Perhaps the most important position in field hockey is that of the goalkeeper. Sometimes the goalie is the only thing between the ball and the goal. Being in the direct line of fire necessitates more equipment and protection than other positions in field hockey.

Step 1:
Dress properly in goalie gear so that you won’t get hurt.

Step 2:
Maintain a good, ready stance in front of the goal: keep your feet together, knees bent, head up, and weight on the balls of your feet so you can easily change direction. Keep your left hand open and your right hand on your stick.

Step 3:
Be careful with your foot placement when you move back and forth in front of the goal so that the ball won’t enter the goal through your legs. Move one leg to the side with a short step and follow quickly with the other. Keep your body facing the field and your attackers so you don’t turn your back on the action.

Step 4:
Stand approximately three meters out from the goal when you’re meeting an attacker. This closes the angle of attack. Sometimes from here, the goalie can actually interfere with the shooter’s line of vision to the goal. By standing out from the goal a little bit, the goalie increases the area of shots she can defend.

Step 5:
Remember that your lower legs and feet will block most shots. To do this, bring your legs together in front of the ball. Let the ball drop in front of you and kick it out of the goal area. Try to kick it to the side of the field so your opponents don’t get another shot.

Step 6:
Use your stick to steal loose balls from attackers and then pass them to one of your team-mates. Use your hand to stop shots above your waist and get the ball to your feet so you can clear it out of the goal area.

When executed with strength, precision and good form, the field hockey flick shot is a formidable weapon for getting by a defender, scoring or passing in a competitive field hockey game. With a few simple steps, you’ll be flicking your way toward victory.

Step 1:
Take a moment to determine whether the flick shot is the best tactic at the time for moving the ball. Are there no direct lines of passing on the ground? Are you heading toward a goalie who’s positioned low?

Step 2:
Whether you’re standing still on the sidelines after a call was made in your team’s favour or in motion heading toward the goal, position yourself so that the foot opposite your strong arm is in front and the shoulder opposite your strong arm is rotated inward so that it points ahead.

Step 3:
Bend your knees and wedge your stick under the ball so that your stick is at about a 45 degree angle. Goal shots can arc higher while flicked passes must remain low. Vary the angle depending on how much arc the referee will allow and how low your opponent’s stick is on the ground.

Step 4:
Gain forward momentum by shifting your weight from the back leg to the front leg. Rotate your shoulders as you shift your weight so that eventually the shoulder in back comes around.

Step 5:
Keep your strong hand low on the field hockey stick as you come forward through your hips. This low hand placement will give you precision which is crucial in performing an accurate flick that will not be called reckless and consequently penalized by the referee (if directed at another player above her knee).

Step 6:
Flick in a smooth, quick motion. Follow through with your stick facing down and pointing toward the target. If you have performed the flick well, your wrists will have flipped over. The faster you can shift your weight and rotate your wrists, the faster and harder your flick will move the ball.

Moving the ball in field hockey is fundamental. Passing to a team-mate is always helpful, but when your passing lanes are shut or you have room on the field, dribble. Dribbling is moving the ball with your stick while running. The goal is to out-manoeuvre your opponent and maintain possession of the ball.

Step 1:
Dribble straight when you have open space without opponents to move in. Keep an open stance when you have more room. The farther out from your feet the ball is, the faster you can run. This does not, however, work well with opponents right in front of you.

Step 2:
If you find you need to change the direction you are dribbling the ball. To turn the stick over and maintain control, keep your right hand as a loose guide and twist your left hand towards the left, if you are having difficulty keeping your left hand loose and not turning it try sliding a cylindrical object e.g. a toilet roll down your stick and gripping that while you twist your stick, making sure that your left elbow is pointed out to your left hand side not tucked up towards your chest.

Step 3:
Keep your hands well apart on the stick - but if you get them too far apart, you will have to bend over too far and won’t be able to watch where you’re going.

Step 4:
Try to keep your back straight and head up with your weight balanced over both feet to enable sudden direction changes.

Step 5:
Cradle the ball in the hook of your stick, moving it where you want it to go while advancing up the field.

Hitting enables a stronger faster paced pass which is ideal for use from a free hit situation or shot on goal, it is also used for a longer pass to another player, all of which makes it extremely important to gain control and accuracy, as these are all high pressure situations.

Step 1:
Remember that you must only hit the ball with the flat face of your stick. The stick’s hook has a flat edge and a rounded edge. When you hold the stick in a regular fashion the flat edge will face to your left.

Step 2:
Practice holding your stick by shaking hands with it. Your left hand will be at the top end; make an inverted “V” shape on the handle with your thumb and forefinger. Place your right hand halfway down the stick toward the hook keeping your palm against the back of the stick.

Step 3:
Practice hitting the ball slowly at first, concentrating on the motion and hand placement. Your left hand will control the stick, and your right hand will give power and steadiness to the stroke, the swing of your stick should not be much higher than knee height.

Step 4:
Maintain a light grip, with your head up and knees bent for balance. Hitting the ball is simply a transfer of your body weight from one foot to the other with a snap of your wrist at the end.

Step 5:
Vary this basic hit just a little bit in order to clear the ball a long way Upfield. Close the distance between your hands on the stick and point your left shoulder in the direction of the stroke.

Step 6:
Reverse your stick if you need to hit the ball to your right, so that the hook is facing you and the flat edge of the stick is facing right. Practice turning your stick and hitting in the reverse direction often - it will make this shot less clumsy.

The whole game of field hockey often comes down to one team moving the ball better than the other. Being able to pass and hit the ball are necessary skills. But another option for ball movement is pushing the ball. This keeps the face of the stick against the ball for ultimate control which helps to avoid interception.

