Speedy Interruptus (clockwise) is a combination of speed and a small test of agility.  Time yourself in a dash from the goal-line to the top of the circle but run clockwise around the penalty stroke mark (or a cone). Start in a plank position with both hands on the goal-line. In all skill challenges, "going around" means that your body/feet must go completely around or on the proper side of the mark or cone(s) being navigated as part of the challenge. No shortcuts! First, this challenge is completed with out any hockey equipment. Then, the challenge is repeated but while dribbling the ball. The ball must remain within playing distance during the dribbling version of this challenge. Complete either or both versions of this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes and add your best times together.  Track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet and enter your best total time here. 

TOTAL COMBINED DISTANCE: 23 yards/21 meters
EQUIPMENT: A stopwatch, recording material (plus 2 cones if you don't have hockey field markings)

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

Speedy Interruptus (counterclockwise) is a combination of speed and a small test of agility.  Time yourself in a dash from the goal-line to the top of the circle but run counterclockwise around the penalty stroke mark (or a cone). As in challenge #1, you must start in a plank position with both hands on the goal-line. In all skill challenges, "going around" means that your body/feet must go completely around or on the proper side of the mark or cone(s) being navigated as part of the challenge. No shortcuts! First, this challenge is completed with out any hockey equipment. Then, the challenge is repeated but while dribbling the ball. The ball must remain within playing distance during the dribbling version of this challenge. Complete either or both versions of this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes and add your best times together. Track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet and enter your best total time here.

TOTAL COMBINED DISTANCE: 46 yards/42 meters.
EQUIPMENT: A hockey stick and ball, stopwatch, recording material (plus 2 cones if you don't have hockey field markings)

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

We call this one the Horseshoe Left.  Like challenge #2, this is a combination of speed and dribbling but with a larger mix of agility and skill while making hard turns to your left.  Using cones or markers, create a challenge box that is 10 x 5 meters.  Start in plank position starting line next to the first cone, with the challenge box to your left. Sprint from the first cone to last in a counterclockwise direction.  After you've recorded your time in the dash version of this challenge, repeat the challenge dribbling.  When dribbling, your feet, stick, and ball must remain outside of the cones. No shortcuts! Complete either or both versions of this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes and add your best times together. Track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet and enter your best total time here.

TOTAL COMBINED DISTANCE: ~52 meters
EQUIPMENT: Four cones/markers, a hockey stick and ball, stopwatch, recording material

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

Do you need cones? The most cones you'll need to complete any of the Grand Prix Field Hockey skill challenges is eight. We recommend cones that are large enough and heavy enough that they won't be easily moved by the wind or from ball contact. They SHOULD disrupt the path of the ball if you don't navigate around them successfully. 

Building upon the speed, agility, and ball control used in challenge #3, Horseshoe Right requires you to make hard turns to your right. Using cones or markers, create a challenge box that is 10 x 5 meters.  Start in plank position, hands on the starting line next to the first cone. The challenge box is to your right. Sprint from the first cone to last in clockwise direction.  After you've recorded your time in the dash version of this challenge, repeat the challenge dribbling.  When dribbling, your feet, stick, and ball must remain outside of the cones. Complete either or both versions of this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes and add your best times together. Track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet and enter your best total time here.

TOTAL COMBINED DISTANCE: ~52 meters
EQUIPMENT: Four cones/markers, a hockey stick and ball, stopwatch, recording material

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

To complete this challenge, you must complete the Hockey Ladder, created by field hockey's Cris Maloney in 2006, without and then with hockey equipment. Although cones or markers can be used if you don't have a hockey surface, we will describe the Hockey Ladder using hockey markings. Start in a plank position, with your hands on the 23-meter/25-yard line. Begin by moving to the first proximity mark and returning to the 23. Then move to the circle-line and return to the 23, move to the stroke mark and return to the 23, and, finally, move to the goal-line and finish by crossing the 23. Reach the required marks with one or both of your feet, do not bend over and touch the surface with your hands. After you've recorded your time in the dash version, repeat the challenge dribbling. When dribbling, the ball must reach each destination point. Complete either or both versions of this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes and add your best times together. Track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet and enter your best total time here. 

TOTAL COMBINED DISTANCE: 205 meters
EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Five cones/markers or an outdoor hockey pitch. a hockey stick and ball, stopwatch, recording material

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

This challenge is called the T-Race (30-second mode). The outside measurements of the challenge box is 10x10 meters. The T-Race challenge will be performed as a dash and then as a dribble. You begin in plank position with your hands in the middle of an imaginary line drawn between the two cones at the bottom of the image. Without any hockey equipment, following the pattern in the image, run past as many cones as possible in 30 seconds. Then, get your stick and ball and repeat the challenge dribbling past as many cones as possible in 30 seconds. In all skill challenges, your stick, feet, and ball must go around the cone being navigated. You get one point for each cone you pass in 30 seconds. If the ball or your feet bypass a cone, you don't get a point for having reached that cone. Complete either or both versions of this 30-second challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes and add your best score running and your best score dribbling together. Track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet and enter your total score here.

