Alternative names: --
Objective: To practice being a leader and a follower on the track, to practice physical and verbal communication, to improve team-blocking skills
Typical length of drill: 15-20 mins
Materials needed: A full taped-down track
Skill level required: Skaters must be cleared for contact
Description: Create three lines of skaters at turn four. The first line will be for the Director, the second line for the Extra, and the third line for the Enemy. Skaters should make sure to rotate through the lines during this drill so that they get to work on being BOTH the Director and the Extra. On the whistle the first skater in each line will skate out (you can also choose to have the Enemy come in one second later than the Director and the Extra). The Enemy's job is to play stupid and permit the Director and the Extra to do their job over the course of one lap. In this drill the Director will use the Extra to positionally and physically block the Enemy. S/he will be pulling, pushing, grabbing, and directing the Extra. The Extra's job is to be a rag doll, to let herself/himself be moved around. For her/him this is an exercise in being flexible on the track. I mean, how many times have you tried pushing a teammate into the opposing jammer and found that your teammate is so committed to her current position that she is an immovable piece? This will teach the Extra how to be steady on her skates while still being jelly-like enough for her teammates to use her/him and move her/him around. The Director should use the time wisely, be active the entire time, and not just save up for one good hit. S/he should be constantly hitting or positionally blocking the Enemy. The drill ends once the group of three skaters have completed one lap. As you progress through this drill and get better and better at it, allow the jammers to use more and more force and brains to get out of the situation. This drill should challenge the Director and the Extra, but not be so impossible that they aren't getting any practice out of it.
Additional notes: This is a drill that we ran quite a few times with Team Finland back in 2011 to improve our communication and team work. We worked on this drill in conjunction with the Two-Point Touch drill, a similar drill that can also improve communication and team-blocking skills.
A lot of people wonder about multi-player block penalty possibilities when they hear about this drill and the Two-Point Touch. I would like to address that by saying that Practice Makes Perfect. You can avoid MPB penalties by practicing this over and over and over again. Your body will learn how to use your hands without incurring MPB penalties. It's the same with most other drills -- there will always be a chance for penalties, and some drills / moves / strategies are more prone to one kind of penalty over another, but the more your practice, the more you can work on executing your plans within the boundaries of the rules.
A lot of people wonder about multi-player block penalty possibilities when they hear about this drill and the Two-Point Touch. I would like to address that by saying that Practice Makes Perfect. You can avoid MPB penalties by practicing this over and over and over again. Your body will learn how to use your hands without incurring MPB penalties. It's the same with most other drills -- there will always be a chance for penalties, and some drills / moves / strategies are more prone to one kind of penalty over another, but the more your practice, the more you can work on executing your plans within the boundaries of the rules.
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