Centre forward / striker

There seems to be a split in ideals around the role of the Centre Forward / Striker in South Africa.

A lot of this has to do with the way certain teams go about looking to get the ball in the back of the net. We have a very successful university side whose core strategy is to work the ball around to eventually force a penalty corner and then depend on some slick, really well worked moves to score. They don't have a "target man" who is going to blast the ball home - 'roof and rising' that they centre the game plan around.

Many of the other sides are far less rigid structure / tactic and centre much of their game around getting the ball to a guy who is going to blast the ball into the back of the net.

Characteristics of a good striker are normally:
- Composure under pressure
- Ability to hit on both front and back sticks shots
- Pace

Comments on what makes up a good centre forward / striker?

The Sweeper

As part of the offering, we will be reviewing various positions on the hockey field and inviting comment from hockey coaches around the best ways to utilise these players, whats expected of them and what characteristics make up a good player in that position.

The Sweeper is typically your defensive kingpin. Characteristics that normally make up a good sweeper include:
- Strong communication skills
- Speed
- Ability to read the game
- Good distribution skills
- Ability to throw and defend against the overhead pass

Different teams operate with different roles for the sweeper:
Some opt to have a roving sweeper either man marking a specific opponent
Others look to the sweeper as the last line of defence and to be able to switch the ball around
Other coaches have less rigid ideas where the sweeper and centre half simply interchange as and when they are needed

If you have comments on what has worked for you in the past and how you pick and utilise your sweeper, post it below