EQUIPMENT: Six cones/markers, a hockey stick and ball, stopwatch, recording material

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

The T-Race (60-second mode) is performed just as you did the 30-second version but with 60-seconds on the timer. First, run past as many cones as you can in 60 seconds and then, after recording your time, start again dribbling past as many cones as you can in 60 seconds. In each version of this challenge, you get one point for each cone passed before time elapses. You don't get points for cones passed while taking shortcuts! Complete either or both versions of this 60-second challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes and add your best score running and your best score dribbling together. Track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet and enter your best total time here.

EQUIPMENT: Six cones/markers, a hockey stick and ball, stopwatch, recording material

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

In the X-Race (30-second mode) challenge, set up a challenge box with outside measurements of 10x10 meters. As with most of the other challenges, first perform the pattern without a stick and ball. Start in plank position midway between the two cones at the bottom of the image. Your hands must be on the imaginary line drawn between the two cones. Following the required pattern, pass as many cones as possible in 30 seconds (body, ball, and stick around the cones) and record your score. Then, repeat the challenge dribbling the ball past as many cones as possible in 30 seconds. You get one point for each cone you pass in 30 seconds (no points for shortcuts). Complete either or both versions of this 30-second challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes and add your best score running and best score dribbling together. Track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet and enter your best total time here.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Five cones/markers, a hockey stick and ball, stopwatch, recording material

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

As in the 30-second challenge, begin the X-Race (60-second mode) in a plank position midway between the cones at the bottom of the image and run the pattern (no hockey equipment) for 60 seconds. You get one point for each cone properly passed before time expires. Record your score. Then, repeat the challenge dribbling the ball past as many cones/markers as possible in 60 seconds. Again, you get one point for each cone you pass properly before time expires. Complete either or both versions of this 60-second challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes and add your best score running and best score dribbling together. Track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet and enter your best total time here.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Five cones/markers, a hockey stick and ball, stopwatch, recording material

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

The Illinois Agility challenge was developed in 1979 by Leroy Getchell. Adding a hockey stick and ball to the Illinois Agility and suddenly we have a standard challenge for field hockey too.  Using cones or markers, create a challenge box that is 10 x 5 meters.  Split the box down the middle with four cones evenly spaced (3.3 meters apart). Both of your feet must go on the side of the cone shown in the illustration of the course. You'll complete the pattern first without any hockey equipment and then complete the pattern dribbling. You are trying to achieve the fastest time possible (this challenge is not about counting how many cones you pass). Start in plank position by the cone/marker in the lower left of the image -- your hands on an imaginary starting line next to the first cone. Complete either or both versions of this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes and add your best time running to your best time dribbling. Track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet and enter your best total time here.

TOTAL DISTANCE: ~110 meters.
EQUIPMENT: Eight cones/markers, a hockey stick and ball, stopwatch, recording material

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

This challenge is called Passing Point (30-second mode). It was created by Cris Maloney in 2024, with inspiration from a similar challenge published by the FIH Academy. The Passing Point challenge is the first Grand Prix Field Hockey challenge that requires more than one hockey ball -- you will need 10. It is also the first of the challenges that you always perform with your hockey stick -- there is no dash version of this challenge. The outside dimensions of the challenge box is 10x5 meters. The lower half of the challenge box is a 5x5 meter 'release zone'. Your goal is to score as many points as you can in 30 seconds by releasing hockey balls into the gates at the top of the challenge box. You begin in plank position with your hands in the middle of the two cones at the bottom of the challenge box/release zone. Follow the pattern in the diagram, beginning by running between the target gates at the top of the image and the top right cone of the release zone. Dribble any one of the five hockey balls that are positioned just outside that cone. Dribble that ball around the cone at the bottom right of the challenge box take the ball into the release zone and release it towards the target gates using any legal skill. The ball must be released before the ball reaches the imaginary line drawn at the top of the release zone. After releasing the ball, run to the left between the target gates and the cone at the top left of the release zone. Dribble one of the balls that are positioned that cone to the cone in the bottom left of the release zone and make your second release when you're in the release zone. Again, the ball must be released inside the release zone for the attempt to count. After releasing the ball, begin the pattern again by running between the target gates and cone at the top right of the release zone. Dribble another ball down the outside of the challenge box and continue the pattern. The pattern repeats until all the balls have been released at the target gates or until 30 seconds have transpired. Each time a ball is successfully released through either target gate on the left or right of center, you get 10 points.  You get 5 points for a ball entering the center gate. Only one point is awarded for a ball crossing the target line outside any of the gates. Points are only awarded if the ball crosses the invisible target line before time expires.

Complete this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes, track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet, and enter your best score here.

EQUIPMENT: Eight cones/markers, a hockey stick, 10 hockey balls, stopwatch, recording material

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

Do you need hockey balls? The most hockey balls you'll need to complete any of the Grand Prix Field Hockey skill challenges is ten. 

Passing Point (60-second mode) follows the same pattern and uses the same scoring as in the 30-second version of this challenge, but you have 60 seconds to complete the challenge. It is possible for you to score the maximum number of points (100) by getting the ball into the gates to the left and right side of center before time expires.

