Field Hockey Drills - Counter attack
Interceptions and quick transitions for efficient counter attacks
In no part of the game is your opponent more vulnerable than when they have just lost possession of the ball by an interception of your team. The next 3 seconds after the interception make all the difference between a successful transition to a quick counter attack or if your team has to slow-down the attack and regroup for a new build-up attempt. And because everything happens so quickly, you as a Field Hockey Coach, have to make sure that your players are on top of their game and prepared for those situations through a variety of field hockey transition exercises.
Those drills can aim at improving a different skills that are all crucial for an efficient counter attack. First of all the defensive positional play is an important factor and probably the starting point for all efforts. Once your players know how to position themselves they have higher chances on intercepting the ball from the opposing team and then start the transition to a counter attack. Field Hockey drills for a better transition game, can follow a variety of concepts. For example an exercise could allow players to intercept the ball easily in a 1vs1 to then transition into a majority attack. A drill could also challenge the players already in their attempt to intercept a pass, by focusing on their defensive positional play. To give you an idea of how some of our field hockey exercises are structured we collected our favorite transition and counter attack drills. Our training drills have been designed by sports scientists and will help you to maximize your team's potential.
In our field hockey coaching app, you can use all drills and create all your training session plans with them. So what are you waiting for?
1 versus 1 after an interception
Set Up:
Set up a cone square (approx. 12x10m) about 2m in front of shooting circle. Set up a mini goal 5m behind the cone square. A big goal on the base line Station A is on the top right corner, where players with balls line up. On the diagonally opposite side one receiving player (A2) and the defenders (B) line up. One goalie in the goal.
Execution:
This drill leads to a 1v1 situation inside the cone square, where both players have the chance to finish by scoring if the get/keep control of the ball and beat their opponent. Player A1 starts the drill with a diagonal pass aiming at A2 (to put drill in a game-like scenario). Defender B starts as soon as pass is played and intercepts and controls the ball. B now tries to get past A1 inside the cone square. Once s/he reaches the white zone behind the cone square s/he wins the 1v1 and can finish on the mini goal. If A1 manages to re-gain possession of the ball (through good timing in his/her defense) s/he can run a counter attack on the big goal. A2 can join the counter attack.
Transition: Interception to counter attack
Set Up:
Use 4 cones to set up a 10x15m field near the sidelines between 23m line and center line. Player A1 (pass player) lines up at the base of the field, the receiving players A2 & A3 line up at the back cone. In the field, the defenders B1&B2 line up. Behind the field you will have B3, who coordinates the defenders in their coverage. 1 Goalie inside the goal.
Execution:
This drill aims to work on your transition game including interceptions and running the counter attack. Pass player A1 starts the drill by trying to pass to A2 and A3. Both players can only work laterally and are not allowed to enter the field. Defenders B1 & B2 are trying to cover all passing lanes, with the support of player B3. If the defenders manage to intercept the ball, they (B1, B2 & B3) will run a counter attack and try to finish against the pass player A1 and the Goalie.
Rotation: The receiving players A2&A3 move up to become the next defenders B1&B2. All other positions are filled in by the players on the sidelines.
