Triangle Passing Drill: The Basics
One of the most most fundamental passing and catching drills out there, Triangle Passing is great way to get your players' eyes up and feet moving toward the ball. Whether they need work moving to space, catching and throwing on the run, changing hands, or cutting off-ball, this is the drill for you.
Triangle Passing is easy to set up and doesn't require much space on the field. It's also a great warm-up drill to run before games, helping your players get focused and giving them a bit of pregame conditioning work.
THE DRILL:
Figure 1. Set up 3 cones in a triangle. The cones should be roughly 10 to 20 yards apart from each other. You can shrink the distance if necessary, depending on your players' stick skills.
Put all of your players in a line behind one of the three cones. Be sure to mix offensive and defensive players together. Everybody on your team needs to be able to run, catch, and throw with both sides.
If you have more than 20 players at practice, create multiple sets of cones to ensure your players get the maximum repetitions in your drills. There's no reason your players should come to practice to stand around waiting in line.
PRACTICE TIPS:
- Switch directions halfway through the drill- move the ball clockwise, catching right-handed and throwing left-handed.
- Time Your Drills for your players' age and attention span. Move on to something else once a drill or game becomes unproductive.
- Move towards the ball- "Attack the pass in the air." Move towards the passer to shorten the distance and stay in front of the Defense.
- Stick in the outside hand- Beginning players need to practice both hands equally. Keep the stick protected, away from the defender.
- Challenge your players- add a second ball into the drill to keep things moving quickly and keep your players focused.
VARIATIONS:
- Put the cones closer together for Quick Stick passing and even more reps. Try 5 or 10 yards apart.
- Ground balls- Get your players used to picking up ground balls and passing at lightning speed.
- Dodges- Use this same setup to practice the Roll Dodge, Split Dodge, etc. Make your move then move the ball quickly.
- Backdoor cuts- Cut behind the Defender to get open on the way to the goal.
- Over-the-shoulder- Turn a simple catch into a Fast Break and some exciting goals.
Try it at your next practice. Let us know if you have any great Triangle Passing Drills of your own!
