Games Drill #5: Face-Off Challenge
BEGINNER
- Arrange players into partners spread out along the restraining-lines, with players in a face-off stance (their right shoulders facing one net or the other + sticks laying flat).
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- *Variation #1 (5 min): "Restraining Line Variation." Once all players are "set" the coach blows the whistle, with players encouraged to make their first movement as a pulling back motion. To win the face-off, players must pick up the loose ball, in a “winner goes on” format (honour system).
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- Players that lose the face-off should pick a spot to stand in the vicinity of the players still facing off and they are allowed to “bat” the ball away if it comes near them (can’t move feet).
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- Continue until there are two players left. Have them face-off in a “best 2 out of 3” to crown a champion. Another option is to have other players stand on the side of the player they think is going to win. The losing team should then sprint from side-board to side-board twice.
*Variation #2 (10 min): "Face-Off Circle Variation." Have players stand around the face-off circle. Player’s face-off in a winner goes on format, two at a time until every player has had at least one turn. The 2 players with the longest winning streaks become the designated face-off players during games or practices, where required (keep track). If one of the last players to go has a streak going, a few volunteers should be allowed to go twice.
*Variation #3 (10 min): "Teams." Same as the above variation but whomever wins the face-off, their team is scored with a point. Both teams send a new player into the circle each round, and games can be played up to 5 or 10 (Variation #3A). Another variation of this game is to allow one or two players aside standing outside of a designated face-off area, adding to the scrum for the loose ball (Variation #3B).
*Most common error = moving early before the coach (referee) blows the whistle (automatic loss of possession).
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