Communication in Field Hockey | Be Effective Under Pressure

As a team sport, communication plays a vital role in field hockey. Effective communication can make the difference between winning and losing, especially when the pressure is on. 

In this article, we will discuss various tips and techniques that will help you communicate effectively under pressure in field hockey.

Importance of Communication in Field Hockey

Effective communication is essential for success in field hockey. It’s important to communicate with your teammates during the game to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Communication helps to maintain team coordination, helps in decision-making, and ensures that everyone is aware of what is happening on the field.

Clear and Concise Communication

Clear and concise communication is essential in field hockey. During the game, you may not have a lot of time to communicate, so it’s important to be clear and concise in your communication. This will help to ensure that your teammates understand what you are saying and can act accordingly.

Communication is important for all field hockey players – including goalkeepers. It helps to create a sense of unity and cohesion within the team and ensures that everyone is on the same page. Effective communication can help players make quick decisions, anticipate the movements of their teammates and opposition, and react to changing situations on the field.

When players are under pressure, they may not have a lot of time to communicate, so it’s important to be direct and to the point. This ensures your teammates understand the intentions and can respond accordingly.

In addition, communication is essential for making tactical adjustments during the game. Coaches and players can use communication to make changes in strategy, switch positions, and make substitutions. Effective communication between players and coaches can help the team to adapt to the opposition’s tactics and find new ways to create scoring opportunities.

Overall, communication is a vital aspect of field hockey. By developing effective communication skills, players can work together more efficiently, make better decisions, and ultimately achieve greater success on the field.

Verbal Communication Techniques

Verbal communication is the most common form of communication in field hockey. Here are some techniques that will help you communicate effectively with your teammates:

Use Clear and Simple Language

Using clear and simple language is essential in field hockey. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that your teammates may not understand. Use simple language that everyone can understand. 

• Use nicknames
• Shorten words eg. push, punch, move, take, got, in, side, right, left

Speak Loudly and Clearly

In a noisy and fast-paced game like field hockey, it’s important to speak loudly and clearly. Make sure that your teammates can hear you, especially when you are giving instructions.

• Slow down your chat and make it audible
• Say it fewer times BUT louder and more concise
  • This will make it less likely to be drowned out.

Use Short and Direct Phrases

Use short and direct phrases to communicate with your teammates. Avoid long and complicated sentences that can be confusing. Short and direct phrases are easy to understand and act upon.

Say the name, info, and direction… for example,

• Ben player on right
• Gabs, mark, left
• Nic punch forward

Non-Verbal Communication Techniques

Non-verbal communication is also important in field hockey. Here are some techniques that will help you communicate effectively with your teammates:

Eye Contact

Eye contact is essential when communicating non-verbally in field hockey. Use eye contact to signal your intentions to your teammates, and to ensure that they are aware of what is happening on the field.

Body Language

Body language is another important non-verbal communication technique. Use your body language to communicate your intentions to your teammates. For example, point in the direction you want your teammate to move, or give a thumbs up to signal that you are ready to receive the ball.

• Look open with your body
• Face your body towards the ball

Hand Signals

Hand signals are a simple and effective way to communicate with your teammates in field hockey. Use hand signals to indicate the direction you want your teammate to move, or to signal that you are ready to receive the ball.

• Point with your stick
• Point with hands

Practice Communication Under Pressure

The best way to improve your communication skills in field hockey is to practice under pressure. Set up practice drills that simulate game situations, and practice communicating with your teammates during these drills. This will help you get used to communicating under pressure and will improve your communication skills during games.

Clear and Concise Communication as a Goalkeeper

To develop effective communication skills in field hockey, it’s important to understand the specific roles and responsibilities of each player on the field… 

For example, strikers to score, midfielders to connect, defenders, to control, and goalkeepers to stop and organise.

So one of the most important positions in field hockey is the goalkeeper, who plays a crucial role in directing the defence and making quick decisions when organising the team.

Goalkeepers are essential in building strong communication skills in a team. They act as the eyes and ears of the defence and are responsible for ensuring that everyone is in the right position. 

So it’s super important that there is effective communication between the goalkeeper and defenders for the best defensive organization and to stop the opposition from scoring.

Goalkeepers need to scan the field on every layer to make sure the team is organized… like they say the goalkeeper has the best eyes on the field because they are the furthest ones back.

Verbal communication is essential for goalkeepers. 

They need to communicate clearly and loudly with their defenders, giving them instructions on positioning and marking. They should use short and direct phrases, avoiding technical jargon that may confuse their teammates.

For example,

• Mark left
• Pull out
• Watch left line (of ball)
• Right shoulder (for player)

Conclusion

Effective communication is essential for success in field hockey. Clear and concise communication, both verbal and non-verbal, is important in maintaining team coordination and ensuring that everyone is aware of what is happening on the field. By using the techniques discussed in this article and practising communication under pressure, you can improve your communication skills and help your team win more games.