The Dos and Don’ts of Grass Hockey: How to Be a Proper Player?
Grass hockey may appear relatively simple compared to the other hockeys, but you’ll be surprised at the challenges you might face when playing actual field hockey. Nonetheless, more than hundreds of countries play this sport, and if you plan to become one, you must first be familiar with how the sports work.
If you want to know more, here are some straightforward dos and don’ts you must be familiar with when playing grass hockey.
Do Practice Regularly
Practice is essential to become better at something, be it painting, playing an instrument, or sports betting. So, if you aim to become an athlete in any sport, especially hockey, you must be in your best condition and train for it.
Hence, you must put great importance on practicing regularly. In doing so, your body will be able to be more familiar with how hockey works until, eventually, you can play by instinct and muscle memory. These might sound impossible, but you’re more than capable of doing so with enough practice.
If you have a team, you can try or schedule a friendly game or two in your training to play with as many different people as possible. This is so that you can be more aware and familiar with the different perspectives of hockey. By doing so, you might also even discover your style of play.
Don’t Play Without Your Gear
Unlike basketball and football, where you only play with a single ball, as a hockey player, you’ll need your gear to protect you. You can easily slip and fall with hockey, so there are essential hockey gears you need personally.
One of the most essential is the cleats. Regular shoes can easily slip on turf or grassy ground, so hockey players must play with molded cleats. Though there are other types of cleats, try to avoid the screw-in ones because they have higher risks of injuries than other types. Also, remember only to use this when playing and not as casual wear.
Other gear includes shin guards, mouthguards, gloves, and masks. Though you may not need some of them when practicing, using the cleats even during practice is necessary. Remember that gears will help you stay protected and lower the risk of injuries. So, you might as well wear them whenever you play hockey.
Do Have a Comprehensive Leg Workout
In grass hockey, your leg is one of the critical points of becoming an efficient player. Since the sports involve a lot of leg strength and endurance, consider having a different workout plan on top of your hockey training. This ensures your legs have what it takes to support you in every game and decreases the risk of falling each time.
Fortunately, there are also several ways to improve your leg strength, and all you have to do is formulate a leg workout plan that works for you. One of the most popular leg exercises is squats. It’s fairly easy to perform and targets not just your legs but also your glutes and core.
You can perform this exercise as a warmup before your training. Aside from that, sprints and wall raises are also effective options.
Don’t Just Focus On Your Legs
While it’s good to focus on a particular part of your body to help you improve your play, it’s also important to note that your body works as one.
If you plan to strengthen your legs, consider working out for your entire body. Having a separate workout plan on top of your training might be tiring, but if you want to become a proper athlete, you must have what it takes to become one. As such, you must possess great self-discipline and motivation.
Moreover, if working out daily isn’t working for you, you can figure out alternative ways. An example would be exercising three times a week instead or doing it for a few minutes daily. Again, do it in moderation and at your body’s level. Pushing your limits is one thing, but knowing how far your limits can go is also another.
Do Know About the Rules
Like any other sport, grass hockey also has its fair share of rules and regulations that you should follow. To become a good hockey player, you must possess the spirit of sportsmanship, and to do your part, you must diligently be aware of the rules.
Furthermore, the rules are the foundation of the game, and if you disobey one of them, you may face sanctions or, worse, expulsion from the team. Similarly, you must be updated on the changes in your association since the rules can change for special occasions.
Here’s a summary of the rules you can look into:
- Only the flat side of the hockey stick can hit the ball. Besides the goalkeeper, hockey players are not allowed to control the ball using any body parts, especially their feet.
- A goal can only be counted if it’s from the field goal, an open play inside the striking circle in front of the other team’s goal. If hit from the outside, the score is irrelevant. You can also earn a score from a penalty corner or penalty stroke.
- Hockey is a non-contact sport. So, players aren’t allowed to trip, charge, push, interfere with, or physically handle the other players in any way.
Don’t Skip the Fouls
Last, you must also be aware of the fouls you can face if you break any rules. Some players skip reading the fouls because there’s no way they’ll break the rules. However, if you seek to become the best, take your time to read the fouls to prevent yourself from doing them in the future. To walk you through it, here are the basic ones you should be aware of:
- Obstruction. This type of foul happens when players block their opponent from reaching the ball using their body.
- Advancing. This foul happens when a player uses their body to shove, push, or advance the ball.
- Hockey Stick Interference. This results from a player using their stick to hit the opponent’s stick intentionally or unintentionally.
Final Thoughts
Hockey is an exhilarating game that can quickly put you on the edge of your seat. However, it’s more exciting when you play the sport yourself. Although it’s not one of the easiest games you can participate in, it’s undoubtedly worth it. So, if you have plans to start playing hockey, you can follow the guide above and start now!
