Field Hockey: possession of the ball

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I train a school team in India, it is under-16 team. My forwards are good in skills and defenders are good at tackling. But at the last 15 mins of match(35-5-35 mins.), my whole team gets tired and starts making unforced errors. Even skills are as good as other Indian players but when it comes to strength and stamina they lack. Please suggest something that my players are capable fast matches? We play hockey on grass only.

Bram. I have a question on your answer about defending the left channel. Over the years I've heard various different views on how to defend the left channel. You answer suggest forcing the attacker on to the strong side where an inside defender can provide a cover tackle if necessary. Fine. Other rhetoric suggests keeping the attacker wide and restricting the route to goal. For me, your suggestion offers the greatest risk. Can you provide some perspective of these two approaches.

Would anybody like to give me a diagram of 3/4 press and half court please ?

How should a women team,that cannot use the scoup or an overhead,do when the oposit uses a full press at a 16yd hit??Thank you...

I am looking for 6 a side hockey formations. We have been playing 3-1-1-1. Worked very well, however sweeper was so good, goalie never touched the ball. I want to move sweeper to goalie/ sweeper but our mid field player is too good to just play right. What to do? 2-2-1-1 or 1-3-1-1?     

How do you encourage positional play and spreading out on hockey field U9 girls level?

What are the key skills in individual defending and what are the best ways to practise them?

Dear colleagues, I am coaching a 1st women team (Argentina) and the system that is working for us very well is 3-1-3-3. Given the quality players we've got in the midfield and attack we try to emphasize our offensive game all the time. The problem I am struggling to resolve is that the forwards do not get involved in chances to score inside the circle very often. The few chances the forwards have they are able to score but it is our midfielders who most of the time get to the circle in possession with the ball. I would like to see a quick transfer of the ball from the midfielders to the forwards who need to be in touch with the ball more often during the game and have the midfielders supporting the attack rather than being the leaders of the attack.Is there any drill or way to improve this aspect of the game? Thanks for your time. Martin

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

Can someone give me advice on the best was to teach ladies 3d skills while entering the D? I am open to any suggestions. I have tried to get them lifting the ball over sticks but it doesn't seem to transfer to matches.

if a player in possession of the ball intentionally hits the ball at the foot of the opposing player in order to slow down the game or for any other advantage is it permissible,what if the same scenario occurs in the shooting circle.

Please could someone tell me the principles of transferring the ball. I can use the drills on here and some I have already used. However I would like my players to be "able to create own" if they know the princimples

Can anyone recommend a drill to get my players talking more during the game as I trying to teach them how important it is to do things off the ball?

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

I'm in the U.S., coaching a team of 11-12 year olds, with 1-2 years of experience. Defending the circle, when the ball is loose, my players are not getting control of the ball to hit out of the circle. It's congested with opponent and my team's players. If my players get control, they lose it quickly. If the opponent has control, my players aren't very good at taking the ball or stopping the opponent from taking a shot. Luckily we have a good goalie but she can only do so much. (Full disclosure: I didn't play FH but have a decent understanding of the game. No one else in my community would step up to coach so it's fallen to me.)

any literature about regaining because its most important part of hockey and it doesn't have more things anywhere

if a player in possession of the ball intentionally hits the ball at the foot of the opposing player in order to slow down the game or for any other advantage is it permissible,what if the same scenario occurs in the shooting circle.

Dear colleagues, I am coaching a 1st women team (Argentina) and the system that is working for us very well is 3-1-3-3. Given the quality players we've got in the midfield and attack we try to emphasize our offensive game all the time. The problem I am struggling to resolve is that the forwards do not get involved in chances to score inside the circle very often. The few chances the forwards have they are able to score but it is our midfielders who most of the time get to the circle in possession with the ball. I would like to see a quick transfer of the ball from the midfielders to the forwards who need to be in touch with the ball more often during the game and have the midfielders supporting the attack rather than being the leaders of the attack.Is there any drill or way to improve this aspect of the game? Thanks for your time. Martin

Are there exercises where you can train on positions? 4-3-3// 4-4-2?I have seen this somewhere but I can recall/find it anymore. Any help is appreciated. - Steven Wickel