Purpose

Defenders practice making defense turns, skating backward and stepping
out to the boards.

Setup

  1. Players line up at the blue line.

defense turns with step outs hockey defensive drill

How it Works

  1. Coach blows his whistle or says “Go.”
  2. Player skates backward to the faceoff circle, pivots and then steps out to the boards.
  3. Player then skates forward to the blue line.
  4. At the blue line he executes a defense turn and skates backward to the goal line.
  5. At the goal line, he again pivots and steps out to the boards.
  6. Run the drill for 4-8 minutes or for 3-5 reps.

Coaching Tips

  • The defense turn is a hockey pivot used to transition from forward to backward skating. The key is for the player to stay low, transfer his weight to his pivot leg, then push off and go.
  • Head and chest should always be up.