Touch Under Fire

First touch & striking on the move

Hurling
U14
70 min
14–24 players
2 coaches
Effort 4/5
Half pitch
u14
first-touch
striking
game-speed
movement

The PitchPlans coaching teamGAA Award 1 & 2 coaches

Kit: 24 cones, 1 sliotar per player, hurleys and helmets (players' own), 12 bibs (2 colours)

Warm-up8 min

Busy Feet, Busy Bas

Setup: 25×25m cone square, sliotar each, helmets on from the first minute. Mentors on opposite corners.

How it works: Players move through the square doing whatever the call says: DRIBBLE = solo the ball along the ground with the bas. CARRY = ball balanced on the hurley on the move. FLICK = flick it up to the hand and back down. SWAP = leave your ball dead and take over someone else's. Every 90 seconds shrink the square a metre or two so the traffic thickens and their touch has to tighten with it.

What to say

“Ball out in front where your eyes can see it and the traffic too.”
“Soft wrists — guide the ball, don't batter it.”
“Head up on every carry — know who's around you.”

Easier

Bigger square; walking pace; carries with the ball held on the bas by the spare hand.

Harder

Weak side only on DRIBBLE; two-ball SWAP so there are spare balls loose in the square.

Activity14 min

Feed & Kill

Setup: Groups of three at a cone triangle, 8m sides, one sliotar per group. One feeder, one receiver, one chaser who starts at the third cone.

How it works: Feeder plays a firm ground ball or low strike to the receiver. The moment the feed leaves, the chaser sprints from their cone. The receiver has to kill the ball with one touch, lift and strike back to the feeder before the chaser arrives. If the chaser gets a hook or a touch, that's their point; a clean return is the receiver's point. Rotate roles every four feeds. First to eight points in each triangle, then reshuffle the groups.

What to say

“Meet it out in front — bas angled back so the ball dies, not bounces.”
“First touch, then decide — control before you look for the strike.”
“Chaser coming means nothing if your touch is clean — trust it.”

Easier

Chaser walks; receiver may take two touches to control.

Harder

STEPR: feeder varies bounce and pace without warning; chaser starts two metres closer each round; strike must go back below head height.

Activity14 min

Strike on the Run

Setup: Pairs, one ball, in a 30×20m channel per four pairs. Three cone gates (3m wide) scattered along each channel.

How it works: Both players jog the channel together, five metres apart. The player in possession solos on the move, then strikes through any gate to their partner — the strike must happen on the move, no stopping to set the feet. Partner controls, carries through or past a different gate and returns it. Down and back is one length; count successful moving strikes per pair per length. Rest 30 seconds between lengths while the next pairs go.

What to say

“Toss to the side of your body, not in front of your face.”
“Shoulder points where the ball is going before you swing.”
“Keep the legs running through the strike — don't stutter and stop.”

Easier

Walk-pace striking; allow a settle step before the swing.

Harder

STEPR: strike off the weak side every second length; add a walking defender drifting between gates; two-touch limit on every receive.

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

House session.

Free on PitchPlans — new sessions weekly.