Field Hockey: tactics

tactics DRILLS
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tactics ANSWERS
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what are good penalty corner plays?

what are good penalty corner plays?

Archived User Coach

Best way to teach shape and positional awareness to U12s and U13s?

hi allI'm currently coaching 12 and 13 yr olds and the team has a massive problem with shape and being disciplined positionally.Any tips, ideas, drills etc for helping with / teaching this?many thanks,Gary

Gary Thompson Coach, England

Indoor Hockey: How has the new format affected the way you play?

Last year we predicted how we thought the changes to indoor hockey would affect the game (you can still read the blog here). What we wanted to know was, a year on, how has the new format affected the way you play? What are your best tips for the 5v5 game? What tactics and formations are you using?

Sportplan Team Coach, United Kingdom

How to create a slideshow?

How is it possible to create a slideshow?

Math Coach, Belgium

Body position & defending

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

Mike Baker Coach, United States of America

How can I ask a question?

Archived User Coach

Can I sketch over a diagram?

Archived User Coach

Protecting a lead, tactics and suggestions?

Hello,Does anyone have any tactics/suggestions to use when trying to protect a lead? My team were 2-0 on Saturday, and although we ended up winning the match 3-2, we'd obviously still prefer not to concede!Thanks.

Archived User Coach

Short corner attacking tactics

How do you know what variations to use when you are attacking a short corner. ie what variation/tactic to use when they are running a diamond or a box etc.

Kyle Talbot Coach, South Africa

Coaching plan (season outline) for coming season?

Hi all, after "volunteering" at the last minute to coach last season, I'm looking forward to coaching again this season but would like to be a bit more organised starting the season. Last season I used drills from here (thank you contributors) and put together a practice plan each week addressing what I thought were our weakness from the game just played. This got us through the season, we were promoted after grading and finished the season in the top 4 playoffs for our grade.I wonder if there is some kind of guide to putting a more coherent training plan together for the season.I'm coaching a boys secondary school team, aged 12-18. What kind of skills should they have mastered?What should they be attempting, working towards mastering (individually and as a team)?I last played as a collage boy on grass fields, the change to turf pitches has obviously obsoleted (along with age) much of what I knew as a player.Any pointers appreciated.David

David Smith Coach, New Zealand

How to play against a team with a strong centre half?

The teams currently in our league all seem to have vastly different playing styles. It's obviously not possible to fully coach strategies for each of these teams, but i was wondering if people had any tips about how you can tweak your team tactics without moving too far away from the default mentality e.g playing against a team with a particularly strong centre half?

Archived User Coach

teaching presses on free hits and 16s

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

Matthew Lydall Coach, South Africa

Match preparation and tactics

I'm playing an important match on Wednesday I was wondering how do I prepare for matches . I was at training with the A team on Friday and learned new things that could be useful is it too late to try it with the team?? Asked using Sportplan Mobile App

Archived User Coach

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

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

Formation at tactics for playing with no goalie

I'm new to coaching, I have played at a high level for over 10 years. The team I'm coaching often has no goalie but has enough players. Looking for the best formation to play a full game with no goalie, we usually play a 3-4-3.

Craig LAwrence Coach, Canada

Tactics for 8 a side junior ho...

What is the best way to position teams for 8 a side hockey?

Archived User Coach

Formation at tactics for playi...

I'm new to coaching, I have played at a high level for over 10 years. The team I'm coaching often has no goalie but has enough players. Looking for the best formation to play a full game with no goalie, we usually play a 3-4-3.

Craig LAwrence Coach, Canada

Clips or Animations/ Tactics D...

New to the site. Are the clips or animations you can download to show teams later? ie various presses or right hand side build up play etc? Playing out the back options?

Archived User Coach

I've been persuaded to coach a...

I've been persuaded to coach a women's veterans side (+35). I haven't coached hockey before but have good experience coaching soccer at youth level. Any suggestions on a training plans? How close do soccer tactics align with hockey?Any help is welcomed.ThanksMichael

Archived User Coach

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