Transition Drill #3B: 2 Player Out & Ups (“Support”)
INTERMEDIATE
- Start with 2 lines of players, on their proper floor sides, on both sides of the crease, at one end of the floor.
- The second player in line should be ready with a ball and the first player in line should be ready without a ball. The drill alternates from side to side with the next two players set to go in the drill waiting until the group ahead is at least half-way to the far-end net before they go.
Variation #1 (7 min): "Support The Goalie." The first player in line steps out to the shooter position and the second player to the crease position. The low outlet rolls or bounces the ball into the goalie and then runs (or backpedals) to the mid boards, while the high outlet runs hard along the boards toward the other end of the floor (not leaving the defensive zone until the goalie has control of the ball).
The high outlet stops short of the restraining-line and button hooks back toward the mid-boards, while the low outlet also button hooks from the mid-boards back to GLE. The goalie then makes a lead pass the low outlet, who then turns around and runs up-floor (toward centre-floor), making a pass to the high outlet (eye contact), who simultaneously cuts away from the boards on a 45° angle towards the net for a breakaway shot. (Draw Diagram)
Variation #2 (7 min): "Hit The Trailer." Same as the above variation except the player who receives the "head-player pass" (possibly from the goalie as another variation) carries the ball to the mid-far-side boards (aka "half board") and hits the trailer with a pass, for a shot (Variation #2A). This action can also be done as fake-curl out at the mid-boards, with a subsequent re-dodge underneath (Variation #2B).
Variation #3 (7 min): "Pick & Roll." Another variation of this drill would be for the player who receives the head-player pass (possibly from the goalie) to carry the ball to the mid-boards and execute a pick & roll with a same-handed player coming late into the play (which is the last "look" in transition before getting into a set-offense).
Variation #4 (7 min): "Bench-Side Recovery." Similar to the above variations except after catching the pass, the player on the bench-side cuts across centre-floor and runs the ball deep to the far-side, with the original passer becoming the hypothetical trailer coming "late" off the bench. Alternate with both lines doing a separate pattern, switching sides each time through the drill.
Variation #5 (7 min): "Pressure." Another variation of the above drills would be for coaches (or players) to apply pressure to the players who are trying to breakout of the defensive zone. If players are being utilized to apply pressure, they should first play defense, then breakout of the zone the next rep (after the other side takes their turn), with two new defenders later coming into the drill.
Variation #6 (7 min): "Scrambled." This variation could be applied to any of the above variations, whereby players must start on a different side of the floor each time through the drill (beginning with two mixed lines of lefts and rights), ultimately leaving an undetermined number of players on their wrong floor-side; having to identify the situation and still get off a quality shot.
Variation #7 (7 min): "Game To 7." To add competition, play a game of lefty’s versus righty’s up to 7 goals, losing team does push-ups, sit-ups, body weight squats, sprints, etc.
Variation #8 (7 min): "No Drops/No Misses Game." For every ball that is dropped and/or misses the net during the drill players will have to sprint from one side-board (or end-board) to the other. For every goal that is scored, one sprint is removed from the total, with goalies having to run if the players keep their sprint total at or below zero.

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