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Age-appropriate off-ice coordination / Off ice

Tape-line footwork

Repeat a four-step sequence across a floor line and back, alternating the foot that leads.

6U · 8U · 10U · 12UBeginner5 minutes1–1 players
Original drill diagram
Tape-line footwork: player positions and movement 1
The horizontal line is the one-meter strip of floor tape. Player 1 begins on the lower side, facing across it. The upward arrow means step both feet across one at a time; the downward arrow means return them one at a time. Follow the four spoken counts. The two arrows are successive parts of one child’s cycle, not two players or a jump. 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: Floor tape

  1. Place a one-meter strip of floor tape flat on the floor. One child stands facing across the line, with both feet on the near side and toes about one small step from it. No stick, ball or raised obstacle is used.
  2. Say “across, across, back, back.” Step the right foot over the line, then the left. Step the right foot back to the starting side, then the left. Both feet finish on the same side where they began.
  3. Pause in the starting stance. Complete three cycles with the right foot leading, then three with the left foot leading. Keep the toes pointing across the line; this is stepping forward and backward, not jumping or crossing one foot over the other.
  4. Look down to learn where the line is, then try brief looks forward between cycles. If the order is lost, stop with both feet together on one side and restart the four spoken counts.
  5. Use five minutes for demonstration, short sets and breaks. Count complete cycles with the intended foot order. A quiet, accurate cycle is the goal; there is no timed score.

Key teaching points

  • Cue: “One foot, then the other.” Each spoken count moves exactly one foot.
  • Use a step just long enough to clear the tape. Extra distance makes returning to the same stance harder.
  • Cue: “Same lead foot out and back.” Finish the four-count cycle before changing which foot leads.

Common mistakes

  • Both feet jump across together. Try: freeze after each count and name the foot that moved.
  • The return starts with the wrong foot. Try: have an adult call “right, left, right, left” for one cycle, then repeat with the left leading.
  • Steps grow larger and the child drifts away from the line. Try: reset the toes one small step from the tape and shorten all four steps.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier for 6U/8U: step one foot across and return it while the other stays planted. Switch feet after three attempts, then try the full sequence.
  • Harder for ready 10U/12U: alternate a right-led cycle and a left-led cycle with a pause between them. Keep the four counts and add no speed until the order stays accurate.
Research context & source notes

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

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More age-appropriate off-ice coordination drills · Development guides