No Let-Up

Championship pace with a club panel — clean stealing, fast ball, sixty-minute lungs

Camogie
U16
60 min
14–26 girls
2 coaches
Effort 4/5
Half pitch
match-tempo
tackling
transition
game-sense

The PitchPlans coaching teamGAA Award 1 & 2 coaches

Kit: Hurleys and helmets, 12+ sliotars, 28 cones, 14 bibs (2 colours), goals or cone goals, a whistle you barely use

Warm-up8 min

Pressure Cooker Pods

Setup: Pods of five in 15×15m grids, one ball per pod, one bib in each grid lying on the ground for now.

How it works: Keep-ball that comes to the boil. Two minutes walking pace, hand-passes, receivers always moving. Two minutes jogging with short flicks off the hurley allowed. Then the bib goes on: one girl becomes the presser, and the four keep it off her flat out for thirty seconds before the bib rotates. Between rotations, ten seconds of fast feet on the spot. Every girl presses once. The grid teaches tonight's deal early: possession is rented, not owned.

What to say

“Tell them: 'temperature rises every two minutes — match your touch to the heat.'”
“Tell them: 'presser — chase the NEXT pass, not the ball that's gone.'”
“Tell them: 'first touch under pressure goes to space, not to safety.'”

Easier

Presser walks; grids bigger; catches with two hands fine throughout.

Harder

Two pressers for the last round; possession limited to two touches.

Activity12 min

Clean Steal

Setup: 12×12m duel grids, 1v1 in each, one ball per grid, cone gate on one side as the attacker's target. Spare girls referee their own grid-mates, then rotate in.

How it works: Camogie tackling is timing, hurley and feet — the barge isn't in our game, so the steal has to be smarter. Attacker solos and carries, trying to break through the gate; defender wins the ball ONLY with a hook, a block, a flick on the ball, or by shepherding her over the side line. Thirty-second duels. A clean steal is two points; forcing her out is one; any bump, pull or slash gives the attacker a walk-through score, called by the resting referee-girl, whose word is law. Rotate every duel — attack, defend, referee. Progress to 2v2 for the last four minutes, where the second defender learns to cover the space, not double the foul.

Common mistakes

Diving into the tackle flat-out — good attackers spin off it; arrive balanced, on bent knees.
Watching the ball during the solo — watch her hands and hips; the ball follows them.

What to say

“Tell them: 'feet first — steer her where you want her before the hurley does anything.'”
“Tell them: 'wait for the swing or the solo — that's the only honest moment to strike.'”
“Tell them: 'a foul isn't brave, it's a free against and a rest for their free-taker.'”

Easier

Attacker walks for round one; defender wins a point for two seconds of clean delay even without a steal.

Harder

STEPR: grid narrows so contact temptation rises — discipline under squeeze; attacker may dummy the gate and turn; steals must be completed to hand to count.

Activity14 min

Break & Chase Waves

Setup: Half pitch to one goal with a keeper. Waves of three attackers start at the 65, two defenders live on the 45. The next wave waits at the start cone; ball bag with the mentor there.

How it works: Three attack two, twelve-second shot clock counted loud from their first touch. The instant the ball dies — score, save, wide or steal — the mentor throws the next ball to the fresh wave attacking the OTHER way, and two of the three who just attacked must sprint back and defend while the third peels off to rest. The jog back doesn't exist; the sprint back is the session. Defence earns two points for a clean steal or a dead shot clock, attack earns one a point and three a goal. Six minutes, water, swap the resting rotation, six more.

What to say

“Tell them: 'make the two defenders choose — run AT the middle one until she commits.'”
“Tell them: 'twelve seconds rewards the early shot — a good point now beats a perfect goal never.'”
“Tell them: 'the sprint back is where matches are won — first girl back saves the goal, say her name when she does.'”

Easier

Fifteen-second clock; returning defenders defend passively for the first round.

Harder

STEPR: a third defender chases the attack from behind after three seconds; steals must be carried over the 45 to count; clock drops to ten.

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

PitchPlans coaching team

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