Excellent drills, very detailed videos. Useful site for my U15 boys team.
We are a good team but our defensive corners are letting us down. During the last match alone we have conceded 4 goals out of 5 corners.Please help!
What's the best way to explain the roles and responsibilities of what an inner does to a 12 year old
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the box defensive formation ?
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.
Can you lift the ball with a drag flick to score,, will it be called dangerous??
what defensive formation do you use and when do your defenders break that formation?
Hi! Im Martina, I am 25 years old and I am in charge of a weekly training session for a Mens Seniors team. They are a mixed group, from 17-60 years old. Im finding it a bit hard to find a balance for all the players as there are young but also experienced ones. I want to make the trainings fun and dynamic, so any help with drills is appreciated!Thank you
Where do the defensive players stand during a corner?
What is the recommended formation for a middle school level to set up for defense on a short corner, we play on grass.
Dear all, what are best practices for playing long corners? Please advice for playing long corners while attacking and defending long corners.
My Girls team I coach get caught a lot between man marking and zonal marking in the 23 yard area and sometimes end up with half the team doing one and the rest the other. Suggestions on the ideal defensive set up inside the 23?
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
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.
Suggestions on how to play this system. I have very young 1st team so feel i must play defensive hockey. Thanks
My team are constantly allowing oppositions to score from penalty corners we do 1st runner 2nd runner amp; 2 players on the post, what can I do.
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.
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!!
I have a midfielder that wants to practice defending against lifted balls in a 1-2-1 situation, any ideas for drills that will assist with this?
in more ways than one
2026 is the first full year with mandatory face masks for penalty corner defence. Here's how to train your defenders for the new equipment reality.
Move beyond drills and let your players discover solutions through play. The constraints-led approach is transforming how hockey is coached at every level.
From mandatory safety equipment to evolving tactical systems and player-centred coaching methods, field hockey is transforming. Here's what every coach needs to know for 2026.
Coaches from around the world look to Sportplan for coaching confidence.