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Two-foot stop on both sides

Rotate both skates across a slow forward glide and finish a controlled hockey stop facing either side.

8U · 10UIntermediate7 minutes1–1 players
Original drill diagram
Two-foot stop on both sides: player positions and movement 1StartStop
1 approaches the Stop area from the left. The two short vertical arrows show alternative facing directions at the same stopping location, not sideways travel to chase. Use one facing direction each attempt. 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

  1. Set Start and Stop cones 12 feet apart along the side of an 8-foot-wide lane. Leave 15 feet of runout. Use one skater and no puck. Begin only after reliable snowplow braking and an instructor-led introduction to the two-foot stop.
  2. Take two gentle pushes and coast. Before the Stop cone, rotate the body and both skates toward the left so the blades move across the original travel line, with knees remaining flexed.
  3. Let both blades shave the ice and bring the glide to a halt. Hold the resulting sideways stance for one count, then restore a comfortable ready stance.
  4. Return outside the lane. Repeat toward the right on the next attempt. Complete three attempts per side, pausing after each pair within seven minutes.
  5. Count stops that finish without a recovery hop and with both blades contributing. Compare the two sides at the same low entry speed rather than chasing a shorter stopping distance.

Key teaching points

  • Cue: “Turn together, shave, settle.” The stop is a controlled skid rather than a sharp carving turn.
  • Keep the feet separated enough for both blades to work; avoid bringing the skates together during rotation.
  • Stay over bent legs instead of standing tall just before the stop.

Common mistakes

  • Player makes a tight turn instead of stopping. Try: reduce speed and rehearse the sideways scrape with the instructor.
  • Only one foot carries the stop. Try: use a slower entry and pause in the finished two-foot stance.
  • Player repeatedly avoids one side. Try: give that side its own short set at lower speed.

Make it fit the player

  • Easier: practice the rotation and scrape from a very short coast with instructor guidance.
  • Harder: alternate sides without reminders while keeping identical approach speed and the one-count finish.
Research context & source notes

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

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