Field Hockey: tackles

Drills for a crowded D. What drills or exercises would you recommend for a forward either passing or shooting in a crowded D - partic when you dont have a lot of players to use for the exercise.

What is a good fitness programme for hockey?

Anyone know some Fun Hockey Drills to do ? not working on anything in particular

If there are two defenders trying to tackle one player. Do you pull up for two on one or do all three sticks need to be making contact with the ball?

I am coaching my first season as head coach. I am confident that my team has improved on alot of skills (mostly due to sportplan.net, thank you!). The only thing that is driving me crazy that my team has not improved on is the over committing block tackle. When an opponent is coming down the field on a breakway, my defense runs up and block tackles, and the opponent shoots right past them. This will happen two or three times in a row, one defender after the other. I've told them to keep their feet moving and to keep off their toes, keeping their momentum with the opponent. I don't know how to practice this with them. We only have 9 players (this is a high school varsity team) so we can't scrimmage full field during practice. Please help! I'm desperate for a solution.

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

For high school, I can't find it saying it isn't allowed, but I don't want to teach it to my girls or make them aware of these if they can't technically use them

I help coach around 30 players, they are of completely differing abilities and ages. For a while I have been using the same first drill/warm up of getting into groups of 4/5 players and having cones in a line in front of them which they have to use different methods of getting the ball to and then passing back to the rest of the team from the 1st cone, then next time from the 2nd cone (and so on) I find this works ok but would like a new/more fun way to get them ready after our run and dynamic stretches. Any help/suggestions gratefully received.

How can I help my u/12 girls to attack? At the moment they are running beside the opponent but not attacking the players.

Hi - I need suggestions for training on Monday. Varsity high school girls, playing on grass. Last couple of games tackling, especially body position, has been weak. Anyone got any great drills? The girls know it's gonna be a hard session..! Thx

We need to talk about the basics of hockey but any advice re coaching them on not bunching and drills to help with this would be much appreciated. Thank you.

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

Hello, can someone please help with this question: Describe two different training types and methods which would have a positive impact on sports performance for AFL players. I need to provide 2 training methods for the 2 training types where the training methods include (examples are the training methods): Aerobic-eg continuous, fartlek, aerobic interval and circuit. Anaerobic- eg anaerobic interval. Flexibility-eg static, ballistic, PNF, dynamic stretching. Strength training- eg free/fixed weights, elastic, hydraulic. So i have information on dynamic stretching but if i am to do that I have to pick another form of stretching from the example methods above such as PNF, static ballistic. Not sure what to say if I had to pick one of those. Also I think aerobic interval seems good, how does it better AFL players performance?

How do I defend two High hanging strikers?

Hi,I coach a university team that has a group of mixed abilities, ranging good players with some previous hockey experience to some who are starting from the basics. We've managed to polish on basics and now the team is able to play together. They move the ball well around the pitch using the wider areas, good defence and tackles, but the big problem is creating scoring opportunities. Without goals we can't win matches... The best is draws which we get most times. I was wondering if anyone could share a small sided game or drill that could help create the attack mindset so my team can have that hunger for goas and go for it.

Hi allI am looking for advice on how to implement processes in my girls school hockey team. processes of setting up presses, defensive structures and counter attacking thinking. I have 14 players in the team from 15 years old to 18. we train twice a week. only a few play club hockey as well. We either play a 3-1-4-2 or a 3-1-3-3.I find it difficult for example, when you want to teach a press on the opposition 16, to simulate gameplay with only 14 players (if they are all at training). I can have my halves setup for taking the 16 and then get my strikers and links to setup, but then I still want defenders to see things from the back but they are taking the 16? Also when taking the 16 they then don't have any support in the drill because everyone else is setting up a press?I know we need to work on our basics in order for the other tactics and skills and game plans to work. However I find it frustrating with this team that on counter attacks for a few reasons which I am struggling to mend;- they only head forward. No one holds up the ball to wait for support.- they run straight and don't use angles- they pass too late and get tackled - they don't have the vision to see an early pass or pass into space- players without the ball do not run into useful positions and angles and get caught out by the person with the ball who then makes a pass to no one and it runs out of play.So suggestions please for;- open, creative but simple counter attacking- teaching processes for presses on free hits and 16s- coaching how to take 16s and work your way out- coaching vision and expecting your players to be in support. RegardsMatt

How do I teach kids to get body around to tackle from correct position? Asked using Sportplan Mobile App

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

Do you have some examples of player placements and drills for clearing the ball from defensive 16 yrd hits Thanks Mark

What kind of hit can be used by the player passing the ball in?