Everyone has a puck and skates freely in the square. The coach stands at the side as the "traffic light".
How to run it
A playful warm-up where everyone has their own puck. Kids work on puck control, skating with their head up, and stopping and turning with the puck still on the blade.
Set-up
A square of about 19 × 19 m in the neutral zone, marked with four discs. Every player has a puck. The coach stands at the side and calls the colours.
Instructions
- 1Everyone has a puck and skates freely in the square. The coach stands at the side as the "traffic light".
- 2Green: skate around with the puck in front of you, head up, looking for open ice.
- 3Still green – change direction when it gets crowded and avoid the others.
- 4Yellow: slow down and stickhandle tight with short, quick moves in front of your body.
- 5Red: stop – snowplough or hockey stop – with the puck still on your blade.
- 6"Turn!": change direction and skate the other way with the puck.
- 7Green again – full speed now, with the puck a little out in front.
- 8Red: stop! Anyone who loses their puck does five quick stickhandles on the spot before the next signal.
Coaching points
- Look up between touches – call out a colour the coach holds up to train your eyes.
- Bend your knees and keep both hands on the stick, top hand at the knob.
- Soft hands: let the blade do the work, not your whole body.
- On red: stop with your skates first, then cushion the puck with the blade.
Variations
Easier
No puck for the first round, or only green and red.
Harder
Add more signals: "backwards", "backhand" or "swap pucks with a friend".
Equipment
- 4 × Markers
Use this drill with your team
Add it to a training in SquadSpace, adjust it to your squad and show it to the players in the app – in 2D or 3D.
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