Hockeyexercises for technique attack / offense
Last update: january 2026
Execution
- Player A starts with the ball and passes it back to Player B.
- Player B receives the ball and passes to Player C.
- Player C controls the ball and plays it wide to the advancing Player A.
- From this point, a 3-against-2 situation begins.
- Defenders aim to push the ball outwards by collaborating.
- The objective is to intercept the ball only when the opponent reaches the baseline.
- Afterwards, they attempt to break out using a channel over the forehand side.
- They score in the small goal at the side.
Execution
- Player A runs towards the balls.
- Players B and C move towards the playing field.
- Player A takes the ball and hits it in.
- Players B and C offer themselves as options while being covered by two defenders.
- Player A is allowed to perform a self-pass.
- Attackers try to score in the large goal.
- If defenders gain possession of the ball, they try to score in goal X.
- Quickly taking the ball.
- Offering options by players.
- Running and playing lines.
- Tackle back.
Execution
- A starts with the ball and passes to B.
- From here, a 3-on-2 situation begins with a tracking back defender who may start as soon as B has received the ball.
- The defenders try to apply pressure on the ball and ensure that the centre of the field remains closed.
- The attackers try to increase speed to prevent the tracking back defender from assisting in the defence.
- If the defenders regain possession of the ball, they may score in the goal at the 23-metre line.
Execution
- Player A starts with the ball and passes to Player B.
- Player B receives the ball and passes to Player C.
- Player C receives the ball and plays it into the depth to the advancing Player A.
- Player A receives the ball and from here a 3 versus 2 situation begins.
- Consider the scoring positions in the circle and maintain eye contact with each other.
- For the defenders, communication is crucial; ensure they audibly communicate with each other about their positions.
Setup
- We make three teams of 4 players
- Yellow
- Blue
- Green
Exercise
- The field is from the 23-meter line to the back line.
- The field is made narrower (pawns just outside the circle)
- Yellow starts against blue.
- Green stands ready on the 23-meter line.
- Yellow scores on the goalkeeper. Blue defends.
- When blue has taken the ball away they play the ball across the 23-meter line, into the green team's stick.
- Yellow goes to defend and green attacks.
- Blue gets ready on the 23-meter line.
This is about quick turnovers. Attacking and defending.
- We will make three teams of 4 players
- Yellow, Blue and Green
- The field is from the 23-meter line to the back line. The field is made narrower (pawns just outside the circle)
- Yellow starts against blue. Green stands ready on the 23-meter line.
- Yellow scores on the goalie. Blue defends.
- When blue has taken the ball away they play the ball across the 23-meter line, into the green team's stick.
- Yellow goes to defend and green attacks. Blue gets ready on the 23-meter line.
- This is about quick turnovers. Attacking and
Attack through back line
- Player A passes to player B.
- B gets to the back line, A runs through to the penalty spot.
- B plays the ball to A. One touch on goal.
Explanation
- General explanation/ repetition of the hotbox.
- Player B: Ball on stick, in front of you and head up during back line run.
- 2 vs 1 + goalie: Attacker A give explanation for man/woman come attacking position.
Differentiate
- No goalie? Bounce board and ties as goalkeeper.
- Defender D may join the drill. Making it 2 vs 1 + goalie and defense can score in goal.
- Attacker C may join the drill. Whereby it becomes 3 vs 1 + goalie and defense can score in goal.
- Player A flattens the ball wide to the right.
- B takes the ball open and plays it deep to C who has come running in to the line.
- C immediately plays the ball wide back to B who offers himself there.
- B plays the ball to D who offers himself from inside the circle OUTSIDE the circle.
- D runs with the ball along the back line back into the circle and plays the ball to the head where A is standing meanwhile.
- A shoots at the goal.
Passing:
B to A
A to C - white to blue
C to D - blue to orange
D to B - orange to red
B to A - red pawn to white
B to A
A to C - white to blue
C to D - blue to orange
D to B - orange to red
B to A - red pawn to white
Goal Exercise:
Make high pressure tactics clear to a team.
Make high pressure tactics clear to a team.
- 6 vs. 6
- Setup defense is 4-2 and possible goalkeeper
- Attacking formation is 3-3.
Ball is taken out alternately by defenders and attackers.
Goal of defense
In possession of ball:
Goal of defense
In possession of ball:
- Play ball out and score in 1 of the 2 goals on the center line.
- Form triangles so that someone can always be played.
- Be able to change sides when crowded on 1 side.
No ball possession:
- Play compactly / ensure that the ball + player on the ball guide to the outside.
- Cover the inside of an attacker so that the way to the goal is covered.
Goal attack
In possession of ball:
In possession of ball:
- Attackers compact when ball is in middle of field, when ball is played away to side 1 attacker must run into corner and other 2 attackers assume scoring position in circle.
- Be able to shift ball from side when crowded on 1 side.
No ball possession:
- Attackers high pressure on ball / cover play-off opportunities.
- Midfield compact until ball is on one side and then pressure.
Attackers: players 1, 2 and 3
Defenders: player A, B and C
Defenders: player A, B and C
- All other players divide in line behind the defenders.
