Field Hockey Drills

The game of field hockey is second largest, in terms of number of participating countries. In field hockey, players try to push, flick and hit balls in order to score. The size of field used for playing hockey is 91.40 m x 55 m. The opposing teams have 11 players each, excluding 5 substitutes. There are no fixed or defined positions in the game of hockey. The hockey players generally arrange their positions in a manner similar to that of soccer players. The ball and stick are the basic equipment required for drills and the game.

Types of Drills for Field Hockey
The basic field hockey drills mentioned in the article below would help in preparing the players for real games. These drills for beginners would prove to be useful in training.

Preparation Station Drill
The preparation station can be a small, 5 ft. x 5 ft. area marked with the help of plastic cones. Players step into the area one by one. These players receive 10 passes each from other players. The players who step into the preparation station can touch the ball being passed just twice. The first touch helps in preparing players for a shot. The next touch is used for pushing or shooting the ball. It is one of the best drills of field hockey, for kids.

Triangle Drill
It can be used as one of the important drills for high school students. In this drill, players should be divided in groups of three. Warming up involves passing the ball to one another. After the warm up, players should try practicing passes, while on move. The player who passes the ball should move in the direction of the ball. Receiver of the ball need to step up and catch the ball. Pace of passing the ball should be increased gradually. The whole practice provides players with a real life scenario of a hockey game. It helps in improving the passing and receiving skills considerably.

Pressing Drills
In the pressing drill, both the teams have 5 players each. Till the first goal is scored by any team, game continues like a regular match. As soon as the first goal is scored by a team, that particular team now, concentrate its efforts on defense and stops attacking. Until the opposing team levels the score, regular game cannot be started. The leading team plays possession hockey while the opposing team tries to grab opportunities of scoring goals. This type of drill provides enough pressing practice to both teams. This is one of the best field hockey drills for goalies along with defenders.

Loose Ball Scramble
The loose ball scramble is a simple but effective way of improving the dribbling skills of players. To carry out this drill, the players need to be paired and made to face each other. Two parallel lines with a distance of 15 feet between them need to be drawn on the field. Players should stand on these lines and face each other. A ball should be placed in between each pair of players. The players should scramble for the ball once they are shown the visual sign; dropping of a flag can serve as a visual sign for the drill to begin. The player who takes possession of the ball and puts it behind him is the winner.

3v2 Drill with Counter Attack
This drill involves 3 players each from opposite teams. A 40 x 30 yard field is enough to conduct this drill. In this drill, the players have to score goals within a 6 m distance. Attacking team or the team which has possession of ball advances with 3 players. The defending team always plays with 2 players. As soon as they gain possession of the ball, the third player comes into play. Until the defending team gains possession of the ball, the third player stays inside the 6 m line.

It is necessary to bring innovations in the drills being introduced for training hockey players. The field hockey drills presented in the article above would help in developing all-round skills.