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Puck around the clock

Guide a puck around the far half of a cone and back, changing blade face without moving the feet.

8U · 10U · 12UBeginner5 minutes1–4 players
Original drill diagram
Puck around the clock: player positions and movement 1C
1 stays still below the cone. The dot begins at 9 on the left; 12 is above the cone and 3 is to its right. Solid curved arrows show puck travel only: left to right around the far side, then back over the same route. The arcs are slightly separated for readability. Only one puck is used; neither route passes between the cone and the player. 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 one low cone in front of the player. Set it close enough that the blade can reach a puck just beyond it with elbows still slightly bent. Use one puck. For 1–4 players, one handles the puck while the others wait to the side.
  2. Imagine the cone at the center of a clock: 12 is beyond the cone, 6 is toward the player, 9 is left and 3 is right in the diagram. Begin with the puck at 9, a blade-width away from the cone.
  3. Guide the puck around the far side from 9 through 12 to 3. Change between blade faces as needed. Pause at 3, then retrace the same far-side route through 12 to 9. This is a half-circle out and back, not a full circle around the cone.
  4. Keep both feet in place. If the far side is out of reach, move the cone closer before restarting. Make three out-and-back trips, then let the next player take a turn.
  5. Use five minutes including demonstration and short sets. Alternate whether each set begins at 9 or 3. Count each half-circle that avoids the cone and finishes within reach on the opposite side.

Key teaching points

  • Cue: “Around the far side.” Look at the route before starting rather than trying to pull the puck across the near side.
  • Cue: “Give your hands room.” Move the hands in front of the hips so the stick can reach both sides without twisting the whole body.
  • Use short guiding contacts. If the puck gets beyond the next reachable touch, reset instead of lunging after it.

Common mistakes

  • Puck shortcuts between the cone and the skates. Try: stop briefly at the far-side 12 position on every trip.
  • Stick clips the cone. Try: add a little clearance around it and move the whole setup closer if that makes the far side hard to reach.
  • Feet shuffle or arms lock straight at 12. Try: move the cone closer and shorten the arc to a quarter-circle until the reach is comfortable.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier for newer 8U: practice 9–12–9 only, then 3–12–3. Add the complete half-circle after both small routes work.
  • Harder for ready 10U/12U: remove the pause at each side for three smooth trips. Then try a brief glance at the coach at each side before returning along the arc.
Research context & source notes

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

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