Field Hockey Passing

Derek E. Pappas Copyright © 2016
Passing connections
• Players must create connections in order to
make a successful pass

Passing lanes
• A passing lane is a path between the ball carrier
and receiver
• The defenders cannot stop a pass in a passing
lane

Dead ends
• A dead end is an area on the ﬁeld where the ball
carrier has no passing options
• There are several types of dead ends that players
should avoid running into
• The left corner
• The right corner
• A group of defenders

Technique
• Ball carriers must carry the ball close to their feet
on fast turf surfaces
• Ball carriers must use their bent wrists and
elbows to pass the ball
• Spin should only be used when the receiver has
time and space to receive the ball before the
next action (e.g. defender to defender pass) or
to a forward running into open space

No tactics without technique
• Passing accuracy is totally dependent on technique
• Inaccurate passes are a result of a lack of attention to
detail
• Where is the ball relative to the feet?
• Close or far?
• Did the ball spin get killed?
• Was the ball controlled with a small reverse stick action
prior to passing?

Deception
• Do not “telegraph” your passes
• Use deception to move the defender one way
and pass the other way
• Use deception to create doubt in the defender’s
minds about where the next pass is going
• Set up defenders with previous passes one way
and then pass the other way the next time

Rolling the ball
• If the passing lane is open roll the ball with top
spin to the receiver so that they can stop the ball
quickly and do not have to kill the sidespin
• Rolling the ball correctly requires that the passer
push the ball with the end of the stick along the
path of the ball and not across the path of the ball
• It may not be possible to use overspin on the
pass because of deception

Lifting the ball
• To bypass defenders use small lifts over their
stick before they can tackle the ball

Hitting the ball
• Hit the ball on the ground
• Without any spin
• At the target
• Choke up on the stick for a quick hit

Control the ball with the reverse
stick before passing the ball
• Take the spin off of the ball
• Position the ball correctly in relation to the
passer’s feet and the next passing line/target

Pass the ball to the correct
position
• The pass should end up on the receiver’s stick
• The receiver should not have to make
adjustments to receive the ball

No suicide passes
• Do not make passes which result in a defender
running through/into/over the ball receiver

The next pass
• The receiver of the pass must have a next pass
option(s)
• The passer (player 1) must know that the
receiver (player 2) has at least one passing
option (player 3) that is not a dead end

Next pass (cont.)
• The next pass should serve a purpose
• The next pass should either be:
• A pass designed to control the game
• Maintain the passing tempo
• Attack the goal on a route that the team
understands

The exit man
• The “exit” man is the player that the defenders pass to
when the defenders gain control of the ball
• The pass to the exit man must be made so that the
exit man can control the ball and then make the next
pass
• Exit men can start counter attacks or mid ﬁeld build
ups
• Exit men should move the ball out of the defense
where most of the other team will currently be

Pass the ball over the
defender’s stick
• Do not roll the ball on the ground if the defender
can cover the passing lane
• Get close enough to the defender that when you
lift the ball and send it through the passing lane
the defender cannot stop the pass

Playing for safety
• Pass to the sidelines or corners when to relieve
the pressure or through upﬁeld channels to a
receiver

Do not slow the runner down
• The receiver should not have to slow down to
receive a pass
• Pass the ball so that the receiver does not have
to change stride
• The receiver should not have to reach for the ball
and should be able to quickly control the pass
and make the next move in one motion

Changing play
• When the defense is ﬂowing one direction a
successful pass in the other direction can break
the defensive line

Passing to a shooter
• A pass to a shooter should allow the shooter
time and space to take the shot

1 2 passing
• Give and go
• 1-2 passing

Wall passing
• A wall pass is a pass made by a receiver without
stopping the ball
• The ball is immediately redirected
• The wall pass can be used for a 1/2 passing
situation
• The wall pass can be used to break presses by
redirecting a hard hit from a defender to the side
of the ﬁeld

Turn the defender
• The passer must make the defender commit
their stick and body weight to the wrong
direction so that the pass will not be intercepted
by the defender

Move the defender’s stick to
the opposite side
• Get the defender to move their stick to the side
opposite of the intended passing side
• Move the stick by running the ball to the non
passing lane side
• Move the stick through feints
• Move the stick with stick work

Pass the ball along the
defender’s stick
• A defender who has to extend the stick, their
arm, and their legs cannot easily change
direction
• Pass the ball parallel to the defenders stick and
feet to a receiver

Do not pass to a player
being closed down
• Unless the receiver can shield the ball after the
reception with their body and move away from
the defender

Fast break passing
• Requires total concentration
• Can change the game
• A good pass results in a goal
• A bad pass results in a turn over

Turn 2 vs into 2 v 1
• Run the ball at the defender marking the
receiver and take the other defender out of the
play

Receiver’s should not hide
behind defenders
• Too often when there are two players running
down the ﬁeld the receiver will run on the side of
the defender farther away from the ball carrier.

