Own the Restart

A puckout system the whole team runs the same way — the shape, the runs, and the read

Hurling
Adult
80 min
18–30 players plus a goalkeeper
2 coaches
Effort 4/5
Full or two-thirds pitch
adult
puckouts
tactics
restarts
team-play

The PitchPlans coaching teamGAA Award 1 & 2 coaches

Kit: Hurleys and helmets, a bag of 12+ sliotars, bibs in three colours, 30 cones, 2 poles, a marker board or a phone to draw the shape

Warm-up10 min

Restart Shape

Setup: Half the pitch, cones marking the keeper's restart zones — short corners, the two wings, and the long central channel. The team walks in first, no opposition, learning the picture.

How it works: Build the shape before the speed. Walk the team through the restart structure on the marker board, then onto the grass: on the keeper's signal, the corner-backs split wide and short, the half-backs and midfield stagger up the two wings, and one target man holds the long central channel. The point is that everyone knows the three or four places the ball can go and where they are meant to be for each. Jog it, then quicken it, keeper lifting a hand to start the movement each time. No ball struck in anger yet — tonight is about a picture the whole team shares.

What to say

“Tell them: 'the puckout is a team skill, not the keeper's problem — everyone moves on the signal.'”
“Tell them: 'know your two jobs for every restart — where you go on the short, where you go on the long.'”
“Tell them: 'width first — stretch the pitch so the channels open before the ball is struck.'”

Easier

Walk it throughout; fewer options, just short-wing and long-central; call each option out loud as a group.

Harder

Add a shot-clock feel — the keeper must strike within eight seconds of the signal, so the movement has to be sharp and on time.

Activity15 min

The Runner

Setup: One wing channel marked with cones, keeper on the ball, a receiver starting deep and a runner starting inside them. A feeder resets balls to the keeper. Rotate keepers and runners through.

How it works: Drill the winning move of the modern puckout — the runner attacking the space off the shoulder. The receiver holds deep to fix their marker; the runner starts inside and, on the keeper's signal, breaks hard into the wing channel timing the run so the ball drops in front of them, not behind. The keeper strikes to the space the runner is attacking, not to where they stand. Six deliveries, swap the runner and receiver, then rotate keepers. It lives or dies on timing: the run and the strike have to leave together. Log which keeper-runner pairs click — those are your live restart combinations on a Sunday.

The technique, step by step

Receiver holds deep to fix the marker.
Runner starts inside, holds until the signal.
Keeper strikes to the space ahead of the run.
Runner meets the drop in front and drives or links out.

Common mistakes

The runner breaking early — the marker follows and the space closes.
The keeper striking to where the runner stands — a static ball is an easy interception.

What to say

“Tell them: 'strike to the space, not the man — the runner meets the ball, the ball never waits for the runner.'”
“Tell them: 'runner, hold your run until the signal — early and you drag your marker into the space.'”
“Tell them: 'receiver deep fixes the marker so the channel opens — the decoy is doing real work.'”

Easier

Uncontested; runner starts already moving; keeper strikes off a tee to groove the placement first.

Harder

STEPR: add a marker jogging with the runner; keeper must disguise the target until the toss; the runner must win it and link a hand-pass out.

Activity15 min

Read the Press

Setup: Full restart shape with a half-team pressing: markers pick up the short options and a line pushes up on the wings, leaving the long channel as the trade-off. Keeper on the ball with the bag beside.

How it works: Now the ball has to be chosen, not just placed. The press sets up two ways on the mentor's call — PUSH, where they jump the short and wing options and dare the long ball, or SIT, where they hold deep and concede the short. The keeper and the team read it and take what is given: if they push, hit long over the top to the target and the break; if they sit, take the free short one and build. The call is made out loud before the strike — LONG or the short option — so the whole team commits together. Run both presses repeatedly until the read is instant. A wrong read beats a good strike every time it is punished.

Common mistakes

Forcing the pre-planned option into a press that has taken it away — read first, then strike.
The keeper deciding alone — the call has to be shared so the runs match the strike.

What to say

“Tell them: 'read their hips — a press sprinting up has handed you the long ball; a press sitting has handed you the short.'”
“Tell them: 'call it before the strike and everyone commits — a changed mind mid-restart is a turnover.'”
“Tell them: 'there is no bad option, only an unread one — take what the press gives you.'”

Easier

The press announces PUSH or SIT clearly and early; no interceptions allowed, just positioning, so the read is built cleanly.

Harder

STEPR: the press disguises push or sit until the keeper lifts the ball; add a shot-clock; a misread that is turned over concedes a scoring restart to the press.

The rest of this session is free — along with 3 more this week.

PitchPlans coaching team

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