Hockey: 1-3-4-3 diamond shape midfield

This set-up will see your team playing with a sweeper behind the back 3. The advantage of this system is that there is always a covering player to support the back 3 defenders.

Your back 3 can play this 2 ways:

1. Man to man back 3, with players sticking with the same player or
2. Zonal defending. Players stay in position and mark any player that comes into their area.

With this system you would look to attack using the width from the back.

When to use:

This system is good when:

• You have a slow back 3 players who keep being out run by forwards.
• The opposition is better and keep beating one of your back 3
• The opposition throw good long aerials landing in your 25.

This system gives support to the backline as well as the midfield.

It relies on the 2 forwards to do a lot of running in defence and play further forward when their team is in possession.

When to use:

If your team is very fit and want to force the other team back by creating overloads in your defence and midfield.

This system is more attacking then the sweeper behind system (1-1-3-3-3).

The advantage of this set-up is that you have a free player behind the midfield (highlighted). This creates a numerical advantage for your team in the middle. This overload will help your team, especially your attackers, to push forward and penetrate the opposition's circle.

When not in possession you will have an extra man to support your midfielders. This arrangement gives more opportunities to 1/2 court press and/or full press the opposition.

When to use:

You would employ this system if your midfiled is being overrun and is struggling to cope with the opposition, but your back line is coping with their players.

The 1/2 court press is again a team effort and relies on all players joining in and being disciplined.

The 1/2 court press is a bit like space invaders - players must move as one unit, from side to side in front of the ball.

It is very important that once the ball has gone into the zone, past the highest defenders, the team goes in to full court press mode. But when the ball is played back out of the 1/2 court zone the 1/2 court disciplines have to be adhered to once again.

The advantage of the 1/2 court press is that it is easier than taking the initiative, also less agreements need to be made compared to the full press.

When to use:

The Half court Press is very good for the underdog team that is not able to create chances from their own possession.

So using this system you choose to let the opposition have most of the possession and wait for them to make a mistake.

Your team will create lots of break opportunities because with every loss of possession the opposition will leave a large amount of space behind them which your side can exploit for the break.