Hockeyexercises for technique defense
Last update: january 2026
- Squares are laid out where a 1 versus 1 takes place.
- Attacker, red, attacks on the goal while defender, blue, defends.
- The focus here is that the defender defends accompanying and keeps the attacker constantly on the forehand.
- Turning through: attacker becomes defender and vice versa.
Focus points:
- Keep stick still when defending -guided.
- Wait for the right moment.
- Try to guide the attacker into the corner.
- Keep the attacker constant on the forehand.
- All but one player have a ball.
- The player without ball is the defender and tries to work all the balls out of the square as quickly as possible.
- The players with ball drift through the square and try to keep the ball there as long as possible.
- If the player loses his ball and the defender plays the ball outside the square, the player is finished.
- In that case, he helps the defender to work all the balls out of the square as quickly as possible.
- The player who remains last with ball wins the game.
Points of Attention:
- Emphasize that the players look well over the ball while drifting (head up).
- If a foul is made by the player with ball, he is out. If the defender fouls, it is a free ball for the attacker.
- The red players are attackers. They will play a 3 against 2 on the big goal.
- The 3 against 2 begins by playing into the defenders and getting the ball back.
- If the attackers score, the exercise begins again.
- If the defenders take the ball away, they may play to their two fellow players in the other box.
- The moment this happens, the blue players play a 4-on-3 against the red players in the other box.
- So the blue attackers will now defend.
- A and B are going to play over with each other. Before they get the ball, they look to see if there is a fellow player in the box who is free.
- The attackers in the box offer themselves to the two players who are playing over.
- If you have offered yourself and you do not get the ball, you run away again, make room for the other players and come back to offer yourself again later.
- When the ball has come to one of the attackers, a 4:3 is played, if there is no space forward then they play the ball back to A or B and it starts all over again.
- If the defenders take the ball then they score in one of the 2 goals outside the 23 meter area.
Let players try the first few times on their own and see what they already do, what you would like them to do and where there are areas of focus for both attacking and defending.
Attacking:
- Create speed.
- Ball must always be able to be returned.
- Player always makes depth by standing in the circle.
- Adjusting your teammate in the forehand.
Questions you can ask for the attackers' self-reflection:
- What is the purpose of the exercise?
- How can you achieve the goal and what do you need to do to achieve it?
- What is the task of which player at which pawn?
- What pass technique is best to use?
Defensive:
- Slowing down your opponent.
- Push outwards.
- You do not have to take the ball away immediately but wait for the opponent's mistake.
- Axis should always be close.
- Do not move behind each other but more side by side.
Questions you can ask for the defenders' self-reflection:
- What is the goal of this exercise for you?
- How can you achieve the goal and what do you need to do to achieve it?
- What is the most important task you have within this exercise?
- A starts with the ball and plays it to B (defender is not allowed to intercept)
- B then wants to play the ball back to A (defender is allowed to intercept)
- When A has the ball again, he plays it back to C
- C takes the ball and plays a 2v1 with A who has run on
- Tips for attackers
- Keeping speed in your play
- Play over the backhand side of the opponent
- Look where your teammate is standing
- Tips for defenders
- Push them to the outside
- Close the passing line between the attackers
Game with the three teams,
- Make three equal and fair teams.
- One team starts as the defenders (on the picture the red)
- One team starts as the attackers (on the picture the blue)
- One team behind the 23 meter line (on the picture the white)
- For the defenders, the idea is to pass the ball to one of the white ones standing in the box near the 23 meter line
- For the attackers, the idea is that they will score. If they have scored they get 1 point
- For the team behind the 23 meter line, the idea is that they accept the ball when the defenders pass it to them.
- When the ball is with the team behind the 23 meter line they attack
- The team that was attacking defends and the team that was defending moves into the box behind the 23 meter line.
- This keeps on turning. The one who gives the most points at the end wins.
- Tips for the attackers
- Pass to the free man when in possession of the ball and make sure that someone runs in deep
- Pass over the backhand side of your opponent
- When not in possession of the ball, close the lines to the people in the box behind the 23-metre line
- Tips for the defenders
- Make sure you defend outside the circle so that they cannot strike
- Keep up with your own man
- Close the backhand side so they cannot pass over it
- If you do have the ball, find the space and keep passing until there is a gap and you can pass to the people in the box
- You have them play a 3:2.
- Red wants to go score on goal and blue wants to go intercept the ball and defend out.
