Hockey Session (Under 14s): Narrow Pitch with wall players

Screen 1

Teams play down the length of the pitch, team number can vary.

There are 2 players on the outside, they play up and down the touchline and can be used by the team in possession, they cannot be tackled.

If the players on the inside are consistently managing to score without passing to the outside players make the grid longer by narrower. This reduces the space to work in and makes the side passes more effective.

Variation

Players cannot move forward with the ball, forces players to use space to the side or back and then pick out a pass. This can be useful for players/teams that endlessly look to go forward when there are other options.

Coaching Points

Using a 1-2 with the outside players is the easiest way to consistently get past the opposition and score. Players should be encouraged to follow passes with a quick run into space while the defender is still reacting to the initial pass.

Defenders should be reminded not to allow all their attention to get drawn to the ball. This does not mean remaining behind their opponent and giving an easy pass but that they are covering the obvious passing angle.