Two players or coaches are passing back and forth. The defensive line cuts through the pass at a 90 degree angle. They sprint to the cone and come back to the middle/crease leading with their stick to knock down the next pass.
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Foot Work (Ladder)
2 in 2 out 1 in 1 out Icky shuffle Hop scotch One foot jumps
Def footwork to GB
four cones set up about 5 yards apart in a square, and GB set a little ahead of the box. Sprint forward, side shuffle, back pedal until where you started, then sprint up to pick up GB. Can implement a dodge or dodge then pass coming out of the GB.
Ladders
Set up a speed ladder or use tape on the ground with 8–10 boxes, leaving enough space at the end to accelerate out. Run athletes through simple patterns at first (one foot in each box, in-in-out-out), emphasizing low hips, quick feet, and balance, then have them open their hips and sprint out at the end to reinforce transition from footwork to game movement.
Four Corner Finish
Setup: Set four players with balls at the corners of a box, about 12 to 15 yards apart depending on age and level. One attacker and one defender start inside the box. Each corner player has a ball. On the whistle, the attacker must cut to space, receive a pass from any corner, and immediately shoot. After each shot, she must quickly reset, cut again, and receive the next ball from a different corner. She can choose the order of corners, but must receive and shoot one ball from each corner to complete the rep. The defender plays live throughout, applying pressure and forcing the attacker to work for separation.
5v4 Drill
Set up half the field with five offensive players and four defenders. The coach holds a ball and can either roll it out as a ground ball or pass it directly into the group to start the action. On the whistle, the offense attacks the goal with one extra player, moving the ball quickly and looking for gaps. The defense slides, communicates, and tries to prevent a shot while managing their numbers disadvantage. The play continues until there’s a goal, save, clear, or the coach blows the whistle. Focus on crisp passes, smart positioning, and timing your slides perfectly. Encourage the offense to use the extra player advantage without overcommitting, and remind defenders to anticipate passes and recover quickly. To mix it up, flip the numbers so the defense has five and the offense has four, or add rules like a minimum number of passes before shooting, or requiring defenders to clear the ball outside the attack zone. You can even start from a ground ball to simulate a chaotic restart.
Out of Dodge
Improve defensive communication and sliding in a live 6v6 setting. 6 offensive players in a 1-4-1, 6 defenders plus a goalie. Offense passes the ball around. Coach calls out a defender's jersey number — that player sprints to the sideline and back. While he's gone, the ball carrier attacks the goal, forcing the remaining defense to slide and rotate. After a goal or turnover, repeat with a different player called out. Variation: Use different slide packages (crease, adjacent) against different sets (1-4-1, 1-3-2, 2-2-2).
3-2 Read and Feed Offensive Drill
6-person drill simulating slide recovery window exploitation. Dodger attacks, forces slide from two defenders who exit drill. Creates 3v2: feeder receives pass, reads two remaining defenders. Three options based on defensive reaction: feed backside dive if defender guards ball, feed pop behind ball if defender takes backside, or wrap corner if defender gets caught between. Emphasizes quick decisions during defensive recovery gaps.
Riding Drill 2-1-3 V with Dead ball off Sideline
Improve riding after a dead ball on the sideline. Lock your players onto the clearing team's attack and midfield. Play a 3-man zone with your attack, splitting the goalie and defensemen. Overload the ball side and force long passes or throws into traffic. Variation: Strengthen the clear to practice forcing turnovers in live situations.