Hockey Answers

What are the best things to get your players to do when you come up against a full press / 3/4 press, anything that's putting a lot of pressure on high up the pitch?

Hi. I am coaching a fairly advance boy's hockey team,but they struggle to round off in the circle and score. This may be  because of a crowded circle, but how do you teach them to score? any drills which I can do with them?

I am coaching 1,2,3,5 formation in an U16 Girls team but I am having trouble getting my Halfbacks connecting with my Inside Forwards - Any suggestions

I really have a big problem with my u/15 girls.  They just can't play as a team. Any advice please. There's always a fight between someone. Mariette

My daughter plays U13 hockey in the position of right wing.She gets different advice from her school coach and her club coach.I want to make sure that she is getting the right advice as she is passionate about her hockey. Firstly, exactly what is the full function of a right wing at this level of hockey (she will be going to U15 club hockey and U14 school hockey next season) She has a good understanding of the game and appears to me to read it well (I only played school level many years ago and things change) When her team is in the offensive position in the “D” she mostly waits at goal post to deflect ball into goal.  She appears to not be involved.  Comments from spectators have been made as to why she just stands there. There is a very skilled player in her team who hits the ball EXTREMELY hard.  I believe that at this level of hockey these extremely hard hits/passes do not achieve anything, they just keep going out. However, please can you advise on how to stop and control these very hard passes (that is if one can get to them) in order to move on with the game. Lastly, can you send some drills/exercises to get her eye in as well as positioning her body correctly for goal shooting.  The “hard hitter” and my daughter seem to be the main goal shooters of the team. Many thanks Lynne

I really struggle to make practice fun and useful for the GKs. My attention is naturally focussed on the outfield players, meaning most of the time I simply have drills finishing with a shot on goal to keep the GK involved. Pretty boring for them. Any ideas how I can involve them more? Thanks, Charlie

I have a team of 12 girls, many are new to the game. How do I prepare them to work together as a team and learn their positions when I can't simulate a game in practice?

When the PC shot is identified as a drag, it seems the defenders should veer away, else suffer the penalty shot if they get a body hit high? Whereas if it is instead identified as a hit, run straight, then if it hits feet, another PC, or if it is higher then it is turnover and maybe pain? If so, I guess the expert defenders are used to quickly deciding whether it is a drag or a hit, so whether to veer off for the drag, or to stay on track for the hit, protect feet, or if the hit is higher then take some pain for the benefit of the team? I am coaching young girls at present, where the penalty shot is not used yet. I dont play hockey myself, but the Olympics shows these events. Although the replays, sunlight reflection and the angles were a bit dissapointing.

After coaching my team to spin with the ball we started getting the whistle for blocking. Yet during the olympics when running down the clock the experts take the ball into a corner, contain the ball there, and there is no whistle. What is the detail?

Why can't I share my drill? The system seems to hang when I click on the share button? I also don't seem to be able to create a pdf?