- If the drill is running you can later add in the extra blue defender. This one is going to run a tackle back. He can start running when the first ball is played
- Instructions which you can give to the attackers
- Always return the ball, create and maintain speed in your attack, one person creates depth so you keep the field long, pass the ball into the forehand of your teammate,
- Pass the ball over the opponent's backhand side.
- Questions you can ask the attackers
- What is the goal of the exercise?
- How can you reach the goal and what do you have to do for it?
- What is the task of which player at which pawn?
- Which pass technique is best to use?
- Instructions you can give to the defenders
- Slow down your opponent by pushing them outside, do not take the ball away straightaway but wait for the opponent's mistake, the shaft should always be closed
- Questions to ask the defenders
- What is the purpose of this exercise for you?
- How can you achieve the goal and what do you need to do to achieve it?
- What is the most important task you have within this exercise?
- Attack through the middle which starts with a 2:1
- B is a deep man starting in the circle. A starts with the ball and wants to finish with B on goal.
- C wants to slow the game down and close the pass lines to give D time to come to his aid.
- Goal of attackers:
- Pass the ball over the backhand side of the opponent
- Pass to teammate on the forehand
- Making eye contact with your team-mate
- Make speed
- Defender's goal
- Drive your opponent towards your forehand (your backhand side must be closed)
- Guiding your opponent
- Slowing down the game to give D time to come and help you
- When D has arrived, one goes on the deep man and the other effectively pressures the opponent and waits to take the ball away until the opponent makes the mistake
- A and B want to score on the goal together
- A passes the ball first back to B.
- When A has played the ball, the tackle back runner may start running back and it is a 2 on 2.
- When the defenders capture the ball they may score in the little goal on the right.
- Tips for the attackers
- Create speed + maintain speed
- Look at the position of the team-mate to see how you should line up
- Tips for the defenders
- Make sure you slow down the game first
- Keep the axes closed, so push them outwards
- Exercise 2 times
- A starts with the ball and gives a targeted ball to B
- A runs into the box and starts to defend
- B receives the ball and accelerates to pass to defender A
- Other side the same
- Tips for attackers:
- Maintain your speed
- Have already thought about what you are going to do
- Tips for defenders:
- Axis must be tight
- Use the jab to push your opponent to the outside
- Stand in an active stance.
- A starts with the ball and first plays the ball back to B.
- When B has received the ball, the 3v3 starts and the defenders can start to pressure.
- Tips for the attackers:
- Use the exercise of switching the strikers
- Play only the safe ball
- Remember the 4 squares in the circle
- Tips for defenders:
- Keep your player in the circle
- Push them to one side
- Always put pressure on the ball (so do not let them shoot)
Two different exercises
Exercise 1: 1 against 1
- Make sure you stand firm
- Let the ball do the work
- Practise actions
- Try to go over the backhand side (as attackers)
- Close the backhand side (as defender)
Exercise 2: practising lift pass
- You slalom between the cones.
- Trainer calls backhand or forehand
- You make a lift pass with the backhand or forehand and then finish on goal
- Further practice with half court press.
- The goal is that they realize what they have to do when the ball is passed.
- How should we run as a forward.
- Ball starts at A
- The 3 defenders position themselves so that the AXIS is closed and the ball can only be passed to the sides or back out.
- A passes the ball to B because the AXIS is closed.
- Now comes what the whole exercise is about what the 3 defenders should do now
- V1 shifts so that she is in front of the ball so that the ball cannot be passed straight forwards
- V2 stands between the person with the ball and the ball line
- V3 who shoots at attacker C, who is giving support there. V3 makes sure that C cannot get the ball and defends on the inside, between the opponent and the goal.
- From here on it is a 3:3
- At the other end, it is exactly the same and the defenders do the same
- 2 attackers defend against 1.
- A passes the ball back to fellow player B.
- From then on the 2v1 starts.
- Tips for the attackers:
- Play over the backhand side of your opponent.
- Do not run too much with the ball but continue passing
- Make eye contact with your team-mate
- Tips for the defender:
- Keep the shaft closed
- Let the attacker make the mistake
- Stand firmly/actively
- Later on, add that if the defender has taken the ball away, he can score in a little goalkeeper's box at the side
- Attackers must then switch.
Two different exercises
Exercise 1: 1 against 1
Exercise 1: 1 against 1
- Make sure you stand firm
- Let the ball do the work
- Practice actions
- Try to go over the backhand side (as attackers)
- Close the backhand side (as defenders)
Exercise 2: practising lift pass
- You slalom between the cones.
- Trainer calls backhand or forehand
- You make a lift pass with the backhand or forehand and then finish on goal