Quick answer
A floorball practice plan answers four questions before you walk into the hall: what is the one theme, how is the time divided, which drills serve the theme, and how will you know it worked. A good 60-minute plan has a 10-minute warm-up, two 15-minute skill blocks, a 15-minute small-sided game and a 5-minute finish. A 90-minute plan adds a second game block and a short tactical section. Use the templates below and fill in your own drills.
Key takeaways
- One main theme per practice (for example "receive and shoot") keeps players and coach focused.
- Aim for most of the session to be spent with a ball on the stick, not standing in queues.
- Build from simple to game-like: technique, pressure, small-sided game.
- Limit instructions to one minute and use one or two coaching cues per drill.
- Write the plan down, then write two lines of reflection after practice. That is how plans improve.
- Have a plan B for no-shows, fewer goals or a smaller hall.
What should every floorball practice plan include?
When I began coaching I arrived with a pile of drills and no structure. Players enjoyed it, but nothing built from week to week. A plan fixes that. Every plan I use has the same seven fields:
- Theme: one skill or tactical idea, such as passing under pressure or boxplay.
- Players and group size: how many attend, how many goalkeepers, how you split groups.
- Equipment: balls, cones, goals, tiles, passers, bibs.
- Timeline: minutes per block.
- Drill descriptions: set-up, instruction, progression.
- Coaching cues: two or three short phrases you will repeat.
- Reflection: what worked, what to change next week.
What does a 60-minute practice plan look like?
| Minutes | Block | Example | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 | Warm-up with the ball | Dribbling in pairs, dynamic stretches, light passing | Raise heart rate, get touches |
| 10–25 | Skill block 1 | Passing in triangles, then with a defender | Technique under growing pressure |
| 25–40 | Skill block 2 | Receive and shoot from a pass, two stations | Connect the skill to goals |
| 40–55 | Small-sided game | 4 against 4 with a bonus for the theme | Use the skill in a game |
| 55–60 | Cool-down and talk | Easy shooting, one-minute summary | Recap and next steps |
What does a 90-minute practice plan look like?
| Minutes | Block | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 0–12 | Warm-up with the ball | Movement, ball control, pair passing |
| 12–30 | Skill block 1 | Stickhandling and 1v1 moves |
| 30–48 | Skill block 2 | Passing patterns and shooting from the pass |
| 48–55 | Water and tactical talk | One whiteboard picture, one idea |
| 55–75 | Game-like block | 3 against 2 / 4 against 3 overloads, then 5 against 5 |
| 75–85 | Special situations | Free hits, powerplay or boxplay for 10 minutes |
| 85–90 | Finish | Shooting competition, reflection |
For the special situations block see our guides to free hit plays, powerplay drills and boxplay.
Coach Erik's tip: Put the fun and competitive part in the middle, not only at the end. Players give full effort when they know a game is coming, and it protects you if the session runs late.
How do you fill in the template?
Copy this blank template into your notes and fill it in before every session:
| Field | Your entry |
|---|---|
| Date, team, number of players | |
| Theme (one sentence) | |
| Equipment needed | |
| Warm-up (minutes, drills) | |
| Skill block 1 (minutes, drill, progression) | |
| Skill block 2 (minutes, drill, progression) | |
| Game block (format, rules, scoring bonus) | |
| Coaching cues (max three) | |
| Reflection after practice |
An example: theme "receive and shoot"
- Warm-up (10 min): pairs pass while walking, then jogging. Add a one-touch pass for the last 2 minutes.
- Skill block 1 (15 min): receive a pass on the move, take one touch across the body, pass back. 3 sets of 2 minutes. Cue: "Open your body to the pass."
- Skill block 2 (15 min): two lines, one passes, one receives and shoots. Add a passive defender after 6 minutes. Watch for: shooting with the head down.
- Game (15 min): 4 against 4, a goal after a first-touch shot counts double. Cue: "Scan before the ball arrives."
- Finish (5 min): each player takes five shots, then one thing they learned.
What equipment helps practice run smoothly?
You can run a great practice with balls, cones and bibs. If you coach at a small club, a few extras make stations easier. A rebounder such as the Extreme Floorball Passer (€129) lets a player pass and receive without a partner, so a waiting group is never idle. The Passer Pro (€149) has two slots for straight and volley passes. The Extreme Floorball Shooting Targets (€34) add accuracy challenges to any shooting block, and the Floorball 50-Pack (€89) means you never run out of balls.
