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Crossover Circles Race

In through your gate, crossovers around the circle, out the gate. Over the cones, tight turn to the puck. Winner attacks, loser plays D.

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Diagram

Half-ice diagram of the Crossover Circles Race. A line stands on each neutral-zone faceoff dot near the blue line. Each end-zone circle has a two-cone gate at the edge nearest the blue line, and one puck sits between two cones in the middle of the ice. Each racer skates into their circle through the gate, all the way around with crossovers, and back out the gate. They skate over the top of the puck cones (on the blue-line side), tight-turn and come down through the cones to the puck. The winner carries it in and attacks the net; the other racer skates in and defends, skating backwards (dotted arrow). The attacker shoots on the goalie.

Coaching points

How it runs

  1. Split into two lines, one on each neutral-zone faceoff dot near the blue line. Put a two-cone gate at the top of each circle (the side nearest the blue line). Put ONE puck between two cones in the middle of the ice, halfway between the blue line and the circles.
  2. Race! Skate into your circle through the gate.
  3. Crossovers all the way around the circle.
  4. Come out the same gate. Skate over the top of the puck cones, tight-turn and come down to the puck.
  5. The first one there picks it up and attacks. The other racer plays D.
  6. 1-on-1 to the net. Shoot!
  7. Both racers go to the back of their line. The coach puts a new puck between the cones. Next round, go the other way.
  8. Variation (step 2): see Crossover Circles: Pivot Race. One lap around the circle with a pivot at every cone, then race to one loose puck.

Downloads

Open the Excalidraw file in Excalidraw to change the diagram.

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