Hockey: Defensive Awareness

The goalkeeper passes the ball to player 2 who on receiving the ball has to try and score a goal. As soon as they receive the ball the defender is allowed to come in and try to win the ball. If the defender makes a tackle they have to run with the ball over the end line (opposite the goal).

Split your group into two teams - defenders and attackers. Players with the ball have to run around the cone and try and score. Players without ball also have to run around the cone, and then try and stop the other player scoring.

The coach puts the ball in different loactions in the box and on the command, players run towards the ball before then playing a one v one. Players have to learn to gauge their speed and reach and ask themselves are they going to get the ball first? If not they have to take on the role of defender and adjust and protect their goal.

Players work in pairs in this drill - attacking and defending pair. The player who starts with the ball has to dribble around the cone and then try to score a goal on the half way line. At the same time one player from the defending pair also runs around the cone. Once the player with the ball has run around the cone the drill is live. The defending team are trying to dispossess the player with the ball and score against the keeper and the last defender. The drill continues until one of the team has had a shot at one of the goals.

Player 1 feeds player 2 then closes him/her down. Player 1 tries to stop player 2 dribbling through the goals, and attempts to disposses them. If player 1 wins the ball he/she passes to player 3, who gets the ball back and shoots.

Attacker starts with the ball gives the ball to the defender who has to try and run in possession of the ball across the 23 meter line through one of the 2 goals. The attacking defender has to try and win back the ball and break to score a goal by passing the ball to the centre forward and receiving the ball back to have a shot at goal.

- Using a reverse stick block challenge to gain possession of the ball

Two defenders can work together to channel

This exercise is designed to encourage defenders to force attacking players to move onto the defenders forehand The player with the ball tries to run through between the 2 cones, indicating the maximum 10 points. This should encourage the defender to try and force the player onto their open stick side, away from this high scoring gate!

Setup as shown. Get players into pairs and give the pair a bib, with the next pair a different colour. Red players can only tackle gold and blue players can only tackle white players. The aim of the game is for players to score in the goals. On the whistle the people that the pairs are marking changes so it might be red players mark white and blue mark gold players.

Simple exercise without a ball to allow players to understand defensive positioning The engaging defender (at the front) moves from side to side (across a 10m distance) The covering defender (standing 5m behind the front defender) tracks and copies the direction of movement of the front defender. Covering defenders are in place, so that if the attacker gets past the first defender, there is another line of defence.

Put a ball on the pitch and ask one player to stand close and the second player to stand 3 to 5 meters behind the close player. The close player takes up a low stance and moves left and right of the ball pretending to be defending the ball. The second player moves opposite to the close player and try to cover the space.

Defender passes the ball. Attackers go 1 on 1 and try to penetrate the circle. Defenders priority is to stop the player getting through gate 1, then gate 2, then gate 3. The defender engages as far away from the the circle edge as possible. Work the left and right sides.

Players from the 23 metre line pass the ball to two players in the goal. These two players, on receiving the ball, can try to run and pass the ball under control, out of the area across the 23 metre line. Players coming from the 23m line have to try and win the ball and score a goal.

Players from the 23 metre line pass the ball to a player in the goal. This player, on receiving the ball, can try to run the ball, under control, out of the area across the 23 metre line. Players coming from the 23m line have to try and win the ball and score a goal.

Defenders on 23 metre line closes down and forces the attacker outside away from the goal. Attacker has to try and score a goal.

The attackers (Red Players) have to try and dribble the ball around one of the red cones in the middle and then go back through their gate without being tackled by one of the defenders. Every time the attackers do this successfully they score a point. The defenders are allowed to roam anywhere they like inside the red grid in order to tackle the attackers.

Players on the 23 metre line pass the ball to a player in the goal. This player, on receiving the ball can try to run the ball under control out of the area across the 23 metre line. The player coming from the 23m line has to try and win the ball and score a goal.

The first defender over commits to the forehand side to make the player in possession turn away. The second defender closes down the space so that the player in possession runs the ball onto the defenders stick when turned

4 players inside the 23 meter area try to pass the ball through the defensive zone (the space between the 23 meter to the half way line) to the players in the other half. When the ball has successfully been played across to the other side the opposite team must try and play the ball back through the defensive zone. The 6 defenders inside the middle zone have to try and intercept the ball and break. When they get the ball they must try and score a goal against the players who lost the ball.