Complete this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes, track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet, and enter your best score here.

EQUIPMENT: Eight cones/markers, a hockey stick, 10 hockey balls, stopwatch, recording material

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

Baseline Challenge (backhand edge hit):  Like the Hockey Ladder, it is possible to complete this challenge with cones, not having a hockey pitch and goal for you to use, but we will describe the challenge as if you are on a hockey field with a goal. Place a hockey ball 2-meters away from the back-line and 10 meters away from the left goal post. Shoot the hockey ball at the goal using a backhand edge hit. Repeat 5 times. You get 1 point each time the ball enters the goal. Record your '2-meter score'. Then, shoot 5 balls from only 1 meter into the circle. You get 2 points each time the ball enters the goal from this 1-meter distance off the back-line. Record your '1-meter score'. You must not shoot more than 5-balls in a row from either distance. Both versions of this skill challenge must be completed within 5 minutes. Add your scores from the 2-meter and 1-meter versions of this challenge, track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet, and enter your total score here. 

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Three cones/markers or, best, an outdoor hockey pitch and goal, a hockey stick, 10 hockey balls, recording material

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

DELETED SCENES

Baseline Challenge (forehand hit):  Place a hockey ball 2-meters away from the back-line and 10 meters away from the right goal post (or use cones). Shoot the hockey ball using any legal forehand hitting action (don't use an edge as using the edge to hit the ball hard enough to reach the goal from this position is only legal on the backhand side of your body). Repeat 5 times. You get 1 point each time the ball enters the goal. Then, shoot 5 balls from only 1 meter into the circle. You get 2 points each time the ball enters the goal from this 1-meter distance off the baseline. Both versions of this skill challenge must be completed within 5 minutes. Add your scores from the 2-meter and 1-meter versions of this challenge, track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet, and enter your score here. 

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Three cones/markers or, best, an outdoor hockey pitch and goal, a hockey stick, 10 hockey balls, recording material

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

Exxtreme Speed (SkillzMachine required): Yup. The folks at SkillzMachine managed to spell "extreme" with two X's... just for fun! Developed for field hockey by Cris Maloney in 2021, SkillzMachine is a fun and competitive electronic training device featuring many objective measures. A magnetic sensor in the SkillzMachine platform counts how many times its magnetized SkillzBALL is moved back-and-forth over a light, which indicates the location of the active magnetic sensor. Before you begin, put the SkillzTURF overlay on the surface. In this skill challenge, a single light remains on for 30 seconds. Your goal is to move the SkillzBALL back-and-forth over the light as many times as possible in the allotted amount of time. Your score is displayed on SkillzMachine's scoreboard throughout the challenge and your final score is displayed for a few seconds when time expires. This is Grand Prix Field Hockey's skill challenge #15 and it is skill challenge #3 on SkillzMachine.

Complete this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes, track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet, and enter your best score here.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: A hockey stick, SkillzMachine, SkillzBALL, recording material 

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

Exxtreme Speed Pro (SkillzMachine required): This is the electronic version of what old timers know as the YARDSTICK TEST. To score points, you move the magnetized SkillzBALL, in sequence, over two lights, one on the right and another on the left halves of the SkillzMachine platform. Before you begin, put the SkillzTURF overlay on the surface. This skill challenge lasts 60 seconds. Your score is displayed on SkillzMachine's scoreboard. On SkillzMachine, this is skill challenge #4.

Complete this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes, track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet, and enter your best score here.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: A hockey stick, SkillzMachine, SkillzBALL, recording material

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

HotSpots 4-second mode (SkillzMachine required). You chase a red light as it seemingly moves around the board. In each position, the light will remain on for four seconds. Before you begin, put the SkillzTURF overlay on the surface. Move the ball back-and-forth over the light until it moves to the next position, chase the light, and move the ball back-and-forth over the light until it moves again. Each time the SkillzBALL travels over a light, a point is scored. This continues for a total of 30 seconds. SkillzMachine displays your score during the challenge and the final score when time expires. On SkillzMachine, this is skill challenge #6.

Complete this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes, track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet, and enter your best score here.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: A hockey stick, SkillzMachine, SkillzBALL, recording material

VIDEO DEMONSTATION

MineField 4-second mode (SkillzMachine required). As with HotSpots, you chase a red light as it seemingly moves around the board. However, you're presented with blue obstacles to avoid -- a 4-year old  called them blue monsters. What a great name! Before you begin, put the SkillzTURF overlay on the surface. Each time you move the ball over a blue light, 3-points are taken away from the current score. The red light will remain on for four seconds so get extra points by going back and forth on the light until it moves. Keep chasing the red light, and avoiding the blue monsters, for a total of 30 seconds. Your score is displayed on SkillzMachine's scoreboard during the challenge and your final count for a few moments when time expires. On SkillzMachine, this is skill challenge #10.

Complete this challenge as often as you want within 5 minutes, track your most recent results on your copy of the Grand Prix Field Hockey scoresheet, and enter your best score here.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: A hockey stick, SkillzMachine, SkillzBALL, recording material 

VIDEO DEMONSTATION