The passers are Made in Europe, as are the targets. Better Floorball is a Swedish brand, and all products are designed in Sweden and tested for maximum durability, with no middlemen in the sales chain. For more coaching ideas visit the coaches hub.
How do you choose a theme for each week?
A season feels organised when practices connect. Instead of picking drills at random, choose a weekly theme and let every block serve it. The table below is a simple four-week cycle I use with youth and senior groups. Replace the themes with whatever your team needs most.
| Week | Theme | Skill blocks | Game rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball control under pressure | Stickhandling circuits, protecting the ball | 3 against 3, a point for every 5 passes in a row |
| 2 | Passing and support | Triangle passing, give-and-go | 4 against 4, two-touch limit |
| 3 | Shooting and rebounds | Shoot from a pass, turn and shoot | Rebound goals count double |
| 4 | Defending and transitions | 1 against 1 defending, quick counter | A win of the ball in the attacking zone counts as a goal |
After week four, repeat the cycle with harder progressions: add a defender, shrink the space, or reduce the time allowed. This is how a team improves without learning a hundred new drills.
How do you adapt the plan to different groups?
Young children
Keep blocks to 8–10 minutes, use games instead of drills and change activity often. Younger players learn through play, so a "drill" can be a relay or a tag game with the ball. Explanations should be as short as a single sentence.
Teenagers
Give them more ownership. Let them help choose a game rule or lead a warm-up. Add video or whiteboard moments only if they stay under five minutes. Work on speed of decisions, not only technique.
Senior and mixed-ability teams
Players arrive tired from work and at different levels. Start with a flowing warm-up, use progressions in every drill so the beginners and experienced players both feel challenged, and keep the game block long enough to keep the group engaged.
When fewer players show up
Prepare a version of your plan for 6–8 players: replace 5 against 5 with 3 against 3 on two goals, shrink the stations and use the extra players as neutral passers. Having this on paper saves a bad evening.
What should you check after every practice?
- Did players get enough touches? Count how long any player stood waiting. If more than 30 seconds, change the drill.
- Did the game reflect the theme? If players ignored the rule you set, simplify it or explain it faster.
- Who was quiet? Make a note of players who need more attention next week.
- What took longest? Cut or shorten it next time.
- What will you repeat? Keep the best drills and build on them.
Two lines in your notes after each session are enough. After ten sessions you can see your own patterns and plan faster. For longer-term thinking read our guide to season planning and the advice in 15 tips for new floorball coaches.
Common mistakes
- Too many drills. Fix: three or four blocks are enough; use progressions instead of new drills.
- Long queues. Fix: run two or three stations at once and keep groups of 4–6.
- Explaining for five minutes. Fix: demonstrate, start, then correct in motion.
- No link to the game. Fix: end every skill block with a small-sided game that rewards the skill.
- Never writing anything down. Fix: two lines after each session are enough to improve the next plan.
- No plan B. Fix: prepare a version for half the players and half the goals.
FAQ
How long should a floorball practice be?
Sixty minutes is typical for youth groups and 90 minutes for older and senior teams. Younger children do better with shorter, more varied sessions.
How many drills should a plan have?
Three to five blocks including warm-up and a game. Fewer, well-coached blocks beat a long list of drills.
How much of practice should be games?
A good rule is to spend about a quarter to a third of the time in small-sided or full games, with the rest in skill blocks that lead up to them.
How do I plan for a mixed-ability group?
Use drills with optional progressions: a basic version for everyone and a harder version, such as adding a defender or reducing time, for those who are ready.
Should the warm-up include the ball?
Yes. Dribbling and passing warm-ups give extra touches and save time. See our team warm-up drills.
How can I track progress across the season?
Keep your plan sheets with the reflection line, and set one theme per week or two. Check back after a month to see which skills have improved and which need more time. For the longer view see season planning.
Summary
Good practice plans are simple: one theme, clear time blocks, drills that grow from technique to games, and a short reflection afterwards. Use the 60- and 90-minute templates above, adapt them to your group and keep improving them week by week. Our coaches hub has drills and games to fill your plan. Follow us on Instagram @better_floorball for more ideas.
