RUSH HOCKEY

I meant to write this post a few months ago after becoming Rush Hockey Activator last November. I had not played hockey since my University years when hockey was part of my Degree in Exercise & Sport Science. Before that, I had also played a different type of hockey when I was teaching Physical Education at a Primary and Secondary School in Spain. Rush Hockey reminded me of my years at school and university, where I studied, trained and played hockey – not 11-a-side Hockey but small-sided hockey games. Also, I remember having played Floorball or Unihockey. What I mean by this is that, while a new small-sided hockey version has been developed in England from 2011, some countries already used this small-sided versions 15 or 20 years ago.

But what is Rush Hockey?

Basically, Rush Hockey is a new version of hockey developed by England Hockey Board with the objective to get more people involved in this sport. Rush Hockey is fast, fun and very simple to play. Teams are 5-a-side with squads made up of up to 7 players. The game involves no deliberate: feet, using the back of the stick, stick tackling and contact with other players. Neither the stick nor the ball should be raised above knee height. A sideline ball is taken from the point of exit. The ball can either be passed to a team member or taken into play yourself (known as a self pass). Players can shoot from anywhere. When a rule is broken the ball will be awarded to the opposing team where it can either be passed to a team member or taken into play yourself. After a goal is scored, play is restarted from the centre of the pitch. Rush Hockey is made up of four fast paced and fun fuelled quarters of 10 minutes with a snappy five minutes break between each (download the full rules by clicking here) (Source: www.rushhockey.co.uk).

And why is Rush Hockey important?

Rush Hockey is a small-sided game, therefore it has all the benefits of small-sided games. Players (only 5 per team) are involved in the game all the time, which requires them to be active and playing at 100%. This means that Rush Hockey is a great way to improve your fitness level. Also, the lower number of players compared to normal hockey (5 versus 11) means that they get the ball more times, so players can develop their dribbling, passing and shooting skills more easily. Finally, as in futsal, basketball or handball, tactics and strategies in small-sided games are fundamental to develop the cognitive skills of the players.

By playing Rush Hockey you can become a fitter, more skillful and intelligent player who can later apply all those resources to 11-a-side Hockey in order to obtain a more successful performance.

Small-sided games are on their way!