Field Hockey: stopping the ball

Here is one example I use.I put out this slalom as the test whenever confronted with a large group of mixed ability players that need to be put into equal ability groups to play a game or to be coached. The slalom incorporates lots of the aspects of the techniques required by the individual players to play the game of hockey. I.e. running with the ball, fast and controlled, changing direction with the ball pivoting, stopping the ball etc.I normally set up 2 - 4 identical slaloms, see attachment, and have 4 coaches or helpers with a stopwatch (mobile phones are great for this).To record the score I normally put a label on the stick of each player so they can write down their time. Once all players have recorded a time, ask the players to stand in time order on the sideline. Once the players are in order you can put the 10 fastest times to play a 5 aside game across 23 meter area and the next 10 in the next 23 meter area and so on up to 40 players playing on one full pitch. The last few changes you might now need to make are the players that perform better or weaker on any particular pitch (should not be to many).

Individual drills for players to do outside of team training times to improve their ball feel and control etc.

My U19 boys hockey team is still playing on very uneven bumpy grass fields. What are the best ball stopping technique and drills

The new rules - what will UK coaches be focussing on most? (Living in NZ, we're playing them now!)

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Hi, I'm actually a kid doing BTEC sport in Year 10, and I'm doing my coursework on Hockey. Unfortunatly I have no idea what a short corner is, other than it's suppose to commence play again. If anyone could help me with this, it would be much appreciated %3A)

My daughter plays U13 hockey in the position of right wing.She gets different advice from her school coach and her club coach.I want to make sure that she is getting the right advice as she is passionate about her hockey. Firstly, exactly what is the full function of a right wing at this level of hockey (she will be going to U15 club hockey and U14 school hockey next season) She has a good understanding of the game and appears to me to read it well (I only played school level many years ago and things change) When her team is in the offensive position in the “D” she mostly waits at goal post to deflect ball into goal.  She appears to not be involved.  Comments from spectators have been made as to why she just stands there. There is a very skilled player in her team who hits the ball EXTREMELY hard.  I believe that at this level of hockey these extremely hard hits/passes do not achieve anything, they just keep going out. However, please can you advise on how to stop and control these very hard passes (that is if one can get to them) in order to move on with the game. Lastly, can you send some drills/exercises to get her eye in as well as positioning her body correctly for goal shooting.  The “hard hitter” and my daughter seem to be the main goal shooters of the team. Many thanks Lynne

need info on training the goal keeper.

As of 1 September, major FIH events such as the Champions Trophy, Hockey World League Final and Rio 2016 Olympic Games will assume a new format that includes moving to four 15-minute quarters and having 40-second time-outs when a penalty corner is awarded and after a goal is scored. Do you think this a positive or negative for the future of hockey?

Any tips or drills for improving 'soft hands'?

Hi,I need to play 4 linked hockey sessions to a specific theme I don't know which one to chose such as I can't say attack because there can be so much to cover . So any help?

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

I coach aged 7 children and I don't know how to teach them how to play a proper hockey match without all of them going for the ball and not staying in their positions. Do I put lines where they are not allowed to pass? or what?

Hi all- I am 37 years old. I played field hockey for 3 years only (in high school). As you can imagine, I'm not very good/experienced. I was a competitive soccer player which made me good enough athletically to play field hockey but anyway, the point is: I never played field hockey at a high level.I now find myself in a head coaching position. (Long story-I did coach some field hockey some years ago and had a blast but it was a while back). Anyway, I have three assistant coaches who aren't much more experienced than I am. Our high school program is VERY weak and so nobody really steps up to coach there.Basically, my question is: what do I do? I have some girls who have played but not much. Then I have girls who literally don't know how to hold their stick and are quite I athletic. We barely have enough girls to field a team. As for drills, I'm trying to use this site but if you were in my position, what specifically would you be doing with these girls so they don't lose 7-0 every game? Right now, I'm focusing on body control and comfort with the ball- (we are playing possession and they are so uncomfortable they just hit the ball away because they don't have the skills to hold). Any help you can give is greatly appreciated!Brooke Asked using Sportplan Mobile App

HI, I'm an inexperienced hockey coach about to coach 9-10 year old kids at school. It's been 20 years since I played myself, so not always familiar with the drills I read here. Anyone has some tips for basic drills for kids to learn the basics? Thanks!

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.)

I am coaching a JV team and my girls keep sending the ball back to where the ball came from.  Are there any good drills that would train them redirect?

need info on training the goal keeper.

My U19 boys hockey team is still playing on very uneven bumpy grass fields. What are the best ball stopping technique and drills

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.