Field Hockey Games Part II
COLLECT A CONE
- One hockey ball and hockey stick per participant
- Cones
Arrange the participants into groups of two to five. For each group use cones to set up a hitting line, and have the participants stand on this line. Each participant should have a hockey stick and a ball. Scatter cones on the floor in front of the participants. There should be three to six cones per participant.
When the game begins, each participant tries to hit his ball at a cone. After each shot, participants collect their balls and dribble them back to the hitting line to take another shot. If they hit a cone, they pick up the cone up, carry it back to the hitting line and place it on the floor behind them. If a participant's ball hits more than one cone, he should collect any that are hit. Have them play for a set time (e.g., 3 minutes) or until all of the cones have been collected. Count the number of cones collected by each participant; whoever collects the most is the winner. Place the cones back out and start the fun again.
- If the participants are using hard balls, warn them not to hit the ball too hard and to be careful of the other participants when hitting at the cones.
- Participants should wait until there is no one in front of them before they take a shot.
- Participants should watch the other players' balls when they are collecting their own. They should dodge any stray passes hit by opponents.
- Warn participants to be careful of collisions.
- If playing this game on a fast-rolling surface, you will need a wall, fence or other suitable barrier behind the target cones to stop participants' balls from travelling too far after they have been hit.
- Encourage fair play; participants should only collect cones that they actually have actually hit.
EASIER/HARDER: Change the difficulty level by changing the distance of the cones from the hitting line.
GAME VARIATION: The game can be played in teams (e.g., participants work in pairs to collect cones for their team).
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This game can be adapted to other sports that involve passing. For example, soccer players can kick their balls at bigger targets (e.g., larger cones)
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GET THERE FIRST
- One hockey stick and ball per participant
- Cones
This activity can be used as part of a progressive warm-up. Cone out a large square playing area that is big enough for all of the participants to move around in. The sides of the area should each be given a name from a specific category. Use a category that the participants are familiar with. For example, with younger participants you may choose 'favorite fruits'. Ask some of the participants what their favorite fruits are and choose four of these to name the four sides of the area (e.g., orange, apple, banana and pear). Participants should each have a hockey stick and a ball. They dribble their balls around the area in various directions, slowly building speed. If you call out one of the names of the lines, the participants have to dribble their ball to that line, stop their ball on it and have their stick next to the ball. The first participant to do this gains a point. The last participant to do this has to perform a fun challenge, such as saying something funny or performing an animal impression.
Participants then dribble their balls around the area again, ready for you to call out the name of another line. Have them play for a set time (e.g., 5 minutes); the participant who scores the most points at the end is the winner. Alternatively, have them play until one participant has scored a set number of points (e.g., 5)
- Make the area big enough for all of the participants to move around in.
- Warn participants to be careful of collisions. They can do this by looking around them between touches of the ball.
- Encourage participants to dribble towards a part of the line that does not have too many other participants dribbling towards it, or standing on it.
- If using this game as a warm-up, have participants dribble around for a few minutes before calling out the name of one of the lines.
- Try to vary the skills and movements the participants have to perform when they are dribbling their balls around the area.
- Add the name of one line, because the participants may not remember all of the names if you say them all at the start.
- With younger participants it may be useful to play the game for a few minutes jogging and running around the area without the hockey balls so they learn the names of the sides first. Add the balls once they know how to play and can remember the names of the lines.
- Make sure younger participants move, stop or dribble the ball using their hockey sticks only. They should not use their hands or feet to control the ball.
- Other categories you could use with younger participants could include their favorite cartoon character, drink or sport.
- With older participants, the categories should be their favorite hockey team, school subject, sporting activity, car, etc.
GAME VARIATION: Participants do not dribble their ball inside the area waiting for you to call a name. Instead, they start on one of the lines and dribble to a new line once you called it. If you call out the name of the line that the participants are already standing on and they move off this line, they have to perform a fun challenge.
GAME VARIATION: This is a progression to the previous variation. Choose a few of the participants to be defenders. Once you call the name of a line, the defenders try to stop the other participants from dribbling their balls to the line. If they manage to take the ball off the dribbler, then they switch roles. A point is scored each time a participant gets to a line with a ball.
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This activity can be adapted for use in other sports that involve dribbling, such as soccer and basketball.
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MINES
- Cones
- One ball per two participants
- One hockey stick per participant
Participants work in pairs against the other pairs. Use cones to mark out two hitting lines approximately 20 metres apart. In front of the participants, scatter some cones on the floor; these are the mines. There should be 6 to 10 mines per pair. Each participant has a hockey stick, and each pair has a ball. One participant from each pair stands behind one of the hitting lines with the ball, and their partners stand opposite them behind the other hitting line.
When the game begins, participants try to hit their balls to their partners. They must pass the ball from behind their hitting line, so it travels along the floor and misses the mines. A point is scored each time the participants pass the ball through the mines without hitting one. Every 20 to 30 seconds, participants behind one of the hitting lines should switch positions. Their partner should move too, so they are opposite them. This ensures that participants hit from different areas. Play for a set time (e.g. 2 minutes); the pair that scores the most points wins. Rearrange the position of the cones; then start the game again.
- Participants should not hit the ball too hard.
- Pairs should face each other to hit the ball across; they should not hit across other pairs.
- If a pair's ball stops inside the area where the mines are, one of them should go in to collect it. Other participants must not take their shot if the player collecting the ball moves into their hitting line. They must wait to resume playing after the participant has moved out of the mine area.
- If participants are collecting a ball that has stopped in the mines, then they should watch the other pairs'ballsl; so they can dodge any stray passes.
- When setting up the cones, do not leave large gaps where participants can easily pass the ball through;
- Encourage fair play; participants should give themselves a point only when the ball travels through the mines without touching them.
EASIER/HARDER: Change the level of difficulty by removing or adding mines.
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This game can be adapted for use in soccer sessions using the same rules except that participants kick or pass the ball through the mines. Use larger cones for the mines.
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PASS THROUGH THE TARGET
- Cones
- One hockey ball per three to six participants
- One hockey stick per participant
Use this activity as part of a progressive warm-up, as a skills practice or as a competitive race. This activity can be used to develop passing and controlling skills. Arrange the participants into teams of three to six. Use cones to set up a playing area for each team. Each participant has a hockey stick, and each team has a ball. Create a lane of approximately 20 metres long and 10 metres wide. At the end of each lane use cones to mark out a target and have one participant from each team stand behind the target. At the opposite end of the lane, use cones to mark a hitting line, and have the remaining participants line up behind this line.
When the game starts, the participant at the front of the line hits or passes a ball at the target. A point is scored each time a participant hits the ball through the target. The other participants who are lined up need to stand a safe distance behind the striking hitter, so they are not hit by the hitter's stick as they take their shot. After taking a shot, the striking hitter moves to the back of the line so that the next participant can take her turn to pass the ball at the target. Make sure participants hit from behind the hitting line. The participant behind the hitting line hits the ball back to her team after each shot. When a participant manages to hit the ball through the target, she swaps places with the participant who is standing behind the target hitting the ball back. Have them play for a set time (e.g., 2 minutes), after which the team with the most points is the winner. Alternatively, you can determine the winning team by having them play until one team has scored a set number of points (e.g., 10).
- Space the lanes so that participants standing behind the targett are not hit by stray shots from the other groups.
- Participants who are waiting for their shots should stand well back from their teammate who is striking the ball.
- Participants should not strike the ball if any participants are running in their lane (e.g., when two participants are switching after one of them has scored a point; or if one participant is collecting a ball).
- Participants who are in the lines should be watchful of balls being hit back to the hitting line, even when it is not their turn to strike the ball.
- Ask participants to count out their team's score after each point is scored so that all participants know how many points each team has scored.
- With younger participants or beginners set the target up in front of an obstacle (such as fence or wall) so that the ball does not travel too far if the participant stopping and returning the ball misses it.
EASIER/HARDER: Change the distance between the hitting line and the target or size of the target depending on the age or ability of the participants.
GAME VARIATION: Each participant must score 1 point for the team to win the game. Once a participant has scored, she helps to pass the ball back from behind the target. After the first participant has scored, the participant who started behind the target joins the other hitting players so she gets a chance to hit at the goal.
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This game can be adapted to other sports that involve passing (e.g., soccer)
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This game can be adapted for use in cricket sessions. Change the goal for a set of wickets, and have participants either bowl or throw the ball to hit the stumps.
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AGILITY SCORE
- One hockey ball and hockey stick per participant
- Cones
- One hockey goal and one set of goalkeeper equipment per 8 to 12 participants
Arrange the participants into groups of 8 to 12; then separate each group into two equal teams. Use cones to mark out a start line for each team. The start lines for each team should be 3 to 5 metres long and be positioned approximately 20 metres from the goal, with a distance of 5 metres between them.
Moving away from one of the start lines, place three run cones. Place the first run cone (cone1) approximately 5 to 8 metres from the team's start line, the second cone (cone 2) 5 metres from cone 1 and the third cone 5 metres from cone 2. Repeat this process for team 2. A participant from each team stands behind the team's start line. The rest of the participants line up to the side of their team's start line. Place a ball on the floor between the participants and the goal. This should be a few metres outside the shooting circle. The shooting circle is the area the attackers must try to get the ball into so they can score goals. Goals can only be scored from shots taken from inside the shooting circle.
Call out the number of a cone (e.g., cone 2). Participants must run to the cone you call out, run around it and run back to their start line. They must pass the start line and try to get to the hockey ball first. The participant who gets to the ball first becomes the attacker and his opponent becomes the defender. The attacker tries to score past the goalkeeper while the opponent defends, trying to stop him scoring. If the defender gains possession of the ball, he tries to score past the goalkeeper while the opponent defends. The attacker cannot shoot from outside the shooting circle, so he must dribble the ball into it before attempting to score. The pair continues to play until a goal is scored or the ball goes out of play.
After the attack, participants collect the ball they have playing with, return it to you and then join the back of their team's line. Place another ball on the floor for the next participants, who should move to the start line ready for you to call the next number. Each time a participant scores a goal, he gains 1 point for his team. Have them play for a set time (e.g., 5 minutes), and then switch the teams so that they are running from the other start line (this makes the game fair because there is a slight advantage to being on the right-hand side of the goalkeeper). After they have played again for the set time (5 minutes), the team with the most points wins. When switching the teams to the other side, rotate the positions in the lines so participants are competing against different opponents.
- Set groups up side by side with a gap between their playing area. This should minimise the risk of participants being hit by stray shots from the other groups. You can still call out the lines for the participants to run to, or a participant within each group can be in change of that group's game.
- Goalkeepers must wear safety equipment.
- Participants should be careful when they compete for the ball after the sprint. The participant who gets there second must slow down or change the angle of his run so he does not trip his opponent or run into him.
- If participants are collecting balls behind the goal when another pair is attacking and defending, warn them to keep their eyes on the ball so they do not get hit by stray shots.
- Give participants enough rest between turns because this is quite an intense activity.
- Carry out this activity with a fence close behind the goal so that missed shots do not travel far.
- After taking their turn to run, participants should quickly move to the side of the area and return to the back of their line so the next pair can be started.
- Unless you have participants who specialize in the goalkeeper position, change the keeper regularly. It takes quite awhile to change into and out of the equipment, so bear this in mind when choosing whether this game is applicable in a shorter teaching or coaching session.
GAME VARIATION: Call out two numbers. The participants must run to the cone of the first number called, return to the start and then run to the next line called before running past the start line to the ball, (e.g., cone 1 and 3).
GAME VARIATION: If you do not have goalkeeper equipment, allow the shooter to score by using a push-pass only. The shot must also be pushed, so it rolls along the floor and does not travel in the air.
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This game can be adapted for use in other games that involve dribbling and shooting using similar rules (e.g., basketball and soccer).
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FOUR GOALS
- One bib per two participants
- One hockey stick per participant
- One hockey ball per 12 participants
- Cones
This game is played using similar rules to a normal hockey match, but instead of scoring into goals, participants must pass the ball through mini-goals to score. Arrange the participants into groups of 12; then separate each group into two teams of six. One team in each group puts bibs on. For each group, cone out a large playing area and use the remaining cones to mark out four mini-goals. The mini-goals should be approximately 5 metres in length, and they should not be too close to each other or the boundary of the area.
