Hurley Beats Hurley

Win the ball back without ever fouling — the night the defenders fall in love with defending

Hurling
U12
60 min
12–24 players
2 coaches
Effort 3/5
Quarter pitch
hooking
blocking
tackling
defending

The PitchPlans coaching teamGAA Award 1 & 2 coaches

Kit: Hurleys and helmets with faceguards down for every player (no exceptions tonight), 12 sliotars, 24 cones, 12 bibs (2 colours)

Warm-up8 min

Shadow Dancing

Setup: Pairs in a 20×20m square, no ball yet, one bib per pair to mark the leader. Helmets on and checked — faceguards down before anything else happens tonight.

How it works: Leader moves anywhere — jogs, side-steps, spins, stops dead, throws in dummy swings at fresh air. The shadow stays one hurley-length behind and copies everything a heartbeat later. Thirty seconds, swap. Round three: shadows carry their hurley in the tackling grip, two hands, bas up, and must touch the leader's shoulder gently with a flat bas every time the leader stops. Finish with five seconds of the pair's fastest footwork face to face, then swap partners and go again.

What to say

“Tell them: 'stay on the balls of your feet — flat feet get left behind.'”
“Tell them: 'watch the belly button, not the hurley — bodies don't sell dummies.'”
“Tell them: 'one hurley-length away is perfect — close enough to strike, far enough to react.'”

Easier

Walking pace; shadow just follows, no bas touch.

Harder

Leader adds a ball and solos; shadow must stay a hurley-length off without ever contacting.

Activity12 min

Catch the Swing

Setup: Threes in a 20m channel: a striker with three sliotars at one end, a hooker starting one metre behind the striker's shoulder, a fetcher at the far end. Everyone strikes away from the group, channels side by side facing the same way.

How it works: Hooking school, half pace until the timing is clean. The striker jogs forward, tosses and strikes for the fetcher. The hooker tracks behind and to the striking side, reaches the hurley out flat and catches the striker's swing at the top of the backswing — a soft touch of timber on timber, never a slash. Strike hooked cleanly: hooker's point. Ball away clean: striker's point. Three balls, rotate the three jobs. Once the touch is quiet and the timing right, let the striker go three-quarter pace and start disguising when they strike.

The technique, step by step

Track behind on the striking side, one hurley-length away.
Read the hands lifting — that is your trigger.
Extend the hurley long and flat, top hand firm.
Catch the swing below their hands, then pounce on the loose ball.

Common mistakes

Slashing down on the swing — dangerous and a free every time; it is a catch, not a strike.
Overrunning the striker so the hook arrives from beside them — hooks live behind the swing.

What to say

“Tell them: 'watch the hands — when the hands lift, the swing is coming.'”
“Tell them: 'reach it out flat and let their swing find your hurley — a flick, never a chop.'”
“Tell them: 'stay on your feet behind them — a hook from the ground is a foul and a free.'”

Easier

Striker walks and calls 'now' before striking; hooker starts half a metre closer.

Harder

STEPR: striker sprints and may dummy once before striking; hooker starts two metres back and must close first; any contact with the striker's body costs the hooker two points.

Activity12 min

The Smother

Setup: Pairs face to face, 3m apart, one ball per pair, spread across the grid so no swing can reach a neighbour. Coach walks the line the whole block.

How it works: Front-block school. The striker strikes from the hand at sixty percent, straight at their partner. The blocker spreads the hands on the hurley — top hand on the handle, other hand down toward the bas — steps IN toward the strike and drops the bas flat over the swing so the ball smothers dead at their feet. First round the striker calls 'now' before every strike. Second round, no call. Third round, the blocker must smother and then flick the loose ball away to finish the job. Count clean smothers out of five, rotate. The step in is the whole secret — say it until they dream about it.

Common mistakes

Turning the head or shoulders away at the strike — the step in and the low chin fix it.
One loose hand on the hurley — a smother with a floppy bas hurts; two firm hands wide.

What to say

“Tell them: 'step IN as they swing — the block happens close, fear happens far away.'”
“Tell them: 'spread the hands and show the whole bas — make yourself a door, not a keyhole.'”
“Tell them: 'chin down, eyes on the ball behind your guard — the helmet does its job, you do yours.'”

Easier

Striker strikes along the ground and the blocker smothers the ground swing; start from a kneel to build courage.

Harder

STEPR: striker goes three-quarter pace and picks their moment inside a five-second window; blocker must win the loose ball to earn the point.

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

PitchPlans coaching team

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