Floorball – Wanted position

I will talk about two ways of setting goals, or how to look at the goal setting process. The first one is about looking back on your performance and setting the goal little bit higher than the history shows.

If you are thinking about goal for the league position, you might look at your previous seasons 10 pos. 8 pos. 9 pos. and therefore you think a realistic goal should be 6 or 7 position, but you might to choose to raise it a little bit to position 5.

The second way to set goals is to take a step into the future and to think where you would want to be in the future or were you must be in order to achieve something. Let’s say your floorball team is in the next highest division. Maybe you have described in your vision that you want to be in the premier league (highest division), therefore you automatically must be top 2 or 3 in your division in order to be able to take the next step. This could create a conflict, if you have team members that are “stuck” in the history, they won’t think this is a realistic goal, and it might not be, it’s your wanted position in order to take the next step.

Floorball thanks for the game

If you are setting goals by taking a step into the future and pointing out a wanted position, you will create an information gap that needs to be explained for your floorball players. So the discussion should rather be about, if they want to be there, than if it’s realistic. After you have cleared out that, you can start to take small steps back from the future, if we want to be here, top 2 and advance a division. What changes do we need to do in order to achieve that? You need to slice the big block to small steps (We need to increase the amount of practices. We need to think about what and how we eat. We need to improve our defense.) When you have this discussion about many small improvements with your floorball players, you get a buy in on the goal and suddenly it starts to be realistic at least in every ones heads.

You can think about José Mourinhos challenge when setting a goal, that was to win the Champions League, when Inter had won it, last time in 1965, maybe it was more realistic if you look at other aspects than the historical performance, like the team members and Mourinho himself.

In short term goal setting you can use the same methodology, in order to support your long term goal and vision.

Floorball practice shooting drill

The last level defining a focus area will support you in achieving your short term goal (and long term goal and vision). What do we need to focus on as the first steps on our way towards our wanted position? This should of course be transferred to concrete actions and an action plan.

As a summary you can say that you can work with setting the direction on different levels, Vision – Long term goals – Short term goals – Focused areas – Actions/Action plan.

Floorball warm up practice – Change positions

Salibandy lämmittely harjoitus - Paikan vaihdot ja lyhyet syötöt

Floorball warm up practices – Change position up to the right (a)

P1 starts the floorball warm up practice, by running with the ball towards the border, P2 runs behind P1. P1 passes the ball to P2 who takes the shot, both players goes for the rebound.

Four Options to the floorball warm up practice – Shot, pass and 2 vs 1

1. P1 doesn’t pass, P1 shoots and P2 goes for the rebound.
2. P1 passes and P2 passes back P1 shoots. With this option the floorball goalie also gets good practice in moving from side to side or post to post.
3. Add a defensemen who starts in the middle or meets up the two forwards and you have a simple 2 on 1 floorball practice.
4. Start the floorball drill from the corner or from the border, from left or right.

2-2-1 Floorball Set up / System

2-2-1 Normal or Offensive Floorball Set up / System

2-2-1 Salibandy normaali tai hyökkäävä asetelma

2-2-1 is in my mind very easy and a simple set to use in floorball. P1 is the key on steering the opponents attacks towards one border.

You can “visually” be balanced in 2-2-1, meaning how the other teams see your positioning. But you can decide by your forecheck that you will try to force all the breakouts to just one side, so you start neutral, but you will close one side by your running and positioning.

2-2-1 Floorball Defensive Set up / System

2-2-1 Salibandy Puolustava Asetelma

2-2-1 Floorball Set up / System, checking or steering to left

2-2-1 Salibandy oikealta ohjaus vasemmalle

By deciding to move players forward on one side (right in example), you will force the other team to make their breakouts on one side, this way you can limit at least some breakout options for the opposite floorball team. It’s a bit risky but at least you will be aware of it.

By strengthening one side or almost closing it, you can also confuse the other team, since many of the set ups are very balanced. Of course you should try force the other team to play up on their weak side or on your own strong side.

2-2-1 Floorball Set up / System, checking or steering to right

2-2-1 Salibandy vasemmalta ohjaus oikealle

1-3-1 Floorball Set up / System

1-3-1 Floorball normal or offensive set up / starting positions

1-3-1 Salibandy Normaali tai Hyökkäävä Asetelma

1-3-1 has received a lot of criticism for being a defensive set up, at least in hockey. I would not say that, it depends on how you are using the system.

1-3-1 Defensive Floorball Set up / System

1-3-1 Salibandy Puolustava Asetelma

One really defensive example from hockey, Tampa Bay Lightning in NHL (blue jerseys)

1-3-1 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL - Floorball example

Philadelphia Flyers even stopped playing for a while and nothing happened… Use 1-3-1 in an offensive way and it will be a fantastic floorball set up, at least in my mind.

1-2-2 Floorball Set up / System

1-2-2 Floorball Set up / System – Normal or Offensive

1-2-2 Salibandy Normaali tai Hyökkäävä Asetelma

In a 1-2-2 floorball system, for me the D2 player will be the most important both in defense, but also in building up your offensive plays.

1-2-2 Defensive Floorball Set up / System

1-2-2 Salibandy Puolustava Asetelma

1-2-2 Floorball Set up / System securing the centre / middle

1-2-2 Salibandy Keskustan varmistava Asetelma

If you have centrally strong opponent, you can try to pull in your players more centrally to force out the other team to the sides.

1-2-2 Floorball V-Set up / V-System

1-2-2 Salibandy V-Asetelma

1-2-2 in V-formation will close the borders and force the opposite team in to the middle. Situations in the middle will be really tight and you need to be careful with the positioning of your teams players, be on the right side all the time between your own goal and your opponent.