Free hit outside the circle

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Field hockey drill · Age 9 and up

A free hit near the circle is one of the best chances a junior team gets, and one of the most wasted. Players rush it into the circle and the umpire gives it back to the other team, or they stand still waiting for a pass while every defender gets set. The 5 m rule decides what an attacking free hit can do, and this drill turns it into a routine: a quick self-pass, five metres of running with the ball, and a pass to a forward already leading into the circle.

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Time
15 minutes
Players
Groups of 5: a free-hit taker and a forward against two defenders and a goalkeeper
Equipment
  • 4 or 5 balls per group
  • A goal and a goalkeeper in full kit
  • 2 cones, 5 metres apart, to mark the first carry

Setup

  1. Place the ball in the attacking 23 m area, about 7 metres outside the circle on the left. The left midfielder (LM) takes the free hit.
  2. Every other player starts at least 5 metres from the ball: our centre forward (CF) outside the circle, their right back (RB) and centre back (CB) defending, and their goalkeeper (GK) in goal.
  3. The LM self-passes and carries the ball at least 5 metres towards the circle while the CF leads into the circle, away from the CB.
  4. Once the ball has travelled 5 metres, the LM passes into the circle and the CF shoots.
  5. Swap the taker and the forward after every go, and move the spot round the 23 m area.

Coaching points

  • Take it quickly. A free hit taken before the defence has set is worth more than a perfect one taken late.
  • Self-pass: a small push to yourself and go. The ball must be stationary before you take it.
  • Carry the ball 5 metres, or pass it to a team-mate first. Either way it can then go into the circle.
  • Forward: lead into the circle as the ball starts moving, not after it is passed.

On the run sheet: Self-pass and go, quickly, before the defence is set. Carry it 5 metres before it goes into the circle. Forward: lead into the circle as the ball is played

Progressions

  1. The taker passes to a team-mate outside the circle instead, who then plays it in first time.
  2. Let the defenders close down as soon as the ball is played, at full pace.
  3. Award the free hit within 5 metres of the circle, so the taker has to bring it back to 5 metres outside the circle first.

How it runs

Our left midfielder (LM) takes a free hit in the 23 m area, about 7 metres outside the circle, with every other player at least 5 metres away. The LM self-passes and carries the ball nearly 6 metres towards the circle. Their right back (RB) closes in, but the ball has already travelled far enough. Our centre forward (CF) leads into the circle away from their centre back (CB), the LM passes in, and the animation ends as the CF shoots, with the goalkeeper (GK) on the near post.

Speed is the point. A free hit taken in two seconds catches defenders still walking back; one taken in ten lets them mark everybody.

The rule it is practising

The 5 m rule. When the attack is awarded a free hit inside the attacking 23 m area, every player except the taker must be at least 5 m from the ball. The ball must not be played into the circle until it has travelled at least 5 m, or until it has been touched by another player. A self-pass is allowed, so the taker can carry the ball 5 m themselves and then pass or shoot from inside the circle. A free hit awarded closer than 5 m to the circle is taken from the nearest point 5 m outside it.

A free hit for an offence by the defence inside its own circle is not a free hit at all: it is a penalty corner. Junior formats such as England Hockey's Rush Hockey, Hockey Australia's Hookin2Hockey and 7-a-side often change the free-hit distance and whether a self-pass is allowed, so check your association's rules for your age group.

The mistakes to watch for

Pushing the ball straight into the circle from the spot, which gives the ball away. Taking the free hit with the ball still rolling. A forward standing inside the circle waiting, instead of leading. And defenders who stand 2 metres from the ball, which the umpire can punish by moving the free hit forward.

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