Level III Hockey Coaching
Course
Karnataka State Hockey Association, Bangalore
Conducted from April 16, 2003 to June 28, 2003
TACTICS IN DEFENCE
Individual Tactics
- Positional play – its functions
- Ability of marking man-to-man
- Quality of tackling – shadow/lunging/reverse/retracting
- Timely clearances – safe and accurate
- Solving difficult situations
- Actual game for the team
- Level of basic skills
- Variation in play
- Goalkeeper tactics to be covered separately
Collective Tactics
- Understanding with other players
- Zonal marking
- Covering in defence/combined marking/cooperation with other players
- Defending the standard situations – 2 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2, 3 vs. 1, 3 vs. 3 and
4 vs. 3
- Defending set plays penalty corners/free hits/16 yards hits
- Developing counter attacks/slowing down game
- Safety in defence – no risks
- Width/depth in defence
Team Tactics
- Choice of system – defensive/attacking
- Play in different phases of game - losing/winning/draw
- Tactics for counter attack
- Considering the characteristics of opponents
- Mutual understanding
- The rough - secrets signals - calls - eye contact
- External conditions – ground – weather – umpire – sunshine – spectators
- Balance in quality and quantity of attack
- Balance in quality and quantity of defence
TACTICS IN ATTACK
Individual Tactics
- Positional play – functions on positions
- Ball control and proficiency in basic skills
- Receiving/trapping technique
- Sense of passing the ball accurately and at the right moment
- Dodging ability/beating a player
- Scoring a goal/shooting/placing/taking rebounds/connection/deflection
- Variation in style of play
Collective Tactics
- Organisation of attack – right/center/left
- Attack in standard situations – 2 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2, 3 vs. 2, 3 vs. 3
- Attack in set plays penalty corners/penalty strokes/free hits/hits inside
- Development of counter attack
- Element of surprise to opponents
- Width and depth in attack
- Creation and utilization of space
- Variation in attack
- Planned tactics
TACTICS IN SYSTEMS
A system is a formation or a set of players which utilises all the players
for the optimum advantage of the team. Characteristics of a system are:
- Keeping balance in defence and attack
- Ability to introduce variations in defence as well as in attack
- Playing different matches at different levels
- Hiding the weak players and exploiting the strong players
Before you adopt any system, the players should have a good working knowledge
of the system and each player should be well aware of his responsibilities. The
different systems in use are:
Traditional 5-3-2-1 System
- The most balanced system - equal players in defence and attack
- Attacking centre-half and the two inside-forwards are very important
players
- Revolving defence system – more stress on attack play
- Centre-half mostly missing from defense on astroturf
- Rigid, stereotypical, lacks adjustment
- Centre-half has liberty to roam anywhere
- Zonal defence system/covering defence system
- Goalkeeper mostly sticks to the goal line
The drawbacks of the 5-3-2-1 system are:
- Centre-half leaves a lot of gap – does not marks the opponent's
centre-forward
- Inside-forwards are the planners – if they fail, the forward line does not
work
- Very skillful players can afford to play this system
- All five forwards move in attack
- Backs/half-backs keep on changing positions – more chances to be caught on
the wrong foot
- No scope for tight man-to-man marking for the dangerous players of the
opponents
Continental 4-2-3-1-1 System
- No traditional inside-forwards required/opponent's inside-forwards tightly
marked
- More creativity in the forward line/provides tight defence/twin forwards
- Most defensive system - 6 + 1 in the defence, and 4 in attack
- More width in attack- most effective counter against the 5-3-2-1 system
- Confusing to the two inside-forwards and centre-half
- Gives forwards more freedom/keeps defence tight and safe
3-3-3-1-1 System
- Most defensive system
- Basic positions always to be maintained
- Very safe formation to play
- Lot of scope for inter-change of positions, but technical discipline to be
maintained
- 3 attackers positioned inside the opponent's 25 yards zone
- 3 midfield players positioned between the opponent's 25 yards and 50 yards
- 3 defence players positioned between 50 yards and own 25 yards
- 1 sweeper player positioned behind own 25 yards, with goalkeeper backing
upto the 16 yards D
