Drill Specs

Drill Theme:

Defense

Field Position:

Offense, Defense

Drill Style:

Games, Skills

Time Needed:

15 min

Field Location:

Attack Zone

Skill Level:

Advanced

 

Objective

To practice defensive positioning and holds when playing a ball carrier from up top to direct ball carrier down the alley, or to the backline (GLE).

Description of Drill-Execution

Start a line of defensive Middies and a line of “dummy” offensive Middies outside the restraining line. On a coach’s whistle, the first ball carrier drives in his right hand towards the right side of the goal.  As the dodger makes his move to the goal, the first defender turns his hips and positions his feet so they point to the sideline to ‘takes away’ the middle of the field.  The defender establishes contact with a “Top Hand Hold” by placing his top hand (here, his right) on the ball carrier’s lead shoulder and his bottom hand on the ball carrier’s lead hip, being sure to allow only his gloves (and not his stick) to make contact with the ball carrier. If the dodger attempts to roll back, the defender maintains contact, stays topside and drives defender down the alley into the slide.  Also run this drill with dodger from the wing – defender must stay ‘topside’ and funnel dodger behind GLE using top hand hold to funnel dodger toward GLE (see X2/D2 in diagram) work both sides of goal/both hands.

Drill Diagram: 

Skills Practiced:

  1. Off Ball Defense
  2. Defensive Positioning
  3. Defensive Footwork
  4. Conditioning

Variations/Progression/Increased difficulty (As your players improve their skills incorporate the following…)

To increase the difficulty for defenders, challenge them to perform the same drill without sticks or with short sticks. Can add a Crease A/Crease D to practice driving the dodging into the slide from the crease (or from adjacent defender).

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