Step 1:
keep your knees slightly bent with your body facing the ball.

Step 2:
Remember that pushing is used instead of hitting, so keep the face of your stick against the ball. Tapping the ball can risk interception.

Step 3:
Make a forward push with your right hand while your left moves slightly in the opposite direction, like pushing a broom. It is this movement in opposite directions that gives the push its force to move the ball in the direction you choose.

Step 4:
Point your left foot and left shoulder in the direction you want the ball to go.

Step 5:
Shift your weight from your right rear foot to your left front foot, keeping the stick on the ball, and it will start to move. Be careful not to bend too far over at the waist so you don’t lose sight of where you’re moving.

Tackling, or intercepting, is the goal of defence in field hockey. Once you lose possession of the ball, tackling is the way you’re going to get it back. It puts pressure on your opponent and allows you to take the ball from them.

Step 1:
Know that tackling is done by aiming your stick at the ball when your opponent’s stick is not on the ball. A good time would be when your opponent is in the middle of dribbling or passing. It’s a penalty to hit your opponent or their stick.

Step 2:
Try the straight-on tackle - it’s more like a block. Be in an open stance facing the attacker, put your stick in the way of the ball and capture it on the hook of your stick while the attacker goes by. You take the ball right out from under them.

Step 3:
Practice lunging - it’s a form of tackling used when you are far enough ahead of the dribbler to have time to position yourself. Go to the right side of the attacker. With your stick, reach in the area in front of your attacker’s stick where the ball is being played and knock it out without interfering with her stick.

Step 4:
Remember that jab tackling can be done with only one hand - your left - on the stick, which will allow for more mobility. This also requires that you be able to control the stick with only one hand! You can practice this so that it feels comfortable. Also think about keeping your stick lower to cover a possible change in the ball’s direction.

 Step 5:
Keep in mind that success in tackling depends on the quickness of the thrust of your stick, not the speed of your body. Don’t charge full steam into your opponent - she can easily move to the side, and you’ll miss.

Step 6:
Take short steps when moving into your opponent, and be ready to move to either side so you can reposition yourself as the situation changes. Let your opponent be the one to commit to a direction first and then you can follow.

Defence - MarkingThe heart of defence in field hockey is guarding your opponents and keeping the ball from them. Field hockey uses a blend of marking, which is like man-to-man defence, and covering, which is like zone defence. They often flow easily from one to the other.

Step 1:
Pick the opponent you are going to guard and move to the space where she goes.

Step 2:
Stand between your opponent and the goal in a spot that gives the most room for you to tackle, or intercept, the ball. Try to be goal side, which is between your opponent and the goal, keeping the player stick side.

Step 3:
Watch the ball, not your attacker. You’ll be less susceptible to falling for movement designed to distract you so she can move toward the goal.

Step 4:
Keep your weight on the balls of your feet. The more balanced you are, the faster you’ll be able to respond to your opponent’s changes in direction.

Step 5:
Be careful of using fake moves to distract your opponent; you may end up missing the play. Be patient and watch where the ball is going. When you have an opportunity, try to steal the ball or intercept a pass.

Step 6:
Use zone defence when you are not marking a specific player or if you have more than one to mark. Cover the space to the side and rear of your team-mate so, if the attacker beats her, the marker, you become the marker until your team-mate recovers. Think of it as a rotation.

Step 1:
There are two teams of 11 players each, which will be split into attacking and defensive positions. Game play usually consists of two 35-minute halves, although this can very through different age groups and grades.

Step 2:
Remember that the point of the game is to put the ball in the opponent’s goal. Field hockey is a passing game, where the ball is moved via passing, dribbling and hitting.

Step 3:
The field is set up with a goal on either end. There is a striking circle in front of each goal. Goals are scored when the ball goes into the goal after touching the stick of an attacking player in the striking circle.

Step 4:
Get to know the different attacking positions. The forwards are the offensive front line and do the majority of the attacking. The midfielders offer attack support for the offence.

Step 5:
Learn the defensive positions. The midfielders, in addition to supporting the offence, also serve as the first line of defence. The fullbacks are the primary defenders. The goalkeeper is in charge of keeping the ball out of the goal and directing defence.

As with any game, field hockey has its own set of rules. Knowing the rules and agreeing to them ahead of time can ensure easier play with your opponents and help you avoid costly penalties and arguments. Note that this is a very basic view of the rules to help beginning players.

Step 1:
Start the game at the half line. The ball is placed in the centre of the halfway line with a player passing the ball forward, or back to a team mate. This is also how the ball is put into play after a goal has been scored and how the second half of the game is started. The player that passes the ball into play cannot control the ball again until another player has handled it.

Step 2:
If the ball passes completely over the sideline the ball is put back into play by the other team. All opposition players must be 5 metres from the ball. If the ball goes over the back line by the attacking team it is a free hit to the defensive team taken directly up from where the ball crossed the line from the ‘16 yard’ line(level with the top of the circle). If the ball goes over the back line accidentally by a defensive player it is a free hit to the attacking team 3m up from the corner on the sideline.

Step 3:
In field hockey a free hit is awarded to the opposite team if the ball hits your feet or if you use the rounded side of your stick it is also an offence to lift the ball in the air dangerously so try to avoid this as it will result in a free hit to the opposing team.

Step 4:
Try to score as many goals during the time allotted as possible. A goal is scored when an attacker puts the ball completely over the goal line from inside the striking D (circle).

Step 5:

Remember you can not keep your body or stick in-between an opposing player and the ball, preventing them from moving in to make a tackle, or hit another players stick, this is called an obstruction and will result in a free hit being awarded to the opposing team.

Step 6:

 Keep in mind, that unlike other sports, there is no offside in field hockey.