Keep your eyes on the ball.
Keep your feet apart and your knees slightly bent.
Step Two
Make sure your back foot is roughly in line with the ball.
The ball should start near the back foot.
Keep your stick on the ball.
Step Three
Transfer your weight onto the front foot and push the ball forward with the stick.
Keep your posture low and extend your right arm out as far as possible.
For extra speed remember to follow through strongly with your stick.
The stick should finish pointing towards the direction of the pass.
The Hit:
The most powerful way of getting the ball around the pitch is to give it a good old whack! The hit is one of hockey's most basic skills. The aim is to get the ball running smoothly along the ground until it reaches the target.
Step one
Place your hands firmly together near the top of the stick.
Swing your stick backwards.
You should aim to hit the lower half of the ball when you bring your stick back down.
Step two:
Remember to keep your eyes on the ball and follow through with your stick after making contact.
Your feet should be in a parallel line to the direction of the ball.
The Slap Hit:
The slap hit can be used quickly without changing your grip. It's great for goal shots close in or for passes that need to be slightly stronger than a push.
Step one
Keep your hands in the dribbling or trapping position rather than bring them both to the top of the stick.
Your hands should be apart - like in the dribbling or trapping grip.
The backswing should be short, with stick hugging the ground.
Step Two
Keep the follow through low and your stick on the ground.
If you want to lift the ball, angle the head of the stick upwards.
The Flick Pass:
The flick is the hockey equivalent of a chip in football. Rather than running along the surface of the pitch, the ball is raised off the ground. The flick can be used as a way of passing from one player to another. You can also use it to shoot at goal and from the penalty spot. It's also a deft way of flipping the ball over an opponent's stick.
Step One
Lean back on your right leg and roll your right wrist and arm backwards. Keep a low body position.
Step Two
The ball should be in line with the toes on the left foot. The stick face needs to be against the ball facing slightly upwards. Remember you shouldn't lift the ball in a way that could pose a danger to other players.
The Reverse Push:
Most effective when passing from left to right over a short distance, and frequently played square or behind square.
Note how the ball is released close to the right foot and that the power for the pass is generated by the right hand. The grip for the reverse stick push clearly shows the position of the hands on the stick.
The 5 Basic Passes:
Dribbling:
Running with the Ball
Objective : to develop the ability to run at speed with the ball under control, and to scan play in order to select the next move or option.
Basic Technique
• hold the body as near upright as possible
• hold the stick with the left hand at the top and right hand a third of the way down the shaft
• stick and ball out in front and slightly to the right of the body
• good balanced footwork
• scan ahead to read the pattern of play
Players must learn to recognize when they should pass and when they should run with the ball. Both skills require close control.
Tackling:
Key Objective:
• regain possession of the ball N.B. It may sometimes be necessary for a tackle to be used to put the ball out of play in order to allow the defending team to reorganise. All players must be able to execute all types of tackle. There are three main tackles:
• jab tackle
• open stick tackle
• reverse stick tackle
The main points to remember when tackling are:
• watch the ball and not the stick or body of the player in possession
• time the tackle correctly – don’t dive-in.
• recognize when to tackle
• know which tackle to use
• channel the attacking player onto his/her reverse-stick side
The Jab Tackle
Technique:
• the stick is held in the left hand and lunged at the ball like the head of a striking snake
• the right hand is sometimes used to provide support in the preparatory stage
• emphasis should be put on quick action
The Open Stick Tackle:
Probably the most commonly used tackle in the game which can be performed while standing still or on the move. It is also possible to make this tackle close to or well away from the feet.
Technique:
• the left foot leads the action
• the right foot provides the pivotal support required to change direction if the first attempt fails
Standing still:
• the stick is used as a barrier (block tackle)
On the move:
• the stick is more upright but is still held firm
• it is important for the defenders to position themselves goalside and to the right of the attacker before attempting the tackle.
The defender adopts a strong, well-balanced position as he/she makes his tackle on the attacker.
The Reverse-Stick Tackle
The rules of hockey forbid contact with an opponent’s body or stick when making a tackle so it is essential for the defender to get into a position which allows the tackle to be made level with or in front of his/her own body.
Technique:
• the relationship between defender and attacker means that this tackle is usually made one handed, although occasionally it may be possible to use two hands
• the further away from the body that the tackle is made, the flatter the stick must be to the ground
• tackles with flat sticks are more effective when playing on artificial surfaces or indoors
Fitness for the Game:
Hockey players have to be fit in a variety of different areas:
• good endurance
• good lower and upper body strength
• good flexibility
• good speed
exercise flexibility heart muscle oxygen temperature
A warm up should consist of:
- Gentle jog to circulate blood and oxygen supplying the muscles with more energy to work with.
- Stretching to increase the range of motion at joints.
- Sports specific exercises and drills.
- The warm up should last between 15 and 30 minutes. Do not warm up too early. The benefits are lost after about 30 minutes of inactivity.
STRETCHING should include all muscle groups but can focus on particular ones specific to the sport: can you identify the muscle groups being stretched below?
COOL DOWN: This is also often overlooked but can help avoid injuries and boost performance. The aim of the cool down is to:
- Gradually lower rate and breathing rate.
- Circulate blood and oxygen to muscles, restoring them to the condition they were in before .
- Remove waste products such as lactic acid.
- Reduce the risk of soreness.
- The cool down should consist of a gentle jog followed by light stretching.
Evaluate & Improve:
- To make effective evaluations of strengths and weaknesses in their own and others performance.
- To make suggestions to improve play, e.g on attack and defence tactics.
- Ask pupils to analyse their own and others’ strengths and weaknesses and to identify aspects of technique that need to be improved. Teach them how to ‘read a game’
- help pupils explore different ways of observing and analyzing performance and recognize what is effective and what needs improving.
- talk to pupils about the ways they think both the games and their own play can be improved. Listen to what they think they need most help with, then invite ideas on how to adapt and vary the games.
- talk to pupils about their knowledge of rules and develop their ability to officiate small sided games.
