Channelling defence

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Field hockey drill · Age 9 and up

A junior defender who dives in to tackle gets beaten, and the attacker is through. Good hockey defenders rarely tackle first. They close the attacker down quickly, then slow down, get side-on and show the attacker one way: onto their reverse side and towards the sideline, where the stick is weaker and the pitch runs out. This drill teaches the closing run, the jockey and the patience to wait for the tackle.

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Time
15 minutes
Players
Groups of 4: an attacker and a support player against a defender and a covering defender
Equipment
  • 3 or 4 balls per group
  • Bibs in two colours
  • Cones to mark a channel about 30 metres long from the halfway line, between the sideline and the middle of the pitch

Setup

  1. Our right back (RB) starts about 10 metres in front of their left wing (LW), who has the ball. Their left midfielder (LM) supports behind the ball.
  2. Our centre back (CB) starts inside, covering the middle of the pitch.
  3. The LW tries to dribble past the RB and into the 23 m area. The RB closes them down, then jockeys: side-on, stick low, showing them onto their reverse and towards the sideline.
  4. The CB covers inside, so if the LW cuts back across the RB, there is a second defender.
  5. The defenders win the go if the LW has to pass backwards to the LM, or loses the ball over the sideline. Swap roles after every three goes.

Coaching points

  • Close down quickly while the ball is travelling, then slow down to two stick-lengths away and come in on your toes.
  • Stand side-on with your stick low, and stay goal-side and slightly inside the attacker, so the easy way past you is down the line on their reverse.
  • Watch the ball, not the stick or the feet, and tackle when it leaves their stick, not before.
  • Stay on your feet. A defender on the ground is out of the game.

On the run sheet: Close down fast, then slow down two stick-lengths away. Side-on, stick low on your right, and show them onto their reverse towards the sideline. Tackle only when the ball leaves their stick

Progressions

  1. Take the cover away, so the RB has to win the 1v1 alone.
  2. Let the support player overlap, so the defenders have to talk and pass the attacker on.
  3. Start the attacker with the ball already moving at speed.

How it runs

Their left wing (LW) carries the ball forward. Our right back (RB) closes them down, then slows and gets side-on, goal-side and a little inside, so the only way past is down the sideline on the LW's reverse side. The LW goes that way, the RB goes with them, and our centre back (CB) shifts across to cover inside. With nowhere left to go, the LW passes backwards to their left midfielder (LM), and the animation ends on that pass. That is a win for the defence: the attack has gone backwards and the defenders are set.

A right-handed hockey stick is strongest on the open side, to the player's right. On the reverse, the stick has to be turned over and the player has less reach and less power, which is why defenders show attackers onto it.

The rule it is practising

Tackling and obstruction. A player may only tackle when they are in a position to play the ball without body contact: they may not hit, hook, hold or strike the attacker's stick, and they may not charge or push. Hockey is a non-contact game. A jockeying defender who stays side-on and waits for the ball to leave the stick is playing the ball, and that is a fair tackle. The attacker, for their part, may not turn their back to shield the ball from the defender: that is obstruction.

It also practises the back of the stick: a defender tackling on their own reverse side has to turn the stick over and use the flat face. Junior formats such as England Hockey's Rush Hockey, Hockey Australia's Hookin2Hockey and 7-a-side often have stricter tackling rules for the youngest players, so check your association's rules for your age group.

The mistakes to watch for

Diving in to tackle the moment the attacker arrives. Running at the attacker square-on, so they can go either way. A defender who stands still and lets the attacker run at them. And a covering defender who follows the ball instead of covering the inside.

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