Defining10/20 Feet – three part drill

Objective: To practice seeing ten and twenty feet both still and in motion and practice defining the pack and judging engagement zones.

Typical length of drill: Each part can be run for as long as you like, though if each section is allotted ten minutes you are looking at half-an-hour all up.

Materials needed: Taped out track, 8 plastic cones in two colours (or paper plates/circles of cardboard/anything that comes in two colours that you don’t mind getting dirty/sweaty/run over – these are your ‘blockers’ for part 1), a 10 foot rope, a 20 foot rope.

Skill level required: All skating levels – off skates refs can participate in all non-skating parts of drill. All parts will work with a small number of refs if skaters will volunteer as bodies.

Description: This three part drill builds up from defining the pack/judging 10/20 feet in a low-pressure standing still situation to defining pack/OOP with a moving pack. It can be run concurrently or over different sessions.

1. Refs take ‘blockers’ (cones, plates, etc) and lay them out on track. They define the pack, engagement zone, any blockers who are OOP. Move blockers around, test each other, be willing to challenge your own or other’s definitions – get the rope out and test any that you are unsure of. Push the definition of the pack – try to make the longest pack you can, etc. Pt 1 can also be done with refs/skaters skating on the track, dropping cones at a whistle and then all skating off track to discuss/define. Make sure everyone has a go at both moving blockers around and defining pack/EZ.

2. One or more refs are elected to run each round of this drill. They skate/stand as IPR/s. Eight refs/skaters skate on track as blockers. Free skate until the whistle the everyone stops as close to where they are as possible. IPR/s define pack, EZ and any OOP. Blockers on track are encouraged to challenge IPR’s definitions. Check all challenged calls with 10/20 foot rope. Blockers should be encouraged to spread out on track and make this drill as hard as possible. Rotate all refs through IPR.

3. One or more refs are elected to run each round of this drill. They skate/stand as IPR/s. Eight refs/skaters skate on track as blockers. Encourage the blockers to work together (even though they are on ‘opposing’ teams), ask them to bridge, split the pack, go OOP both front and back. Mock jams are run (with or without jammers) where the IPRs are asked to define pack, call OOP – remind them that everyone on the track needs to hear the pack definition calls very clearly. At end of each mock jam IPR/s get feedback from blockers about what they could hear, how clear/fast the definition was.

Additional notes: