I hope everyone had a great weekend. Today’s blog we’ll talk about how to use and play with a key component to indoor field hockey, the boards.
Indoor field hockey, unlike outdoor field hockey there is no (sidelines) out of bounds. Instead, boards are placed on each sideline of the court, adding another element to the indoor game. The end lines are left “unboarded” there is still out of bounds on both endlines.The boards are usually made of wood or aluminum and typically 10 feet in length. The boards are designed to be moved from court to court, or venue to venue, and they hook together to create one continuous, full sideline.
Knowing how to use the boards correctly when playing indoor is one of the most important skills to gain over the winter months. The boards are used to for rebounds and create angled passes to teammates. The boards and indoor game allow a ferocious pace for the athletes.
Rebounds
Instead of the ball going out of bounds on the sideline it will be rebounded off the side boards. Players learn to react to rebounds so they can quickly turn with the ball and either dribble or pass to another teammate. Learning the correct distance of a typical rebound is very helpful when first playing indoor field hockey. It’s similar to reading a green in golf, both pace and slope are important. Rather than slope for field hockey, players must take in account the pace and angle to read the rebound.
Passing
Passing is the key to being successful in the fast paced game of indoor field hockey. Key passes will help create open space and scoring opportunities on a small playing field. When passing, it is helpful to have an understanding of angles, and using them to your advantage. If you pass the ball straight into the board it will come straight back at you, however if you pass the ball at an angle it will shoot off the board and hopefully around the defender. Passing off the board is typically used to get the ball around a defender and to one of your open teammates.