- Player A starts the game and plays one of the attackers.
After each interruption such as shoot, ball out of the circle or goal, the defenders become attackers and new defenders come in from rows A,B and C.
Play starts immediately after the defender brings in a new ball to 1 of the attackers.
Play starts immediately after the defender brings in a new ball to 1 of the attackers.
- The attackers join the back of rows A,B and C. Do not run through the game.
- Short attacks of up to 1 minute at high intensity.
Notes:
- Direct pressure to prevent hard ball on goal.
- Road to goal closed.
- Recognize where the danger is; free player.
- Do not give space in the circle.
- Taking away does not always have to be done, keeping path to goal closed is.
- Defenders benefit from quickly passing the ball to the first attacker who is ready.
Two exercises simultaneously. Note; only on goal if you have eye contact with goalkeeper.
Left:
Left:
- A plays to B. B back to A.
- B takes strong attack, turns over forehand, or backhand into circle and finishes on goal
Right:
- C plays to D.
- D plays back to C
- D in banana towards circle
- C passes into space around edge of circle
Attention:
- Timing running action and timing pass
- Speed in the exercise and tight passing
Making it more difficult:
- Using defender. Shine defending.
- Player 1 plays to A.
- A accepts and drives around pylons and finishes on goal.
- A positions immediately after shot on goal for 2nd ball.
Almost simultaneously plays:
- Player 2 to B.
- Player B drives ball around circle and plays to player B.
Attention:
- Timing. when does player 2 start.
- After shot immediate switching and positioning.
- Player A must be played into the run/movement.
- 1 and 2 pass the ball up and down 3 times.
- The one who gets the ball last plays someone of his color in the circle and may help build an attack in the circle.
Expansion:
- They may move out of the circle and also 2 meters outside the circle.
- Once the ball is cleared by the defending side, the attack is over.
- Defending outside.
Simultaneously to this exercise 3 players can practice the penalty corner.
Trainers divide over both exercises.
Trainers divide over both exercises.
- B starts running around the pawn triangle
- At the middle pawn it gets the ball
- And then plays the ball back to A
- B runs further in
- It receives the ball in the backhand
- In the exercise from the other side, you are played into your forehand
- When B has taken the ball, he plays it to C
- C has run past the pawns in the meantime
- C takes the ball and runs past the pawns back to the dead ball line
- Passes the ball in front of the goal to B.
- B then rounds the ball into the goal
You can do this exercise on both sides of the pitch so that you can pass faster in succession.
Divide your group into 2 teams.
- Red player in center plays defender in and gets ball back. 2 - 1 hockey out in the 'forbidden' zone.
- Right blue player starts with ball and plays defender in, plays back to blue and a 3 - 3 starts in the 'forbidden' zone and right field.
- Defenders may score in the goal if the ball is intercepted.
- After this attack, an attack starts from the left.
- Player red plays into the defender, plays back and a 4-4 in the whole 23 meter area starts.
- Defenders can defend by scoring in one of the goals.
On offense -with advantage- or off-ball, pass immediately to next attack.
Add extra: Scoring within 10/15 sec. Start when the attacker receives the ball back from the defender.
- A starts with the ball and plays it back to B first.
- When B has taken the ball the 3-on-3 starts and the defenders may start pressuring.
- Tips for the attackers:
- Use the practice of switching the strikers.
- Play only the safe ball.
- Remember the 4 squares in the circle.
- Tips for the defenders:
- Keep your man/woman in the circle.
- Push them to one side.
- Always put pressure on the ball so don't let them shoot.
Relay 4
- Players blue and red start at the same time with the ball
- Slalom around the 5 pawns --> cross --> around the green pawn and finish on goal.
- If you score, you may immediately choose the shortest path to tap your next teammate.
- If you miss; wide, post or the ball does not reach the goal, you make a detour via the red or blue pawn/triangle.
- Players blue run back via the blue pawn and players red via the red.
- When you have been, you sit on the ground.
- The team that has all players on the ground first wins the relay.
- Depending on the number of players, you may choose to have all players take their turn twice.
- Switch sides halfway through the exercise.
1 vs. 1
- The trainer sets out a square and gathers all the balls and players in it.
- The trainer gives all players a number. In this example, 1 through 6.
- The trainer calls out two numbers each time. In this example 3 and 5.
- The player with number 3 plays a 1 vs. 1 against the player with number 5.
- The player who scores a goal gets a point.
- Then the coach calls two other numbers, after which a new 1 vs. 1 is played.
- The players keep track of how many points they have made.
Overrun
- All but one player start with ball on the line.
- They try to reach the other side of the field without losing the ball.
- The defender -player red- tries to take the ball from the players -blue- and work it out of the box.
- If a player loses his ball and the ball is played out of the box then he is finished.
- He then helps the defender to take the balls off and work them out of the box.
- The game continues until all players are finished.
- The player last left wins the game.
Points of Attention:
- Is the game finished, start over with another defender.
- If the player commits a foul, he is also finished.
Superslalom.
You can perform this slalom in 4 different ways:
You can perform this slalom in 4 different ways:
- Normal slalom: player and ball move forward through the gates.
