders open stick side before eliminating on the defenders reverse stick side. Purpose:  There is a much greater chance of a succesful elimintion on the defenders reverse stick side. By getting them to commit on their open stick side, creates a great opportunity to eliminate the other way to then pass or shoot.

*** AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON *** Coaching Objective: To teach the attacker to run towards the defender at pace and eliminate by creating a little lift over the defenders stick. Purpose: This skill can be done at pace and is quite subtle therefore is effective in getting past oncoming defenders when the space is tight and the option of dragging the ball into space is not there.

Standing in pairs on each cone players have to run with the ball at the left cone of each gate. When they reach the gate they should then drag the ball to the right cone and run around the gate. Once they have returned to where they started from the other player can run around the cones. After a few goes each reverse the direction to change the way players do their reverse drag.

Player 1 runs up to the 2 cones and  reverse stick drags the ball through them before then running to the far cone. When they reach the far cone they pass to the next player and join the back of that queue. To add an element of competition you can line up two teams side by side and see which team is first to complete the drill.

Player runs with the ball in close control to the 2 cones to then reverse turn and pass the ball to the front player of the next group. ( 2 cones through which to pass maybe a good idea) Each player follows their own pass to the back of the que

Players run with the ball at the cones (pretending these are a defender). The players reverse or forehand turn away from the cones to then continue straight and pass the ball to the other side.

2 Players, 1 ball. One of the players has to pass the ball to his partner through the gate. After the pass he/she then runs after the ball to put pressure on the player receiving (they have to run through the gate). The player receiving has to play the ball left or right to avoid the tackle then run to where the original pass started from. Player 1 can chase back to stop player with ball crossing the goal line and score a point.

Players are in pairs with one ball between them. Player on the left starts to run with the ball towards the back line. Other player tries to overtake this player (pretend defender chasing back) and run towards the far post. The player with the ball has to change direction when the other player runs past the ball. and run with the ball to the top of the circle to commit the keeper and pass the ball to the other player to score the goal. They both return to the half way line and the swap roles for the next go. Next pair go as soon as the goal is scored.

attacker attempts to outrun defender attacker wins by getting through red gate before being tackled,  and with the ball under control. attackers are then given a second option.  Both blue and red gates available. Defending starting positions can be altered,  #1 , #2

One player with the ball has to stand with there back to the sun, and move left and right. The other player has to try and stay on the shadow of the player with the ball. If there is no sun, the player without the ball puts down there stick in between the 2 players, and has to try and stay opposite the player moving left and right, on the other side of the stick.

*** AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON *** Coaches Objective: To teach players to use the close proximity of a defender to advantage in order to open up play to the right with a short V drag. Purpose: To open up the rest of the pitch to create passing options.

*** AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON *** Coaching Objective: To promote weight transfer by transferring ball from side to side, jumping from one foot to the other.  Purpose: Develop the confidence to drag the ball from one side to another at different speeds. Plus create the spring in the transfer of weight so that when transfered to eliminations, the attacker has the ability to spring out of the skill and accelerate away.  

*** AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON *** Coaches Objective: To teach the attacker to eliminate the defender by transfering the ball wide onto their reverse stick side at pace. Purpose: To get on the goal-side of your opponent as fast as possible to then pass or shoot.   

- Perform a V-drag and then roll strong - Can perform 2 practices per rotation - V-drag from left to right at first red cone - Roll strong at blue (1st run) and yellow (second run) cones

*** AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON *** Coaches objective: To promote weight transfer whilst on the move, keeping the ball under control with the movement. Purpose: To retain possession but eliminate if the defender attempts a challenge. The weight transfer can be great to create a dummy or to accelerate away from a challenge when the skill has been performed.