Field Hockey: positions and roles

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My child is learning to play hockey. What are the field posotions and thier roles.

What are the best methods to teach Junior 8 aside hockey players their positional roles and responsibilities?

I'm not sure how to position my team and what to call the positions as I am used to playing 11 a side hockey.

Hey all, I am trying to implement a new structure for next season, and I want to get thoughts of others. I have my formation - do I start with working the ball out from defence and work forward, midfield, have certain set plays and movements? Where do you start in introducing the formation and player movements - big picture as in general philosophy, position by position? Any thoughts/comments would be greatly appreciated.Cheers,Brent

Hi,I perhaps naively, expected to have most of our team from last year carry over and only have a few new comers to integrate and get up to speed with the rest. However meeting the team at our first practice last night i find I have five players still at school from last year and the rest all new comers, most of whom had not held a hockey stick at all till practice.This being only my second season coaching (year 9 to year 13 boys) has left me feeling a little blindsided, and feeling quite unsure how to prepare practices that target both groups of boys. Do i lump them both groups together, keep them separate? What drills/exercises to best bring the new comers up to speed.I don't want to neglect either group, keep practice worthwhile for the experienced boys, but also bringing the new comers up to a level were they can mix in with the others and learn organically from them while practicing as a team. David

Are there exercises where you can train on positions? 4-3-3// 4-4-2?I have seen this somewhere but I can recall/find it anymore. Any help is appreciated. - Steven Wickel

Hi, I have a complicated set of questions which shows my limited understanding of field hockey. I’m coaching a U13 team of 22 girls in the U.S., and each player has at least one year of experience. I’ve played FH only with my kids though I have a basic understanding of the game and its concepts from playing soccer and basketball, and watching games for many years. I've coached kids in other sports, this is my first year coaching field hockey. (If you’re wondering why I’m coaching, no parent in my community with playing experience would step up and my daughter loves the game.)A warming: This is a long set of interrelated questions but your taking the time will be greatly appreciated. Problem: The core problem is responsibility conflicts on defense. My players understand concepts of zone and marking separately. I don’t know enough to explain how they should manage the two responsibilities in field hockey. I “get it” by playing other sports for so long and therefore am able to see how they aren’t “getting it.” For clarity, I have in mind two kinds of offense players: OP1 (has the ball); OP2 (doesn’t). The girls understand that zone means each has a certain area to protect; and marking, how to position themselves in relation to offensive player without the ball (OP2), and when to mark tight vs. loose, and to what it means to follow her mark. Situation 1 (Off-ball play): if one OP2 (OP2-A) enter zone of Left Midfield (LM), for example, how LM apply marking principles (a) when OP2-A enters zone; (b) a second OP2 (OP-B) enters zone; (c) if OP2-A leaves zone, LM should (i) release OP2-A and stay on OP2-B or (ii) follow OP1-A and leave OP2-B. How resolve these zone/marking conflicts for other positions: CM/RM? For RD/LD/CD? (We play a basic 3-3-1-3.)Situation 2 (Support teammate pressuring ball (D1). The girls understand basics of channeling, approaching OP1 to tackle, and how D2 should support D1 (e.g., D2 is cover for D2). We’ve done drills (1v2), but transferring into game situations is difficult. How explain D2 maintain zone responsibilities (a) if supporting D1 means D2 (a) vacates assigned zone and/or (b) or OP2 in zone). Situation 3 (Forwards). They are having trouble with changing defensive responsibilities from within the opposing team’s quarter of the field, the middle quarters, and our quarter of the field nearest to our goal. I’ve thought about just making the defense solely marking but that creates its own chaos and tires out the girls. Without these basic concepts, the result is a joyless scrum: players are bunched up on defense, so if there’s a turnover, the players are too close together for a counterattack. This is unfortunate because the speed of field hockey games should appeal to kids in the U.S. Thanks

What are the best methods to teach Junior 8 aside hockey players their positional roles and responsibilities?

Ask a question and have it answered by Coaches from around the world and Sportplan's team of Experts.

My child is learning to play hockey. What are the field posotions and thier roles.

Are there exercises where you can train on positions? 4-3-3// 4-4-2?I have seen this somewhere but I can recall/find it anymore. Any help is appreciated. - Steven Wickel

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.

What's your favourite field hockey drill?

Need help with planning a rolling subs with 11 players and 5 subs.Keeper,4 backs, 4 midfied, 2 strikers.Any ideas please

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

Can anyone please help me with a full training program for mini hockey for 6 weeks. The kidz are in Grade 2(8 yrs old), practise 2 a week for 45 min and play league games 1 a week.

Hi,I perhaps naively, expected to have most of our team from last year carry over and only have a few new comers to integrate and get up to speed with the rest. However meeting the team at our first practice last night i find I have five players still at school from last year and the rest all new comers, most of whom had not held a hockey stick at all till practice.This being only my second season coaching (year 9 to year 13 boys) has left me feeling a little blindsided, and feeling quite unsure how to prepare practices that target both groups of boys. Do i lump them both groups together, keep them separate? What drills/exercises to best bring the new comers up to speed.I don't want to neglect either group, keep practice worthwhile for the experienced boys, but also bringing the new comers up to a level were they can mix in with the others and learn organically from them while practicing as a team. David

Have some questions about two inners. Also anyone running it. Do you like it?

The two 'lessons' on formation, don't expand. they don't actually go into what the roles and responsibilities are.Also, a while ago Im sure that there was something on differnt types of 'press', FULL and HALF COURT....? Cant find them on the web site....Also don't quite understand being a paying member and the 'free' aspect of thge website, what do I get by paying, I am slightly confused.I do like the website, but it doesnt appear to be as good as it eas last season?Hope you can help me,Regards,Alistair