Drill Specs
Drill Theme:
Cradling and Dodging
Field Position:
Offense, Defense, Midfield
Drill Style:
Game, Skills
Time Needed:
15 min
Field Location:
Midfield
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Objective
To develop the skills of dodging and passing a defender.
Description of Drill-Execution
Lay out three consecutive 15-by-15-yard grids, with a goal cage at the end of the last grid. Each team consists of three players. One team is on defense with one player positioned to defend in each grid without a stick. The attack team players each have a ball and line up behind the grid farthest from the goal. Each attacker tries to successfully dodge the opponent within the 15-yard space to move onto the next defender. If the attacker does not drop the ball and gets through the grid, she scores one point for her team, and she gets an additional point if she scores a goal after the last grid. A dropped ball ends the scoring opportunity in that particular grid, but she may move onto the next grid to challenge the defender. After all attackers had had three tries through the grid to score points, the teams switch roles.
Drill Diagram:
Skills Practiced:
- 1 v 1 defense and attack
- Dodging
- Strong and Weak Hand Play
- Cradling
Variations/Progression/Increased difficulty (As your players improve their skills incorporate the following…)
Place a time limit on how long the player can be in each grid (5 seconds). Allow defenders to play with sticks.