- Player keeps moving to the left of the gates and has the ball on the right side of his body.
- Player continues to move to the right of the gates and has the ball on the left side of his body.
- Player moves to the left of the first gate and ball passes on the right, player moves to the right of the second gate and ball passes on the right. The player continues to alternate this until the end of the slalom.
After the slalom, the player rounds the ball on goal and rejoins the back of the line.
1 vs. 1
- Attacker blue plays the ball with a push pass to defender red.
- Defender red accepts the ball and plays the ball with push pass back to attacker blue.
- Attacker blue takes the ball and plays a 1 vs. 1 with the blue defender in the square.
- Does the attacker win the duel he may score freely. The defender does not have to pass if the 1 vs 1 is lost in the square.
- If the defender takes the ball away, he makes sure the ball is played through the orange gate.
- The attack is finished when the attacker has shot at goal or the defender has played the ball through the orange gate.
Points of attention:
- Focus is both on defending -poking, sitting low, not stepping in- and attacking -tempoing, direction changes, etc.
- Depending on the number of players, the exercise can be plotted twice.
- Half Field.
- In the middle of the half field set out a square with pawns, players are not allowed to walk through it with the ball, but are allowed to walk through it without the ball.
Set a goal; for example:
- First play with your team 4x before you can score.
- Try with at least 3 or more players in the circle to outplay the goalkeeper during the attack. Do not aim for the ball to go straight to goal when you enter the circle but look for the right passing options.
- Try to build up the attack from the sides.
- Always try to have someone at the guard.
- Put a bowl down if the attack threatens to fail.
- You can also say; the ball must go around the back of the box per new attack if they are going to be huge on a bowl.
- -. Or if a goal attempt fails that then the ball must first be taken out of the circle before a new attempt may be made.
Additional difficulty: always enlarge the box if the attack goes well
Questions to the players:
- What is the best way to set up an attack?
- What is the best way to defend an attack?
- Which side do you want to guide the attacker to when you are defending?
- Which side do you want to attack from?
- First play with your team 4x before you can score.
- Try with at least 3 or more players in the circle to outplay the goalkeeper during the attack. Do not aim for the ball to go straight to goal when you enter the circle but look for the right passing options.
- Try to build up the attack from the sides.
- Always try to have someone at the guard.
- Put a bowl down if the attack threatens to fail.
- You can also say; the ball must go around the back of the box per new attack if they are going to be huge on a bowl.
- -. Or if a goal attempt fails that then the ball must first be taken out of the circle before a new attempt may be made.
Additional difficulty: always enlarge the box if the attack goes well
Questions to the players:
- What is the best way to set up an attack?
- What is the best way to defend an attack?
- Which side do you want to guide the attacker to when you are defending?
- Which side do you want to attack from?
- Choose 1 warm-up exercise from the warm-up exercises.
- Charging and Indian dribble:
- A pushes the ball to B and B rebounds the ball wide.
- A runs through to the one who can and receives the ball.
- A runs the Indian dribble towards the pawn. Fetch the ball from left to right.
- After the pawn drift back to the starting pawn.
- Passing over the backhand side:
- The player runs towards the pawns. You can stand there as a defender.
- The player threatens to pass on the left side but then moves to the right. Have them use a Dummy or a Reverse.
- Finish with a flats on goal
We play 3:3 where the emphasis is on communicating with each other attacking and defending,
how are you going to stand and how are you going to run free for the other?
how are you going to stand and how are you going to run free for the other?
A,B,C belong together. The first ball goes to B from there the 3:3 starts.
The defenders are going to put pressure on the ball and don't want the attackers through the axis in any case so make sure it is closed.
When they have conquered the ball, they score in the little goaltop at the side of the field.
When they have conquered the ball, they score in the little goaltop at the side of the field.
- A starts with the ball, B comes offering forward and gets the ball from A on his forehand.
- B takes the ball with a lift action over the pawns. When B has done this a 2:1 is played.
- B and C belong together and play against the defender standing in the circle.
- The defender tries to take the ball away and score in the goal on the side.
The exercise can be done on both sides, but please check with each other that we are not playing with 2 players in the circle.
- A starts with the ball and passes the ball to B.
- From here a 3:2 begins with a tackle back runner who may run when B has taken the ball.
- The defenders are going to want to start putting pressure on the ball but make sure to keep the axis of the field closed in the process.
- The attackers are going to want to speed up to prevent the tackle back play from getting the opportunity to help defender.
- If the defenders take the ball away then they get to score in the goaltending area which is on the 23 meter line.
Create 3 teams:
- 1 offensive team
- 1 defensive team
- 1 waiting team
- Team red starts as the attacking team and want to score on the big goal.
- Team blue is the defending team and want to conquer the ball and score in the goall on the side.
- One person, from the defenders, starts with the ball and plays the ball back to someone on the attacking team. That defender runs onto the pawn and runs a tackle back.
- Team white is waiting on the other side and hits ready to start when the other side has scored or the ball is out.
- Then the defending team stands to the side and no longer participate
- The attackers then become the defenders and go on the other side to defend the new team. it keeps going like this.