Indoor Hockey: Stick Warm-Up with Passes off the Boards

A sport-specific indoor hockey warm-up that activates dribbling, pushing and receiving, using Swedish benches turned on their sides as side boards. It gets students ready for the basic rule of this format: the ball is pushed and always stays on the floor.

How to play

1. In pairs, dribble gently around the whole area with the ball on the flat side of the stick and eyes up, changing direction on a hand clap (2 min).
2. Pass and receive in pairs 5 m apart: the ball is only pushed, with no backswing, and is stopped in front of the lead foot (2 min).
3. Pass off the boards: one student plays the ball against a bench turned on its side, moves forward and collects the rebound; the partner counts clean rebounds, then they switch (3 min).
4. 3 vs. 1 keep-away in 6 m squares marked with cones, using the indoor hockey rule: if the ball leaves the floor, possession goes to the defender (3 min).

Rules

• The stick never rises above knee height.
• The ball is only pushed: no swinging hits and no lifting.
• Pairs work at least 3 m away from each other.
• Play with the flat side of the stick only.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: plays from a wheelchair with a shortened stick and the bench placed at a comfortable working height.
• Visual impairment: uses a larger ball with a bell, and the partner calls out before passing.
• Wrist injury: dribbles with the healthy hand and acts as the rebound counter.

Learning goals

• Warm up the muscles and coordination specific to indoor hockey.
• Use the push as the only legal pass under indoor rules.
• Use the side board as a tool to beat a defender.

Equipment for a class of 25

• hockey sticks: 28
• hockey balls: 14
• Swedish benches: 6
• cones: 16

Teacher tip

If you have no boards, Swedish benches on their sides work well; brace them with a cone so they do not slide. Correct high sticks from minute one, since it is the most common foul.

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