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Passing / On ice

Leave-and-loop drop exchange

Leave a puck still in a predictable space for a trailing teammate, then clear that space without crossing the receiver’s path.

10U · 12UIntermediate8 minutes2–2 players
Original drill diagram
Leave-and-loop drop exchange: player positions and movement 12StartDropEnd
1 leaves the puck beside Drop, then exits into the upper strip. 2 follows along the original lane and collects it. The black dot at Drop is the future leave point, not a second puck. Solid routes show sequential movement; no backward pass is drawn. 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: Skates, Hockey protective equipment, Cones, Stick, Pucks

  1. Mark a 24-foot lane with a Start cone, a Drop cone halfway along one edge, and an End cone. Player 1 carries a puck; player 2 trails 8 feet behind in the same direction. Reserve a separate exit strip 6 feet to the carrier’s left and 12 feet of runout.
  2. Move at an easy glide. Player 2 calls “ready” while still behind. If the call is missing, player 1 keeps the puck and both finish without an exchange.
  3. Beside Drop, player 1 slows the puck to a stop with the blade, leaves it in the lane, and continues diagonally left into the exit strip. Do not push the puck backward toward the trailer.
  4. Player 2 approaches the stationary puck, collects on the forehand, and carries through End. Player 1 continues in the separate strip until both can stop beyond the station.
  5. Return outside the lane and swap roles for four turns each. Count pickups made without a backward pass, collision, or receiver reaching between the carrier’s skates.

Key teaching points

  • Cue: “Park it, clear it, collect it.”
  • The trailer’s call confirms readiness before the carrier releases possession.
  • The carrier moves out of the pickup route; the receiver does not squeeze past.

Common mistakes

  • Carrier sends the puck backward. Try: rehearse stopping it completely before leaving.
  • Trailer closes too early. Try: restore the 8-foot gap and slow the approach.
  • Carrier crosses the pickup route after leaving. Try: continue in the left exit strip until the end.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier: walk through the exchange on skates with a stationary puck before adding the approach.
  • Harder: allow the carrier to choose a drop point within 3 feet before or after Drop, following the receiver’s call.
Research context & source notes

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

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