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Find the open gate

Check which gate is available before receiving a pass, then carry the puck through a chosen open route.

8U · 10U · 12UBeginner7 minutes2–6 players
Original drill diagram
Find the open gate: player positions and movement 123ABC
1 passes to receiver 2. In this example, blocker 3 closes gate B; A and C remain open. The solid arrows are alternative outward carries: choose only one. The dashed arrow is the pass. Each gate is two meters wide with centers three meters apart. The return follows the chosen route in reverse after stopping and is not drawn. In the two-player version, omit 3 and have 1 name the closed gate. Original schematic; not to scale. Circles with numbers or letters mark players. Other markers and arrows are explained in the caption; some diagrams show puck or ball movement instead of skating. Red arrows show shots. Follow the written setup for spacing.

How to run it

Equipment: Stick, Pucks, Cones, Skates, Hockey protective equipment

  1. Use six cones to make gates A, B and C across one side of an open area. Each gate is two meters wide, with centers three meters apart. Receiver 2 starts four meters in front of B; passer 1 starts four meters behind the receiver. Use one puck and leave room beyond the gates to finish.
  2. With three or more players, blocker 3 stands in one gate and stays there for the entire repetition. With only two players, the passer names one closed gate before sending the puck; no physical blocker is needed. Any extra players wait behind the passer.
  3. The receiver starts partly side-on, looks at all three gates, and names an open one before showing a receiving target. The passer sends a gentle pass. Settle it, turn toward the named gate, and carry both puck and skates through that opening.
  4. Beyond the gate, stop and return through the same opening to the receiving spot. Pass the puck back only after resetting there. The blocker stays put until this return is complete; then choose a different closed gate for the next repetition.
  5. Rotate after each repetition. With two players, swap passer and receiver. With 3–6, passer becomes receiver, receiver becomes blocker, and blocker becomes passer or joins the waiting line while its first player becomes passer. Use seven minutes and count correct choices followed by a completed carry.

Key teaching points

  • Cue: “Look, choose, receive.” Get the gate information before the puck arrives.
  • An open gate is an option, not a command to sprint. Take the extra settling touch needed to turn toward the chosen route.
  • Ask “Which other gate was open?” after a repetition to check whether the player saw alternatives rather than simply repeating the last path.

Common mistakes

  • Receiver names the same gate even when it is closed. Try: point to both available gates before the passer releases the puck.
  • Player starts moving before the pass is settled and leaves the puck behind. Try: add a one-count pause with the puck before the turn.
  • Blocker changes position during the carry. Try: keep the blocker frozen until the puck has been returned; only the receiver makes the route choice during this repetition.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier for newer 8U: leave every gate open and let the receiver name one while stationary before receiving. Add the closed gate after the receive-and-carry sequence works.
  • Harder for ready 10U/12U: identify the open route without saying its letter aloud. After the carry, explain which gate was closed and why the chosen route worked.
Research context & source notes

Background sources for this drill’s skills and teaching principles.

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