Bram. I have a question on your answer about defending the left channel?

Bram van Asselt, England

Both options are right and it depends on the situation. if it is a break situation you would always try and force the ball away from the goal.

However when it is not a break and the player has cover it would be safer to channel the attacker in field.

Some of the reasons being: 

• That the right sided player will, as a rule, want to go to the outside and try to cross the ball so you would making the player do something they are not programmed to do.

• Also, it is very hard for the attacker to run at the circle on the forehand side of the defender anytime they would lift the stick away from the ball the ball can be taken by the defender.

• The closer the player would get to the D the more congested the situation and would probably lead to loss of possession.

To try the various ways try to set up a practice in training where the attacker starts on the right wing and has to try and score a goal against 1 defender and later introducing 2nd defender.

This will help you to work out what is best for your players.

The key to it working either way is that whatever way you decide the players to channel you stick to it as a defender because the goal scoring opportunities will arise mainly because of the defender having been beaten on the opposite side to which they were forcing the ball.

I hope this explains it a bit but it can be a long discussion point because of all the various scenarios in the game.

Bram.