Field Hockey: defenders focus

defenders focus DRILLS
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defenders focus ANSWERS
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drills for backpassing

Have a team of older group of ladies who need to learn to pass the ball back, any good drills for this?

trudy adamson Coach, New Zealand

What are good drills to teach effective corners?

I am teaching corners today for my JV team. It is our first practice that is separated from Varsity. What are good drills to use?

Archived User Coach

I am a new coach and need pointers!

I just became the head coach of a middle school field hockey team and would like some pointers on how to coach. I have experience with goal keeping and defensive drills, I was a keeper, so I would like to learn more about offense as well. Any help is appreciated!!

Amanda Emerich Coach, United States of America

Drills for 1 or 2 players

hi. i recently started playing hockey again after 7 years and looking for drills me and my brother can do to help get my technique back. like first touch and shooting dribbling etc. i am a striker

owen hankey Coach, United States of America

Base line defence - How to prevent teams scoring?

Baseline defence: How to prevent teams from Scoring goals from the left and Right baseline.Do I tell my left and Right half to channel player outwards ,protect feet,frontal pressure and allow other defenders to tuck infield.Or do I opt to tell defenders to go man to man inside 23 and then apply frontal pressure ,channel player outwards ,watch angle of engagment.As recently we only conceded through attack on our baseline

Jason Adams Coach, South Africa

How to improve defence?

What is your best suggestions for how to improve the back players skills to defend the goal?

DABHI Kalpesh Coach, India

Pass under pressure drill

What drill I wanna give my players for push pass under pressure?

RIYAS MASTER MALAPPURAM Coach, India

Indoor Hockey

Hi allOver the weekend I coached my U18s and we did well but I wanted to find out, is there any tactics, coaching sessions for indoor hockey to help defend in different structures or heck even stop attackers from getting their angles right0

Damien Life Liversedge Coach, South Africa

I am a new coach and need poin...

I just became the head coach of a middle school field hockey team and would like some pointers on how to coach. I have experience with goal keeping and defensive drills, I was a keeper, so I would like to learn more about offense as well. Any help is appreciated!!

Amanda Emerich Coach, United States of America

How to coach school team with ...

Hi,I perhaps naively, expected to have most of our team from last year carry over and only have a few new comers to integrate and get up to speed with the rest. However meeting the team at our first practice last night i find I have five players still at school from last year and the rest all new comers, most of whom had not held a hockey stick at all till practice.This being only my second season coaching (year 9 to year 13 boys) has left me feeling a little blindsided, and feeling quite unsure how to prepare practices that target both groups of boys. Do i lump them both groups together, keep them separate? What drills/exercises to best bring the new comers up to speed.I don't want to neglect either group, keep practice worthwhile for the experienced boys, but also bringing the new comers up to a level were they can mix in with the others and learn organically from them while practicing as a team. David

David Smith Coach, New Zealand

What position should I play my...

Hi Im new to coaching hockey want to know what position do I play some of my weaker players without them losing interest and there confidence.

Archived User Coach

How do you teach children aged...

I coach aged 7 children and I don't know how to teach them how to play a proper hockey match without all of them going for the ball and not staying in their positions. Do I put lines where they are not allowed to pass? or what?

Bev Coach, South Africa

Midfield positioning on 16yd h...

hi there I'm using 4-4-2 and on sometimes 3-1-4-2 with a lower level hockey team.I've chosen this over other formations, simply because the hockey experience and ability of my players is not of a high level (and most people have an approximate understanding of 442). Also, I believe that one must choose a formation based on players traits and what they can deliver. For example, I'd ideally prefer to have 3 forwards, to help with more height and width but then would have to either play 3 in the middle or 3 at the back... and my player strengths don't permit this. In short, I simply don't believe I have a strong enough CH / CM to handle 3 in the middle and I'm not convinced that the off-the-ball support from other players is strong enough to allow 3 in the middle. OFFENSIVE PLAYS Anyway, I'm not 100% where to get my centre mids to stand when we have a 16 yd hit to take (i.e. our possession). Obviously one of the CMs comes deep to offer a potential direct outlet from the centre backs or offer an overload option if the ball goes out to the sides (which is more likely, since I've pretty much banned the high risk play of releasing up the middle - we've had far too many turnovers in our final third or quarter because we tried to play up the middle). My players are 'aware' of posting up and leading runs. However, I'm not sure about the 2nd CM. On the one hand I'd ideally like the 2nd CM to come deep as well, in order to potentially help break up the opposition press but by doing so, I distort the midfield and if we do manage to get the ball to one of the CMs, he won't have the 2nd CM in a higher position to release to, etc. DEFENSIVE POSITIONING Can someone suggest, again, about midfield positioning using 4-4-2 or 3-1-4-2, when we are setting up a general press? I have traditionally encouraged man marking, simply because our general positional awareness is weak (which makes zonal play a no-no IMO) + our tracking and attitude to committed defending (i.e. you don’t give up if one tackle fails) could be better! However, looking at suggested presses on Sportplan, some zonal positioning seems a necessity and I think if I can help my players make the step, success will come because they've been forced to become more aware of their pitch positioning, etc. Also, looking at some of the presses, it looks like the midfield can go 'flat' to create a barrier... and as I encourage a diamond shape in midfield, I need to explain to my players what to do and when. Sorry for the wordy question. I hope this all makes sense. Regards, Gary

Gary Thompson Coach, England

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