Week 3 - Zone Hockey
Equipment
Suitable indoor or outdoor playing area
Markers or cones
Hockey sticks or equivalent
Airflow/whiffle balls or alternative balls
Chalk or marking tape to mark out playing area
Download the Zone Hockey - Week 3 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
Skill development game
Learning intention
To practice and refine dribbling and shooting skills and to develop an understanding of player positioning.
Skill focus
Defending
Shot placement
Locomotor movement
Hockey relay
An introductory game to develop positioning, dribbling and shooting skills as a lead up to Zone Hockey.
Game set-up
Divide players into teams of 3-4 players.
Mark out parallel slalom courses and goals at the end of each course.
How to play
Players dribble and attempt to shoot a goal at the end of the slalom course.
The next player is not allowed to start until the previous player has completed their shot at goal.
Safety
Ensure appropriate space between teams.
No stick to be raised above waist height.
Modifying Hockey relay using TREE
Teaching style
Keep slalom courses close enough to create competition but still safe to avoid any collisions.
Encourage students to try different techniques moving the ball through the slalom to discover which gives the most control over the ball.
Rules
Players can have a support player who shadows them and fields the ball if it strays.
Introduce a goal keeper as skills increase.
Play to an agreed number of goals or set time limit.
Equipment
Experiment with balls of different sizes and weight to increase or decrease the speed of the game. A smaller, harder ball will increase difficulty.
Bean bags may assist initially while skills develop.
Environment
To decrease difficulty, widen the goal size or decrease the number of obstacles.
To increase difficulty, create a longer slalom course with less space between markers or cones.
Modified Zone Hockey game
Learning intention
To practice and refine passing, shooting and defensive skills in game situations.
Skill focus
Defending
Striking
Shot placement.
Zone Hockey
Zone hockey is an indoor court game that integrates ambulant and mobility-impaired players.
Game set-up
Divide playing area into 3 length way zones with 2 goal areas using chalk or tape and markers.
The central zone should represent 50% and wing areas 25% each. (See image)
Place 2 cones at each end for goals.
Divide players into two teams of 5-6 players.
Allocate players a specific zone. Players should be matched by ability in each zone and must remain in their zones:
1 player per wing zone
2 or 3 players in the central zone
1 player as goalkeeper
How to play
Aim is for players to pass the ball through the zones to score by hitting the ball through their designated goal.
A free hit is awarded for entering another zone, reaching across another zone or raising the stick above waist height. Opposition players must be 2m away from place of free hit.
No player other than a goalkeeper may enter their goal circle. • Players must not kick the ball.
Safety
Sticks must not be raised above waist height.
Players must not play at any ball with the stick held above shoulder height.
Ball cannot be hit or bounced above the knees.
Goalkeepers should be encouraged to wear a face mask, hand protectors and knee protectors.
Modifying Zone Hockey using TREE
Teaching style
Encourage using short and long passes to move the ball down the court.
Encourage calling for the ball and to indicate where they are moving to receive the ball.
Instruct passers to place the ball in front of the receiver so the receiving player can run onto the ball and continue playing the ball forward.
Rules
A free hit is not awarded if the ball simply hits a player’s foot, wheelchair structure or walking aid. It is awarded only if the incident causes a break in play, disadvantage or stops a goal.
Add a rule that everyone needs to touch the ball before a goal can be scored.
As skills develop add a defender in each wing zone to increase the challenge.
Equipment
Use a bigger, heavier ball to slow the game down.
Environment
Change the zone sizes depending on number of players.
Change the length of the field depending on player abilities.
Reflection
Suggested questions for players
Hockey relay
What technique is the best for moving through the slalom as fast as possible?
How did your technique change if you tried to move too quickly?
What did you think about before taking a shot at goal?
Zone Hockey
How did you move the ball between team mates within zones/in other zones?
What passes were effective in beating opponents in other zones?
How did you work as a team to set up scoring opportunities?
2 stars and a wish
Ask students:
What are 2 things you feel you did well today?
What are you going to try and improve on next week?
Students can answer reflection questions as a whole class, small group or in pairs.