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Receive and turn

Settle an incoming pass, carry it around a cone, and return the pass from a balanced position.

8U · 10U · 12UBeginner6 minutes2–6 players
Original drill diagram
Receive and turn: player positions and movement 123C
Dashed arrows: 1 passes to 2, then 2 returns the puck only after the loop. Solid arrows: 2 carries up the left of C, around the top, and down the right to the starting spot. Partners begin five meters apart; C is two meters to the side of 2. Player 3 represents the optional waiting line. Mirror the loop direction on the next turn. 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 passer 1 and receiver 2 five meters apart. Put cone C two meters to the receiver’s side, toward the top of the diagram, with room for a broad loop around it. Use one puck and one active pair. Any additional players, up to six total, wait behind the passer.
  2. Receiver 2 stands facing the passer and shows a blade target. Passer 1 sends a gentle forehand pass. Receiver 2 stops the puck before beginning the route.
  3. Receiver 2 carries the puck up the left side of C, around its far side, and down its right side to the original receiving spot. Complete a full loop rather than turning back halfway. Keep the loop wide enough to guide the puck without reaching across the cone.
  4. Back at the receiving spot, stop facing passer 1, show the puck is settled, and send the return pass. Complete three receive-loop-return repetitions before rotating.
  5. With two players, swap jobs after three repetitions. With 3–6, the passer becomes receiver, the receiver joins the back of the waiting line, and the first waiting player becomes passer. In the six-minute station, reverse the loop direction on each new receiver’s next turn.

Key teaching points

  • Cue: “Catch, carry, face, pass.” Finish each action before starting the next.
  • On reception, let the blade give slightly with the puck rather than pushing back against it.
  • Before the return pass, locate the partner’s blade. A completed loop is not permission to pass before the partner is ready.

Common mistakes

  • Receiver leaves before securing the pass. Try: hold the puck still for a count of one before moving.
  • Puck cuts across the cone while the player circles it. Try: use a larger loop so player and puck can travel on the same side of C.
  • Return pass is made while still turning. Try: mark the original receiving spot with the player’s starting position and require a full reset there.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier for newer 8U: receive and return three stationary passes, then rehearse the loop without a puck. Combine them when both parts are comfortable.
  • Harder for ready 10U/12U: after receiving, identify a finger number held by the passer before starting the loop. Keep the stop-and-face return pass.
Research context & source notes

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

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More passing drills · Development guides