Hockey drills for 11 year olds
At 11, practice defense, passing, puck battles and shooting: the skills the 30 drills SSTracker opens for 11 year olds train. SSTracker keeps one home session for an 11 year old within 45 minutes and plans at most 4 home days a week, with rest days between. Why: Ages 6 to 12 are the "sampling years": high play, low deliberate practice (Côté and Vierimaa 2014).
What an 11 year old can practice at home: drills the app opens at this age, what changes in hockey this year, how long and how often, what to have at home, and a free week to start.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated November 5, 2026
SSTracker follows USA Hockey on checking: none at 12U and younger, and a checking drill is shown only from 14.
Free, no account. A week for this sport and age, kept to healthy limits.
At 11
The age at a glance
- This year
- Body checking is not part of ice hockey at 11: USA Hockey allows none at 12U and younger, and SSTracker shows no checking drill before 14. Skating, puck control, passing and shooting come first.
- Drills this year
- Developing drills start this year, beside the beginner ones. Advanced drills start at 14.
- Checking
- Body checking is not part of ice hockey at 11: USA Hockey allows none at 12U and younger, and SSTracker shows no checking drill before 14. Skating, puck control, passing and shooting come first.
- Gear
- Helmet with full face cage, neck guard, mouthguard and full gear on the ice. Goalies wear full goalie gear before any shot, with soft balls and slow shots first.
- At 11
- Organized sport in all: no more hours a week than the child's age (NATA), so at most 11 hours for an 11 year old, with two rest days a week.
- At home
- SSTracker keeps one home session for an 11 year old within 45 minutes and plans at most 4 home days a week, with rest days between.
30 drills
Drills for 11 year olds
Every drill here is one the app opens for 11 year olds, at the level for the age. Each page has the steps, a diagram where the setup can be drawn, three ways to make it a game and a practice log to print.
Defense
Passing
Puck Battles
Shooting
Skating
What you need at home
What you need at home at 11
43 of the 57 hockey drills for 11 year olds work at home, in a room, garage or yard. Most used: stick (31 of the 43 drills), ball or puck (19), cones (9), net (4), pucks or balls (4), balls or pucks (2), floor space (2), net or board (2). 2 drills need nothing but space. 20 are for two, and a parent can be the partner.
- Balance and Core HoldsAges 7 and up · 8 min
- Gap Stance Backward StepsAges 7 and up · 8 min
- Goalie Shuffle Between ConesAges 7 and up · 8 min
- Off-Ice Stride HoldsAges 7 and up · 8 min
- One-Leg Balance ReachesAges 7 and up · 8 min
- Skater BoundsAges 11 and up · 10 min
- Squats and Wall SitsAges 7 and up · 8 min
- Towel Wring WristsAges 7 and up · 8 min
New at 11
Drills that open at 11
These drills join the list at 11: the app opens them from this age, by its level and age rules. They were not on the page for 10 year olds.
- Angling to the OutsideAges 11 and up · 12 min
- Angling with Stick LiftsAges 11 and up · 12 min
- Backhand PassingAges 11 and up · 10 min
- Backward C-CutsAges 11 and up · 12 min
- Catch and ShootAges 11 and up · 12 min
- Crossovers on a CircleAges 11 and up · 12 min
- Defend a 2-on-1Ages 11 and up · 12 min
- Drag Around a StickAges 11 and up · 10 min
A week to start with
A free week of hockey at home
- 1Shooting in Stride15 min
- 2Physicality: Skater Bounds15 min
- 3Stickhandling Through Cones15 min
Questions parents ask
Hockey for 11 year olds: questions and answers
What hockey drills can an 11 year old do at home?
43 of the 57 hockey drills for 11 year olds work at home, in a room, garage or yard. Most used: stick (31 of the 43 drills), ball or puck (19), cones (9), net (4), pucks or balls (4), balls or pucks (2), floor space (2), net or board (2). 2 drills need nothing but space. 20 are for two, and a parent can be the partner.
How long should an 11 year old practice hockey?
Organized sport in all: no more hours a week than the child's age (NATA), so at most 11 hours for an 11 year old, with two rest days a week. SSTracker keeps one home session for an 11 year old within 45 minutes and plans at most 4 home days a week, with rest days between.
Is body checking allowed for an 11 year old in hockey?
Body checking is not part of ice hockey at 11: USA Hockey allows none at 12U and younger, and SSTracker shows no checking drill before 14. Skating, puck control, passing and shooting come first.
What gear does an 11 year old need for hockey?
Helmet with full face cage, neck guard, mouthguard and full gear on the ice. Goalies wear full goalie gear before any shot, with soft balls and slow shots first.
What changes in hockey at 11?
Body checking is not part of ice hockey at 11: USA Hockey allows none at 12U and younger, and SSTracker shows no checking drill before 14. Skating, puck control, passing and shooting come first. Developing drills start this year, beside the beginner ones. Advanced drills start at 14.
Free for families and teams
Turn this into your child's week
Pick the days and minutes you have and see a hockey week for 11 year olds, kept to healthy limits for the age, with no account. A free account saves it and shows progress against your child's own start. Coaches can send the same drills to the whole team as homework.
30 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.