Quick answer
The eight most common floorball passing mistakes are: not looking up, a stiff blade when receiving, hard passes at short range, passes to the feet of a moving player, only using the forehand, no movement after the pass, a tilted blade and passing without a plan. Each has a simple fix, and most take less than ten minutes of practice a day to correct.
Key takeaways
- Most passing errors are decision errors, not technique errors.
- Use a short list of fixes. Pick the one or two that cost you the most.
- A rebounder or wall helps you repeat the fix hundreds of times.
- Film yourself or ask a teammate to watch one habit at a time.
- Passing and receiving are one skill, so fix them together.
- Always keep the stick below waist height in swings and follow-through.
What are the eight common passing mistakes?
| # | Mistake | What it looks like | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Not looking up | Passing to where the teammate was | Scan before the ball arrives |
| 2 | Stiff blade on receiving | The ball bounces away | Loose grip, give with the blade |
| 3 | Passes too hard | Receiver cannot control | Match pace to distance |
| 4 | Pass to feet | Receiver stops and loses a step | Pass in front of the blade |
| 5 | Forehand only | Predictable play | Equal backhand reps |
| 6 | Stand still after the pass | No give-and-go | Pass and move |
| 7 | Tilted blade | The ball pops up | Keep the blade flat |
| 8 | No plan | Pass because you must | Decide before the ball arrives |
How do you fix each passing mistake?
- Not looking up. Stand 4 m from a partner with a cone behind each of you. Before every pass, call out the colour of the cone. Cue: look, then pass. 20 passes.
- Stiff blade on receiving. Receive 20 passes with the sole aim of keeping the ball within 30 cm of your blade. Watch for: the grip tightening at contact.
- Passes that are too hard. Pass at half pace from 3 m for 20 passes, then 70 percent from 5 m. If the receiver cannot control it, slow down.
- Passes to the feet. Play 10 passes to a moving teammate who walks across the room. Aim 1 m in front of the blade. See also the give-and-go guide.
- Forehand only. In every drill, require a backhand pass every second time. The full guide is the backhand pass.
- No movement. After every pass, take two steps into a new space. Do 10 pass-and-move reps each way.
- Tilted blade. Pass along a line of tape on the floor. If the ball leaves the line, the blade was tilted.
- No plan. Before the ball arrives, name your next action: pass left, pass right or turn. Do this for 3 minutes in a pair drill.
Coach Erik's tip: Choose one mistake per week. If you try to fix all eight at once, you will fix none of them.
How can you repeat fixes at home?
Volume is the shortcut. A rebounder lets you repeat a correction hundreds of times in a session. The Extreme Floorball Passer (€129) and the Extreme Floorball Passer Pro (€149) are both made in Europe, and both are designed in Sweden and tested for maximum durability. The Pro has two slots, one for straight passes and one for volley passes. If you do not have a partner at home, practise passing alone with one of them. A smooth surface helps too: the Extreme Floorball Tiles 8-Pack (€79) covers about 0.9 m². Browse the passing and stickhandling collection for options.
How do you check your own passing?
It is hard to see your own habits, so use a simple check. Once every two weeks, spend five minutes on a self-test and write down the numbers. The table below lists four tests that cover the eight mistakes.
| Test | How to do it | Good score | Mistakes it reveals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head-up test | Pass 20 times and call out a cone colour each time | 18 correct colours | 1, 8 |
| Soft hands test | Receive 20 passes, ball must stay within 30 cm of the blade | 16 of 20 | 2, 3 |
| Gate test | 20 passes through a 60 cm gate from 3 m | 14 of 20 | 4, 7 |
| Backhand test | 20 backhand passes to a partner's blade | 14 of 20 | 5 |
These numbers are a guide, not a standard. What matters is that your score goes up over a month. If mistake 6 (standing still after the pass) is your problem, a coach or teammate has to watch for it, because you cannot see it yourself. Ask them to say GO if you stand still for more than a second. Finally, remember that mistakes appear more when you are tired or in a hurry. Run your tests at the start of a session, when you are fresh, and again in the last five minutes. If the score falls by more than a few points, your technique needs more repetitions at lower speed, and your fitness probably needs attention too.
What does a two-week passing fix plan look like?
Trying to fix eight mistakes at once fixes none of them. Pick the two that cost you most in games, then work on them for two weeks in short blocks. Ask a teammate or a parent to film a few passes, or watch the replay of a game, and tally which mistakes appear most often.
| Day | Block | Reps | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Mistake 1, slow motion at 3 m | 30 | Correct position first, speed later |
| Wed | Mistake 2, slow motion at 3 m | 30 | Same: clean technique |
| Fri | Both mistakes, normal speed | 20 + 20 | Does the fix survive at game speed? |
| Sat | Small-sided game 3 v 3, 6 minutes | - | Count your own good passes |
After two weeks, repeat the tally. If a mistake still shows up more than a few times per session, go back to slow motion for that one only. Cue: "Right first, fast second." Watch for: a fix that works against a wall but disappears in a game. That usually means you stopped scanning, so add a head-up call (name the colour of a bib) while you pass.
Keep the plan small and honest. If you can only train twice a week, do the Monday and Friday blocks and skip the rest. The point is to repeat one correction often enough that it becomes automatic, and two focused sessions beat four tired ones. Tell your coach which two mistakes you are working on, so they can remind you in team practice.
Common mistakes
- Trying to fix everything at once. Fix: choose one or two habits for each week.
- Practising too fast. Fix: slow the drill by 20 percent until the habit is clean.
- Counting minutes instead of reps. Fix: count clean passes and write down the number.
- Not checking the result. Fix: film 10 passes with your phone every two weeks.
FAQ
What is the most common passing mistake in floorball?
Not looking up before the pass. The fix is to scan the field before the ball arrives and pick a target early.
Why do my passes bounce off the receiver's blade?
The pass is probably too hard or the receiver's grip is too stiff. Match pace to distance and receive with a loose grip.
How do I stop passing to the feet of my teammates?
Aim one metre in front of the receiver's blade when the teammate is moving. Practise with a walking partner.
How can I stop passing only on my forehand?
Make a rule in every drill: every second pass must be a backhand. Add 40 backhand reps against a wall or a passer.
How many passing mistakes should I fix at once?
One or two. Choose the habit that costs you the most and work on it for a week.
How long does it take to fix a passing habit?
Usually two to four weeks of daily practice, about 10 minutes at a time. Counting clean reps helps you see progress.
Summary
Passing improves when you fix one habit at a time and repeat the fix many times. Start with the mistake that costs you the most, make it automatic and move to the next. Read the full passing technique guide and visit the Passing hub. Follow us on Instagram @better_floorball.
