Field Hockey Drills That Make Practice Time Fun

Practice time for field hockey should be fun just like the game itself. As a coach for a team, it is your responsibility to choose the drills and routines for your players. You cannot simply let the players go through the same hockey drills every time they practice. Choose from the many available drills out there and implement and mix them into your practice routine. That would make everyone enjoy the practice session.

Listed below are three of the most fun and exciting field hockey drills that you can let your team perform.

1. Diamond Drill – this drill will improve passing and defensive skills

Let four players form a diamond shape on the field and another two players standing in the middle. The two opposite players in the diamond shape together with one of the players in the middle will be on the same team.

Start the drill by giving a ball to one of the players forming the diamond shape. The player will then try to pass the ball to his team mate in the opposite diamond formation. The team will get a point if the ball makes it all the way to the other team mate on the other side of the diamond. The team don’t get a point if the ball makes it to the other team mate in the middle.

When the ball is intercepted in the middle by the member of the other team then the ball is given to the other team member forming the diamond and their team will try to get a score by shooting the ball to their team mate.

The first team that will be able to score five points wins.

2. Off the Ball – the aim of this drill is to develop a player’s ability to act during fast breaks.

A square shape is created on the field using four cones that are set ten yards apart in each corner of the square. Five players and a ball are then positioned in the center of the square.

The coach will then give a signal for the four players to run to different cones. The player that is left in the square will then pass the ball to one of the four players who are now positioned on the corners. The drill is repeated until the center player has passed the ball to each player in the corner.

3. Long Distance Scoring – this drill will help develop the skill of a player to score from a long distance.

In this drill, a goalkeeper will stay inside of the goals while an offensive player will stand twenty five feet away from the goals. The offensive player will then try to shoot the ball at the goals. The goals are then moved further as the accuracy of the players improve. The goals are moved further until no one can score a goal.

After some practice sessions using these drills, you let the players perform another set of drills. There are a lot of sources for online for hockey coaching videos. Just look for a website that you can trust and find out what it can offer to enhance your knowledge as a coach. As you introduce different drills, you will also watch as the skills of the players improve.