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Pass-and-follow triangle

Pass to a ready teammate, then skate to that corner while the puck continues around the triangle.

8U · 10U · 12UIntermediate7 minutes4–8 players
Original drill diagram
Pass-and-follow triangle: player positions and movement 1234ABC
Start: 1 at A, 2 at B, 3 at C, and 4 behind 1. Dashed arrows show A–B–C–A passes; solid arrows show the outside skating routes to the back of the next line. Cones A–C are about five meters apart. Player 4 fills A when 1 leaves. Extra players are not shown. Reverse both passing and skating directions together at the midpoint. 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. Place three cones A, B and C in a triangle with sides about five meters long. Players stand just outside their cones. Start with player 1 at A, player 2 at B, player 3 at C and player 4 behind player 1. Use one puck. For 5–8 players, distribute the extras behind the three starters.
  2. Begin A to B to C to A. Player 1 passes to player 2, then skates outside edge A–B to join the back of the B line. Player 4 steps into the receiving position at A.
  3. Player 2 settles the puck, passes to player 3, then follows outside edge B–C. Player 3 passes to the new receiver at A and follows outside edge C–A. Each player joins the back of the destination line, not the front.
  4. Continue with a settle-and-pass rhythm. The receiver presents a blade target before the next pass. If a corner is empty, keep the puck until someone is in position; if the puck escapes, reset the triangle.
  5. Use seven minutes: demonstrate the rotation, run short sets of six completed passes, then pause to reset positions. Reverse A–C–B–A halfway through, with everyone stopped before changing direction.

Key teaching points

  • Cue: “Pass, then join that line.” Move only after the puck has left the blade.
  • Cue: “Target first.” Wait for the next receiver to show a blade rather than passing to the cone.
  • Skate on the outside of the triangle edge; the puck travels along the inside passing lane. Arrive behind the receiver and let them finish their pass before taking the front position.

Common mistakes

  • A corner empties before the next pass arrives. Try: reset with the fourth player behind A and rehearse only the first three passes.
  • Passer follows the puck through the receiving position. Try: walk through the rotation on skates, pointing out the outside travel route and the back of each line.
  • Players rush into one-touch passes and lose the sequence. Try: require a settled puck and a spoken destination letter before every pass.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier for a new 8U group: keep players stationary and circulate the puck. Rotate the extra players into each corner after three passes, then add following.
  • Harder for ready 10U/12U: receive on the backhand, move the puck to the forehand and pass onward. Keep one puck and the same outside skating routes.
Research context & source notes

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

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