Hockey Match Analysis? It's Easy If You Do It Smart  

Since field hockey is one of the most played games globally, many hockey enthusiasts love doing hockey match analysis. They like to watch their teams play and predict who is going to win. Hockey is also India's official sport, with both men and women teams earning Olympic medals currently and securing a high position in the world standings. In this article, we will tell you how you can smartly conduct the hockey match analysis.  

How Field Hockey Works 

The hockey game consists of 11 players, where ten are on the field, and one is a goalie. Each player has to play with a fiberglass hockey stick to score the maximum goals by placing the hockey ball into the back of the opponent's net. The hockey stick should only touch the ball, barring the goalkeeper, who can use their hands, feet, limbs to stop the ball from entering the goal. Hockey players are also allowed to hit the ball with the flat side of the stick. 

How to Successfully Analyze Hockey Match 

If you are performing a hockey match analysis, you have to look at the player's skill in a team. Different players hold different positions, such as forwards, midfielders, and defensive positions. Depending on the coach and the captain's decision, there can't be fluidity in the arrangement of these players based on the type of plays they have played in the past. Even though hockey is compared with soccer games due to the positions played and layout of the field, hockey does not have an "off-side" rule. 

The hockey game is exceptionally fast because of the grass surface on which it is played. Due to the game's pace, the hardness of the ball, and the speed at which the ball is struck, all players have to put on a piece of protective equipment to protect against the fastballs coming towards them. Hockey is usually a no-contact sport, which means that the players cannot push or pull each other. 

Scoring points in Field Hockey 

If you are looking to perform hockey match analysis, it's important to understand how goals are scored and the rules for potential penalties. Whenever a ball is struck over the goal line, it is scored. But there are many ways that this can be achieved- your opponent can strike the ball into the net, or it can hit one of your team players and go into the net. However, a field goal can only be awarded if it is stuck within the Half Moon circle in front of the goals. This cannot be counted as a goal if it is struck across the halfway line. 

Penalties and fouls 

A penalty corner is awarded if the referee finds that some defenders have conducted a foul inside the circle. The penalty corner and a long corner can make the game much more exciting. 

When conducting a hockey match analysis, you should look at the number of penalties done by a team. During the penalty corner, the attacking players position themselves and the ball on the end line, around 10 meters away from the goal post.  The other players remain outside the circle, leaving behind the four defenders and the goalkeeper before the goal post. As soon as the attacking player strikes the ball, all the other players can rush into the circle to defend or shoot the ball at the goal. 

If it is a long corner, then the defender can hit the ball over the end-line, and the ball accordingly needs to come back into play in a penalty stroke, which is given if the defending side has committed a foul. Then only the attacking player and the goalie remain in the circle.

By knowing the rules and following the sports analysis website, you can gain all the information needed for a successful hockey match analysis.