“Triple Threat: Threaten Direct” for Field Hockey Defenders

This post is following up with previous Substack Posts on one of The Collab Field Hockey’s indoor field hockey principle of play, “Triple Threat” and subprinciple, “Threaten Direct”. If you haven’t read those posts on Nov 10 and Nov 17, I encourage you to go do so before continuing on in this one!

Previously, we explored the power of carrying the ball in a position with maximal vision and options over the relevant playing field and the benefit of taking a touch and glance to “threaten” the direct path toward goal! The example included in the Nov 17 Substack demonstrated this principle from an attacker/midfield position. But, what does it look like from a defender’s standpoint?

Threaten Direct: Backfield Example

If you don’t watch this clip closely, you may miss the subtle but meaningful ways “threaten direct” changes the game. When the German defenders (in black) receive the ball, they often receive and change the angle of the ball, meaning they take a touch in a different direction than the path the ball is traveling. With an open body position and a meaningful touch, they force the defense to maintain integrity in their pressure

Specifically, let’s look at the German left back. She receives the ball and often “threatens direct” toward goal with both her touch and her eyes. When not able to play that ball, she pulls back and plays the ball to an open teammate. She does this over and over again. Receive, touch forward and eye up, pull back and pass. She would be ready to split the defense right down the center if they weren’t maintaining their pressing shape.

In contrast, further on in the video, there is an example of the Austrian Left Back (in white) who does not “threaten direct” and has almost no opportunity to get out of the corner. Yes, she has some pressure on her; however, she invites more pressure as her back is turned toward the goal and she receives her ball and takes it back to “Coffin Corner” (the back left corner of the field). Her only option is to protect the ball and wait for a risky escape across the face of her goal.

I love these contrasting clips of body positioning and therefore first touch of the left back. As noted, the pressure certainly changes the Austrian defender’s options but I have to wonder if she would have had more options if she faced the opponents and allowed herself to threaten gaps and spaces. Instead, by turning her body prematurely, she limits her options and one could say she invites more pressure in by doing so. The opponents could close her space more confidently since they no longer had to worry about her ability to play to the spaces behind them in that moment.

What do your defenders look like when they receive the ball? Are they truly able to play a split ball down the middle of the field if the defense is out of their pressing shape?