One of the teams starts with the ball, and when the game begins, members of this team try to score points by passing the ball through the mini-goals. If a participant plays the ball through one of the mini-goals, a teammate must control it on the other side for the point to be allowed. The ball can be passed though the mini-goal from either side to score a point. Teams cannot score through the same mini-goal twice in a row. This means that if they score through one of the mini-goals, they must score through a different one for the next point. The opposing team works to stop the ball being passed though through the mini-goals. If the opposing team gains possession of the ball (by an interception or by tackling (using the stick to hit the ball or steal the ball from them), then that team works to score points by passing the ball through the mini-goals.
- Warn participants to be careful of collisions.
- Leave enough space between playing areas so that participants do not run onto other playing areas while moving down the sides of their own.
- Ideally, the cones marking out the mini-goals should be different (e.g., a different color or size) to the ones marking out the boundary for the area.
- Remind participants that they cannot score through the same mini-goals twice in a row and that a point is not scored if a participant dribbles the ball through one of the mini-goals. Also remind them that the ball must be controlled on the other side of the mini-goal when it has been passed through.
- Participants should not crowd the ball and should use all of the space. Encourage the participants to keep looking around for the best teammate to pass when they have possession of the ball.
- If focusing on defending, encourage the participants to mark specific opponents.
EASIER: Add one of two floating players. These players help whichever team is in possession of the ball.
EASIER/HARDER: Change the number of participants on each team.
EASIER/HARDER: Change the size of the area or the side of the mini-goals, or both, to increase or decrease the level of difficulty.
GAME VARIATION: To change the emphasis of the game to dribbling, participants can only score by dribbling the ball through a mini-goal. A participant can score only a maximum of 2 points before a teammate must score the next point.
HARDER: Limit the number of touches the participants can have (e.g., three) when they are in possession of the ball. Once participants have taken two touches, the final touch must be a pass or shot through a goal.
HARDER: One team can score only through two of the goals, and the opponents must score through the other two.
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This game can be adapted to other sports that involve passing, such as soccer.
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MAKE THE PASS
- One bib per two participants
- One hockey stick per participant
- One ball per 10 to 12 participants
- Cones
This game becomes progressively more difficult as the participants' skill level and understanding improves, which means that the challenge should get increasingly more demanding in relation to their learning and ability. Arrange the participants into groups of 10 to 12; then separate each group into two teams with equal numbers in each. Number the teams 1 and 2, and have one team put bibs on. All of the participants should have hockey sticks. For each group, cone out a large playing area and use other cones to separate the area into two halves. Teams should stand in opposite halves of the area.
Once you have set up the area and explained the rules, pass the ball to one of the teams. The participants from this team are attackers, and they must make six passes to each other to score a point. One member of the opposing team becomes a defender and runs across the halfway line trying to stop the team in possession from making six passes. If the defender gains possession of the ball, he passes it across the halfway line to his own teama. He then runs back to his own half of the area to help his teammates make six passes. The teams switch roles so the defenders are now attackers. Again, a participant from the opposing team crosses the halfway line to try to stop the other team from making six passes.
If a team scores a point, it retains possession, and tries to score another point by making another six passes. If the ball goes out of play, it has to be hit back into play from the place where it left the area. The team that did not touch the ball last before it left the area has possession of the hit-in. Once a team has scored 5 points, the opposing team can send another defender into the opposing team's area. This means that after a team has scored 5 points, two opponents go in to defend; when 10 points have been scored, three opponents go in to defend. This continues until five participants go across to be defenders. Have them play for a set time (e.g., 5 to 10 minutes) or until one team has scored a set number of points, such as 20.
- Warn participants to be careful of collisions.
- If a few groups are playing, leave enough space left between playing areas so that participants do not run onto other groups areas while moving down the sides of their own.
- Participants should not stand too close to other teammates and should use all of the space available in their half of the area.
- Encourage attackers to use short passes when the defenders are not close to them, but to send the ball over longer distances when the defenders have closed them down.
GAME VARIATION: Teams send three defenders into the opposing team;s area. The team in possession must make five passes to score a point. Once they have scored 1 point, they must make six passes to score a further point. This continues so they must make one extra pass every time they score a point. Participants from each team take turns to be the defenders.
GAME VARIATION: If Team 1 has possession of the ball in their half of the area, then one participant from Team 2 becomes a defender and moves into Team's 1 area. If Team 1 completes the set number of passes, then Team 2 can send in another defender to stop Team 1 scoring a furner point. Team 2 continues to send in a defender each time Team 1 makes the set number of passes. Each time a team gains possession, the defenders start with one defender moving into the opposing team's area.
