RECEIVING A
LIFTED BALL
Proud to Coach is © England Hockey Board. Permission to use the material is granted only to the purchaser.
Receiving a Lifted Ball
Difficulty
Ages 9+ for boys; 8+ for girls
What is the skill?
There are 2 different situations in which a player may need to receive a lifted ball:
• When a player wishes to control an aerial ball passed from another player on the pitch
(this could be controlling an aerial ball passed by a team mate or a member of the opposition).
Aerial balls (when the ball is passed over large distances generally over head height) are covered further within this volume.
• When a player wishes to control a ball which bounces a small way off the playing surface. Situations include:
• If a team mate passes the ball poorly causing the ball to bounce as it passed
as opposed to the ball travelling smoothly across the playing surface
• If a small lift is deliberately used to pass the ball from player to player in order to eliminate a defender
• If the ball bounces off a player’s stick when it is received or intercepted
• If the ball bounces as a result of a tackle being made
Being able to receive aerial & bouncing balls correctly are fundamental skills within hockey.
Failure to have good reception skills are likely to lead to loss of control & possession being handed to opposition players.
The most noticeable difference between receiving bouncing & aerial balls being the position of the stick as the ball is received.
The stick is held vertically when receiving a bouncing ball; horizontally when receiving an aerial ball.
When should the skill be used?
When a player wishes to receive & control an aerial pass or bouncing ball.
Proud to Coach is © England Hockey Board. Permission to use the material is granted only to the purchaser.
Receiving a Lifted Ball
Here, the player prepares to
receive a bouncing ball with
their stick positioned vertically.
Proud to Coach is © England Hockey Board. Permission to use the material is granted only to the purchaser.
Receiving a Lifted Ball
Preparing to receive an aerial pass
with the stick positioned vertically.
Proud to Coach is © England Hockey Board. Permission to use the material is granted only to the purchaser.
Receiving a Lifted Ball
Head
Hands
& Arms
• Player’s head faces forwards towards the ball enabling good vision whilst the ball is received.
• Player uses a basic grip with the left hand positioned at the top of the stick & the right hand is placed further down the stick for control.
• Player’s arms are positioned away from the body & this arm position will support good vision.
• Player receives the ball with their body facing in the direction the ball is travelling from.
Body
• Player is in an upright position; this enables the player to receive the ball as early as possible.
• Player moves off at an angle with the ball once the ball has reached the ground, returning to a good ball carrying position as soon as possible.
• Player moves their feet to get themselves in the best possible position in which to receive the ball with their stick in front of them.
Feet
• Player remains on the balls of their feet throughout the reception of the ball, as this enables them to adjust their position quickly if necessary & to move off rapidly
once the ball has reached the ground.
Ball
• Players should aim to take the ball in the air as early as possible.
• As the player’s arms are away from their body, this should force their stick away from the body & into a horizontal position.
• Stick is generally held at chest height when receiving an aerial ball; this allows the player to receive the ball as early as possible whilst it is in the air.
• Player can control the ball with either the head or the shaft of the stick at any point below their right hand.
Stick
• A good first touch is necessary in order to retain possession once the ball has been received.
A player who is able to direct the ball into space away from defenders is more likely to be able to maintain possession after the aerial ball has been received.
• If the ball is moving slowly, the player should use a soft right hand to guide the ball down towards the floor with their stick to allow for further control.
• If the ball is moving at speed then the player should slightly angle their stick towards the ground so that the ball bounces downwards with the first touch.
Receiving the ball well with the first touch will enable the player to control the ball & move away quickly after the ball has reached the ground.
• The player remains focussed on the ball whilst receiving it to make sure that the ball makes contact with their stick.
Vision
• The player scans ahead of receiving the ball to identify any potential defenders who may intercept the pass & to also identify possible passing or movement
options once the ball has been received.
• Once the ball has been received, the player scans once more to see whether the movement or passing options identified in the 1st scan are still available.
If not, then this 2nd scan will enable the receiver to select a preferable passing or movement option.
Players should be aware that certain rules apply when receiving an aerial pass.
For further information on these please refer to the England Hockey Board website on
www.englandhockey.co.uk
Proud to Coach is © England Hockey Board. Permission to use the material is granted only to the purchaser.
Receiving a Lifted Ball
Suggested Exercise 1:
Receiving Aerial & Bouncing / Lifted Passes
• Players stand opposite each other & practice moving the ball in pairs
• The players begin the exercise over a small distance between 6-8 metres apart & gradually move apart
• Players can practice receiving bouncing balls over shorter distances & aerial balls over longer distances
Proud to Coach is © England Hockey Board. Permission to use the material is granted only to the purchaser.
Receiving a Lifted Ball
Suggested Exercise 2:
Receiving Aerial & Bouncing / Lifted Passes
• Attacker 1 posts up towards attacker 2 & away from
the defender marking them. Attacker 2 lifts the ball a
short way off the ground so that attacker 1 has to
control the ball in the air whilst on the move.
• Defender starts their run slightly behind the attacker;
placing pressure on attacker 1 whilst they are receiving
the ball. Once the ball has been received, the 2
attackers engage in a 2v1 against the defender
& aim to score a goal / reach a target area.
• To begin with, the defending player could start off as
relatively passive & simply shadow attacker 1 as they
receive the ball. As attacking player 1 becomes more
confident at successfully receiving the ball, the
defending player can increase the pressure & attempt
to gain possession of the ball, challenging the attacking
player on the move with some applied pressure.
Proud to Coach is © England Hockey Board. Permission to use the material is granted only to the purchaser.