A Wise Athlete Sport and education. Both.
Get the app

Field hockey · Intermediate · i4

Beat the defender

Park or court 10 min 2 players Yard or lane, park

Ready when: Dribble both sides and curves (b5) done.

Start a session

What you are learning

Getting past a defender with a pull: one quick touch that drags the ball across your body, just before the defender can reach it. Then using it in a 1 v 1 game.

Words on this card Stick, Dribble, Pull
Stick
The hockey stick, with a curved hook at the bottom called the head.
Dribble
Moving with the ball kept close to the stick with small taps.
Pull
Dragging the ball sideways across the body with one touch to go past a defender.

Set up

A cone gate; then two goals 3 m wide and 5 m apart.

Weather: dry ground

The base setup for field hockey

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Dribble slowly toward a still defender.
  2. Just before you reach the end of their stick, drag the ball across your body with one touch.
  3. Go past on that side.
  4. Do it to the other side.

Your part while they practise

Stand in the gate as a still defender, then defend for real.

Step by step

  1. Dribble at the gate.
  2. Before the defender's stick can reach, pull the ball across to one side with one touch and go past.
  3. Both sides.
  4. Then 1 v 1: the defender defends 5 times, then swap.

How much: 5 attacks each side, then 5 in the game 10 min a session 2 days a week

Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.

The game

1 v 1 on two goals; a goal is dribbling over the line with the ball.

Who plays: the child against you, or two children.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. Each player guards one 3 m goal; the goals are 5 m apart
  2. The attacker starts with the ball at their own goal
  3. The attacker scores by dribbling over the defender's goal line
  4. 5 attacks, then swap
Fair play
A grown-up defender must keep the stick in one hand.
Points
1 point for each goal; the defender scores 1 point for each ball won.
Fouls
A point to the other player
  • Two or three touches in the pull instead of one
  • The stick above the waist
  • The defender hitting the attacker's stick
Winning
More points after 5 attacks each.
Stars
  1. 1 points for 1 star
  2. 2 points for 2 stars
  3. 3 points for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

Walk at the gate.

Harder

A defender who moves.

What you will see, and what to say

  • two or three touches to pull One touch, across the bodyOne quick drag.
  • the pull is too late Pull before you reach themOut of reach of their stick.
  • the head stays down See the defender, then pullLook up as you arrive.

Self-check

3of 5

3 of 5 attacks score against a defender.

Stop and get a coach when

The stick catches an ankle.

Fitness for this

Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.

This card trains beating a player.

Intermediate is done when the player can pass and receive on the move in a small game.

awiseathlete.com/sports/field-hockey/field-hockey-i4