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Hockey: Cover and Delay - Proud to Coach

Excellent drills, very detailed videos. Useful site for my U15 boys...

Parry, U15 boys Hockey Coach

COACHING POINTS

Head

The defending player should constantly scan for possible tackling opportunities, teammates to channel the ball carrier into and possible passing opportunities for the ball carrier. Through good vision defending players will be better placed to make better decisions as to how best channel and defend against attacking players.

Hands and arms

It is preferable for the defending player to position both hands on their stick whilst channelling an attacking player, although some players may use one hand in order to extend their reach.
If the defending player uses the jab tackle/dummy jab tackle whilst channelling an attacker, they remove their right hand from their stick as they lunge to jab at the ball. As this is a quick movement the right hand should return back to the stick quickly after the jab has been completed.

Body

The defending player should attempt to close down the attacking player by running in an arc/curve towards the ball carrier. By arcing/curving their run the defending player should be able to force the ball carrier onto the defenders stick side, which is the strongest side for the defender to channel on.
By channelling the player onto the defending player’s strong side the attacking player may be forced to take the ball onto their reverse stick which is generally is weaker than carrying the ball on the open stick side.

Feet

The defending player will be sideways on to the attacker when channelling.
The defending player remains on the balls of their feet to enable quick movement and enables them to change their direction suddenly if necessary.

Stick

The use of jabbing movements with the stick keeps the ball carrier focussed on the ball. By forcing the attacker to attend to the ball it will divert their attention from being able to identify passing/movement options and will force errors.
When not jabbing the defending player should keep their stick as close to the ground as possible in order to continue to channel the ball carrier and dictate to them which space they should use.

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OFTEN USED WITH...

Channelling Proud to coach:

Difficulty of the skill: Red - a difficult core skill for ages 7-9 years and upwards. As players progress and develop the difficulty of the skill should reduce.

What does it mean?

Closing down and dictating to the ball carrier where they can and cannot move with the ball. The defending player looks to channel the ball carrier in order to make them either push the ball off the pitch; create a tackling opportunity ;or to provide another teammate with an opportunity to make a tackle.

Example of the skill

Channelling enables the defender to have maximum control of the situation. If in the middle of the pitch the defending player would look to channel the player towards their (defending players) right hand (open stick side) or alternatively to either a teammates stick or towards the sideline.

Roles and Responsibilities

Channelling Practice Proud to Coach:

Suggested Exercise

Player one begins with the ball in the opposite diagonal corner to player two. Player one’s target is to score through the red cones which are defended by player two. Player two’s aim is to run in an arc towards player one and channel the attacker away from the red cones and force them to the blue cones.

Attacking players could begin the exercise passively, allowing the defending player to practice their channelling technique. The exercise could progress to become more game like with the attacking player becoming less passive and attempting to score through the defending player’s goal by eliminating the defending player.

Roles and Responsibilities

Defensive Transfer 2:

Introduce Inside Left and Inside Right and passing option as indicated on diagram

Add in passive defenders

Roles and Responsibilities

1-3-1-3-3:

This system is more attacking then the sweeper behind system (1-1-3-3-3).

The advantage of this set-up is that you have a free player behind the midfield (highlighted). This creates a numerical advantage for your team in the middle. This overload will help your team, especially your attackers, to push forward and penetrate the opposition's circle.

When not in possession you will have an extra man to support your midfielders. This arrangement gives more opportunities to 1/2 court press and/or full press the opposition.

When to use:

You would employ this system if your midfiled is being overrun and is struggling to cope with the opposition, but your back line is coping with their players.

Roles and Responsibilities

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Cover and Delay - Proud to Coach

Head The defending player should constantly scan for possible tackling opportunities, teammates to channel the ball carrier into and possible passing opportunities for the ball carrier. Through good vision defending players will be better placed to make better decisions as to how best channel and defend against attacking players. Hands and arms It is preferable for the defending player to position both hands on their stick whilst channelling an attacking player, although some players may use one hand in order to extend their reach. If the defending player uses the jab tackle/dummy jab tackle whilst channelling an attacker, they remove their right hand from their stick as they lunge to jab at the ball. As this is a quick movement the right hand should return back to the stick quickly after the jab has been completed. Body The defending player should attempt to close down the attacking player by running in an arc/curve towards the ball carrier. By arcing/curving their run the defending player should be able to force the ball carrier onto the defenders stick side, which is the strongest side for the defender to channel on. By channelling the player onto the defending player’s strong side the attacking player may be forced to take the ball onto their reverse stick which is generally is weaker than carrying the ball on the open stick side. Feet The defending player will be sideways on to the attacker when channelling. The defending player remains on the balls of their feet to enable quick movement and enables them to change their direction suddenly if necessary. Stick The use of jabbing movements with the stick keeps the ball carrier focussed on the ball. By forcing the attacker to attend to the ball it will divert their attention from being able to identify passing/movement options and will force errors. When not jabbing the defending player should keep their stick as close to the ground as possible in order to continue to channel the ball carrier and dictate to them which space they should use.

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