In field hockey, players need to work together to move the ball up field and into scoring position. More often than not, the basic push pass, which involves the stick remaining in constant contact with the ground and merely pushing the ball forward, comprises most ball movement. Players favor the push pass for its quickness and accuracy. Practicing push pass drills can improve a team's overall offensive efficiency and performance.
Push Drill
The simplest of all push pass drills involves two teammates standing about seven strides apart. The first player pushes a pass to her teammate, making sure to point her left shoulder toward the target and to transfer weight from her back leg to her front foot when making the pass. The teammate who receives the pass then returns it in the same fashion. Once players executes 10 successful passes, they take a step back and repeat the entire drill, continuing to lengthen the pass distance until they're roughly 15 strides apart.
Push 2 Progress
Field hockey requires constant movement, so players must also practice push passing on the move. This drill requires three teammates. All three players start moving up the field together in a horizontal line. The player with the ball push passes to a teammate and then the two players without the ball must coordinate their movements so one player drops behind the horizontal line of the ball while the other player runs ahead of it. The player with the ball must then push pass either forward or backward, with the two players without the ball always working into position so one player is in front of the ball and the other player behind it. Continue the drill up and back the length of the field. All three players must execute accurate push passes to keep the drill progressing.
Follow On
Another moving push pass drill requires five players facing each other in two lines about 20 yards apart, with three players in one line and two players in the other. The line with three players pushes the ball forward about five yards to start the drill. One of the three then runs after it, collects the ball and fires a push pass to the first player in the second line. While the passer joins the back of the second line, giving it three players, the player who received the pass quickly settles it and pushes a pass back to the first player in the first line. The drill continues in similar fashion, with push passes back and forth and players switching lines, until everyone performs at least five successful push passes.
Disguise
Players can use deception to fool defenders with their push passes, basically disguising their true intentions and looking one direction while passing the other. To practice the technique, station three players in a triangle shape. The player with the ball must look to the player on her right while performing a push pass to the player on her left. Continue disguising push passes around the triangle until all three players execute them to perfection.
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