HARDER: Participants are limited to the amount of touches they make when they are in possession of the ball. For example, they can touch the ball only twice before they have to make a pass.
SPORT-SPECIFIC: This game can be adapted for use in other sports that involve passing and receiving, such as basketball, netball, rugby and soccer.
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TEN PASSES
- One hockey stick per participant
- Two balls per 20 to 24 participants
Arrange the participants into two groups of 20 to 24; then separate them into two equal teams. Two participants from each team start as defenders. The remaining participants are passers, and they form a circle in their team. The size of the circles depends on the age or ability of the participants, but they should be approximately 15 metres in diameter. The defenders stand in the centre of the opposing team's circle. Give one of the passers from each team a ball.
When the game starts, the passers have a set time to score as many points as possible. To score a point, the passers must complete 10 passes to each other. The passers are allowed to move a metre to either side, but they cannot move forwards or backwards to receive or pass the ball. The defenders try to intercept the ball to prevent the passers from making eight passes. If the defenders gain possession of the ball, they pass it back to the passers so they can start again, but the passers must start counting the passes from zero again. This also happens if the passers hit the ball so it goes outside of the circle. If a ball being passed is deflected by the defender's hockey stick but the ball is still received by a passer, the number of passes continues and the team does not have to start from zero again.
After the set time, each of the defenders switch roles with a teammate. Teams keep score of how many points they score throughout the game. Once every participant has taken a turn to defend, the team that has scored the most points wins.
- Warn participants to be careful of collisions.
- Leave a suitable distance between the groups' circles so that stray balls that leave a group's circle do not enter another group's circle.
- Have some spare hockey balls around the outside of the circles. If a ball is hit out of a circle, the participants should use another one. Participants should collect the balls at the end of each round when the defenders are switching roles with teammates.
- The size of the circle should be challenging for the participants. A circle that is too big can make it too easy for the passers, but having the circle too small can make the game too hard for passers.
- Instruct passers to throw short passes to participants who are close to them in the circle. Once they draw the defenders to them, they should throw a longer pass across to one of the participants from opposite them in the circle.
- Try to group the participants by ability.
EASIER/HARDER: Change the number of passes the passers must make to score a point or the size of the area (or both) to make the game more or less difficult. Modify the size of the circle depending on the age or ability of the participants.
GAME VARIATION: Start with a fairly big circle. Every time the passers make the set number of passes, they take one big step inwards to make the game more challenging.
GAME VARIATION: The passers have to make an increasing number of passes to score a point. They start by having to make five passes to score a point, and this increases to six and more as the passers score more points. However, being a defender for a long period of time can be tiring, so make sure defenders are only in for short periods of time (e.g., no more than 60 seconds). If the defender gets too tired, the game becomes too easy for the passers, so there is littel or no challenge for them.
GAME VARIATION: A point is scored for every successful pass. Passers keep counting up when they make successful passes. If the defenders gain possession of the ball or the ball is hit out of the area, then the passers start counting from zero again when they next start passing. Teams compete to score the highest number of passes in one sequence. Similar to the original verion, defenders are changed after 2 minutes. Once all participants have taken a turn to defend, the group with the best record wins. For example, a team would win if their best number of passes was 12 when their opponent could only manage 10 passes in a row.
GAME VARIATION: This variation is frequently played by adults and may not be appropriate for children. Passers keep going until the defender gets the ball or the ball leaves the circle. The participant who messes up switches with the defender (and the participant standing to his right if two defenders are required). This game is not advisable when instructing younger children because quite often the participant with the lowest ability remains the defender for long periods of time. This can be a negative experience and detrimental to his confidence and learning, and so should be avoided.
SMALL GROUPS: If you have between 10 and 16 participants in the group, have them play the game in pairs. Two participants are defenders while the rest are passers. The passers stand in a circle and try to score points by making the set number of passes for the set time. After all the pairs have defended, the pair with the most points scored against them wins.
SMALL GROUPS: If you have fewer than 10 participants in the group, have them play the game individually, using the same rules as the version outilned before. Participants defend on their own. Once again, the participant who had the fewest passes made against them, after all the participants defended, wins.
From the book, More Fun and Games: 100 new Sport-related activities (Anthony Dowson)