Receivers should not run
behind defenders

Create a numerical
advantage
• Turn passing opportunities into 2 v1 and 3 v2
situations instead of 2 v2 and 3v 3
• Run the ball diagonally away from your marker at
another defender to create 2 v1’s and 3 v 2’s

Receivers need to move into the
passing lane at the right time

Delaying
• Some times the passer must delay making the
pass to allow the receiver to move into the
passing lane

Decision making
• The passer must understand which passing
lanes are open
• If the defender has moved their stick to their
front stick side then the reverse stick area of the
defender may be open for a pass
• And visa versa

The route to the goal
• What is the route to the goal from the current
point on the ﬁeld?
• What are the obstacles to overcome in order to
move the ball from the current point into the
goal?
• A route is a path through a maze (the defenders/
defensive organization)

The route changes
• The route to the goal can change given the
movement of the ball and the changes in the
positions of the offensive and defensive players

Viewing the ﬁeld
• Field level
• horizontal view
• 50 foot view point
• above the ﬁeld

Field view
• The ﬁeld view contains the local passing
opportunities
• The ﬁeld view does not show the route to the
goal

The defensive model
• The defense must predict where the ball is going
and must stop the ball
• The defense must force the offensive team to
move the ball to a place on the ﬁeld which the
defense can control and the offense cannot do
anything threatening

Offensive player’s model
• The offensive players must have a mental model
of the ﬁeld which includes tactical and strategic
considerations based on the score, the time,
and the current situation, which includes,
fatigue, attitude, aptitude, ability, …

Mental models of the ﬁeld
• The ﬁeld includes the position of the ball, the
position of the defensive team, and the position
of the offensive team

Local/individual offensive
mental model
• The offensive model must include a view of the
immediate proximity and an overview from the top
• Can the player see the immediate thing to do
• Pass, dribble the ball
• Run to a new position to receive the ball
• Run to a new position to move the defense

Global/overview offensive
mental model
• The global view is map of the ﬁeld with the location of the
offensive and defensive players, the goals, the lines, and the
ball
• The global view includes the current offensive objective for the
team
• score
• delay
• control
• counter attack

Finding the route through
the global map
• The route through the global map can only be
traversed if the entire group of players involved
in moving the ball through the route understand
where the spaces are and where the ball must
move and where they must move.

Passing on the run
• Running with the ball changes the passing angles and
passing lanes around the ball carrier
• Faking a pass, using body feints, and stick work while
running with the ball can also change the passing
lanes
• Moreover, defenders become confused about the
passer’s intent
• Defenders commit their stick and body weight to the
wrong side, opening up passing lanes

Passing on the run (cont.)
• Ball carriers apply maximum pressure to the
defense when they carry the ball at a maximum
speed through the defense
• Ball carriers must have an intended route to the
goal which involves passing to at least one other
attacker

Don’t dribble the ball
• Ball carriers who solo dribble through a packed
defense into the circle,instead of making 1/2
passes against fast, mobile defenders will be
channeled and will at best generate a shot from
a bad angle most of the time
• Dribblers will be tackled by well organized
defenses which have defenders which tackle in
pairs

Breaking down triangular
defenses
• put a man in the middle of the triangle and pass
to the man, who releases the ball out to a runner
though a different edge of the triangle

Through passing
• A through pass is a pass down the ﬁeld between
defenders
• Through passes require timing on the part of the
passer and the receiver

Proximity to the ball carrier
• If a ball carrier is running through the defense
then the supporting players should be 5-7 yards
if the intent is to make 1/2 passes
• One of the supporting players should run 90
degrees to the path of the ball lined up with the
shoulder of the ball carrier to give the ball carrier
the option to pass to the supporting player

Proximity to the ball carrier
• A common problem is the the supporting player
gets to far ahead of the ball carrier and ends up
hiding behind defenders instead of moving into
a passing lane

Control the ball prior to
passing it
• Players must control the ball prior to passing it
• Get rid of the spin on the ball
• Receive the ball and move it into a position to
make an accurate pass

Pattern match the position of
the defender
• Which direction are the defender’s feet pointing?
• Which foot is in front of the other?
• Can the defender move their stick to the opposite side
of the current stick position easily given the position of
their feet?
• Is the defender standing up or in a squatting position?
• Can the defender react to a direction change?

What is the defender
blocking?
• Is the defender blocking the ball carriers run
with the ball or the pass?
• Is the defender faking the pass block to get the
ball carrier to commit to the dribble and then
switch to make the tackle on the ball carrier or
visa versa?

When not to pass
• Don’t pass if the defender is blocking the
passing lane and has given the ball carrier the
green light to run down the running lane.

Field Hockey Passing

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