Eyes on the Ball Freeze
Focus
Legend
- player
- coach / parent
- movement path
How it works
Develop focus and ball-tracking by requiring players to maintain eye contact with the ball throughout a dribbling sequence.
What you need
- field hockey stick
- field hockey ball
- cones
Your focus
Visual focus on the ball is the first skill young players need, and the one most often lost under excitement or distraction. Making eye contact with the ball a conscious, rule-based practice builds the habit. Freeze games make focus fun and memorable.
Players move with the ball freely in a grid; coach calls 'freeze' randomly.
On 'freeze,' every player must stop and confirm the ball is directly under their stick.
Players without the ball directly under their stick do 2 hops before continuing.
Progress to calling 'eyes!', players must say 'on the ball' without looking away.
Helpful cues
- See the ball, not the other players
- Where are your eyes right now?
- Focus is a skill, practice it
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Coach pre-announces 'freeze' before calling it.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Players must also name the color of a teammate's pinnie when frozen.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.