Playing Short

Groups of five skaters - 2 defensive blockers, 1 offensive blocker, referee, and opposing jammer.

• Blockers do their best to contain jammer for as long as possible until referee calls a no pack.

• Offensive blocker is standing in place doing “passive offence.” Rotate so everyone has a chance to play all positions.

Teaching Points

• See how it works when defensive blockers cover the inside of turns and outside of straightaways. This is the jammer’s preferred path, and it reduces their options. If you stand in the middle they can take the outside or the inside. If you stand towards the outside then you know they’re going to take the inside.

• Blocker on track boundary is facing backwards and the other is facing derby direction. They should have a plan, be tracking jammer together, and talking the whole time. No panicking and no giving up.

Drill development

1. Offensive player does active offence

2. Four blockers do active offence

Scenario - one blocker on track for your team. Jammer needs to help give that blocker the best chance they can in that situation - working as a team.

Drill 1

• Groups of seven skaters - 1 lone blocker, 4 defensive blockers, and both jammers.

• Before the drill offensive blocker and her jammer get 15 seconds to discuss what they’re going to do. Rotate so everyone has a chance to play all positions.

• Example strategies might be that the lone blocker bulldozes her way through so their jammer can follow, or the jammer pairs up with the lone blocker to play defence.

Drill 2

• Use lane clogging.

• Jammer lines up towards outside covering lanes three and four to draw opposing blockers outside.

• Blocker lines up towards inside covering lanes one and two. All of the lanes are now clogged, and they only need to stay that way until a blocker gets out of the penalty box to help (ten seconds or less since two are sitting and one is standing). See video.

The following drill helps to teach versatility, and gets players used to losing other blockers so they know what to do when it happens.

Jam scenario where everyone goes to box at least once.

• Set up jam with two full walls and two jammers.

• Send blockers to the box. Blockers squat for thirty seconds and then return to the track.

• Run each jam for 1 minute then rest.

• Once everyone gets comfortable start moving up and go for 2.5 minutes. If we train for longer, actual game play will feel much shorter.