Beat The Pass
Drill Information
- Coach starts with a puck at the top.
- Coach passes to either Shooter 1 or Shooter 2.
- The first shooter immediately one-touches or quickly moves the puck to the opposite shooter.
- The second shooter receives the pass and shoots in stride.
Coaching Focus Points
- Stay on edges and on feet / no premature drops - Maintain strong edges and patience; read the pass before committing.
- Lead knee tracks the puck - Keep the knee and chest square to the puck as it moves east-west.
- Hands out in front - Present hands early to smother or control rebounds.
- Beat the pass with feet, not a slide - Push, stop, set - avoid drifting into the shot.
- Head leads the movement - Eyes snap to the puck first, then body follows.
- Rebound control - Direct rebounds to corners or smother when possible.
Shooter Focus Points
- Crisp, accurate passes - Put the puck in the shooting pocket; no bobbles.
- Sell the shot before passing - Force the goalie to hold their edges.
- Catch and release quickly - Minimize dusting the puck off.
- Shoot in stride - Maintain deception and pace.
- Read the goalie - If the goalie over-pushes, shoot back against the grain.
- Keep body language consistent - Don't telegraph whether you're passing or shooting.
Drill Progressions
Progression 1 - One-Touch Passing
Both shooters must one-touch the puck. (Forces quicker goalie reads and sharper shooter execution.)
Progression 2 - Coach Adds a Fake
Coach fakes a pass to one shooter before sending it to the other. (Goalie must stay patient and avoid biting early.)
Progression 3 - Shooter Shot Options
Second shooter may: catch-and-release shot, one-timer, or pull-and-shoot (drag laterally). Goalie must adjust depth and angle based on release type.
Progression 4 - Add a Middle "Screen" Player
Place a stationary or lightly moving screen player between shooters. Goalie must maintain sightlines, track through traffic, and stay patient on delayed releases.
Progression 5 - Add a Rebound Threat
After the shot, the opposite shooter crashes for a rebound. Goalie must control rebounds and recover quickly.
Progression 6 - Random Second Pass
After receiving the first pass, Shooter 1 may: shoot immediately, pass across, or delay and then pass. Forces the goalie to read stick, body, and timing cues.
Progression 7 - Add Lateral Movement for Goalie
Start goalie slightly off-angle or require a pre-movement shuffle. Increases difficulty in arriving set before the shot.
Skills Focus
Fundamental Skills:
- Skating
- Positioning
- Stance
- Save Selection
- Rebound Control
- Recovery
Skating Skills:
- Shuffle
- T Push
- C Cut
This drill and the website on which it is hosted were developed as part of USA Hockey's Goaltending Gold certification program. For more drills and goaltending content, visit GoalieGen.com. All drills created and organized in CoachThem.
