Penalty Corner Research Articles

Analyzing Differences in Penalty Corner Execution Pattern between Winning and Losing Teams in Women's Hockey

Analyzing Differences in Penalty Corner Execution Pattern between Winning and Losing Teams in Women's Hockey

Biomechanical comparison of hip and ankle kinematics among national and university-level field hockey players: An observational study

Abstract Background: The penalty corner stands out as a crucial scoring method in field hockey, with the Drag flick (DF) being the most frequently employed shot during this situation. The DF is more effective than the hit or push techniques. Purpose: This study aimed to explore variations in hip and ankle kinematics during different stages of the DF among field hockey players at national and university levels. Materials and Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional design involving participation from professional male drag flickers, as well as national and university-level (UL) players, with reported mean ± SD values for height (172 ± 1.41 cm), weight (72.5 ± 2.12 kg), and BMI (24.4 ± 0.35 kg/m2). Following a specific warm-up, each player underwent the random recording of 10 trials on the hockey ground. XSENS inertial measuring unit was employed to acquire and analyze kinematics data. Thirty frames were extracted, spanning the DF technique’s initial phase to the final phase for subsequent analysis. Results: The findings revealed distinct variations in joint angle (XZY) range of motion (ROM) during different phases of the DF among national and UL players. Notably, significant (P < 0.05) and diverse changes were identified in various parameters of lower limb kinematics when comparing DF shots. Conclusion: The study’s conclusion emphasizes that comprehending the ROM variations in hockey players is crucial for sports scientists and coaches. NL and UL players showed different movement patterns in the same DF technique but at different extents. This knowledge enables them to understand the biomechanical responses necessary to attain optimal movement, mainly when aiming for the goal. It allows for a focused analysis of individual player movement patterns.

엘리트 여자하키 국제대회 경기 내용 분석 : 2017~2022년 국제대회를 중심으로

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the pattern of scores and runs by continent by collecting field scores and penalty corner scores among international competition match data. Methods In order to achieve the purpose of this study, 140 games held in four international competitions held from 2017 to 2022 were targeted. For the collection of data, official data provided by the International Summer Federation were used, and eight variables were used. The collected data were organized through MS Excel, and SPSS 25.0 was used for statistical analysis. Among the nonparametric statistical verification methods, the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for data processing. Results According to the results of the study, there were factors that differed in Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, and South America, but there were no factors that differed in African countries. Conclusions Based on the results of this study, it is hoped that it will be used as basic data for establishing response strategies for major women's hockey competitors.

Relationship Between the Kinematical Factors and The Ball Velocity of the Penalty Corner Drag-Flick in Field Hockey

The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship of the kinematical factors with the ball velocity of the drag flick performance of the national elite players in field hockey. To attain this purpose, 64 drag flicks of sixteen players were recorded and analyzed through the VICON motion capture system and MATLAB software. The descriptive statistics and Spear man correlation were computed for statistical analysis. The mean ball velocity of the drag-flicks of the female and male players were 21.31±3.53 m/sand 15.10±4.02 m/s, respectively. The ball dragging length, ball dragging velocity, stance width, left-knee angle and left elbow angle had a significant correlation with the ball velocity. The subjects maximize dragging length,dragging velocity and stance width while minimizing their left-right knee angles for high velocity. Players and coaches should emphasize ball dragging length, dragging velocity and stance width to improve the drag flick performance.

Individual Differences and Transfer of Visual Anticipation in Expert Female Field Hockey Goalkeepers.

Visual anticipation is vital for performance in several domains such as driving, military, and high-speed interceptive sports, as it enables performers to handle severe time constraints. There has been little investigation into individual differences of anticipation skill transfer within a domain, which can guide training of anticipation to improve performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate individual differences in the transfer of anticipation within a domain, specifically anticipation of the field hockey penalty corner drag-flick across different opponents. Eight female Australian international and national field hockey goalkeepers participated. Goalkeepers completed female and male opponent penalty corner drag-flick temporal occlusion tests that presented contextual defensive runner positioning relative to the penalty spot, drag-flicker kinematics, and ball flight. Drag-flick movement time and ball velocity were significantly different across female and male opponents confirming that a transfer continuum existed. Five goalkeepers could transfer integration of runner contextual and drag-flicker kinematic information to anticipate loose runs above chance from female to male opponent tests. None of the goalkeepers could transfer integration of contextual and kinematic information for the tight runs across female to male opponents. An individual differences approach with truly expert performers provided unique insights into the mechanism of anticipation transfer within a domain. The findings of this study contribute to theoretical and applied knowledge, which can guide the training of anticipation skill to prepare individuals for superior performance.

Adaptive Gaze Behavior and Decision Making of Penalty Corner Strikers in Field Hockey.

In recent years, studies have increasingly dealt with the interaction of gaze behavior and decision making of team sports athletes. However, there is still a variety of important game situations, for example, in the case of penalty corners in field hockey, in which this interaction has not been investigated in detail yet. Penalty corners present a meaningful goal scoring opportunity by providing a relatively free shot. This paper considers two studies. The first study investigated a possible connection between the gaze behavior and the quality of decisions of experienced field hockey players and evaluated the level of success of different gaze strategies. A preliminary study (Study 1) was designed as a survey questionnaire with the aim of preparing for the main study by obtaining subjective assessments of the individual gaze behavior and decision making of professional athletes. In the second and the main study (Study 2), the gaze behavior of experienced field hockey players was recorded using mobile eye-tracking systems to analyze different strategical approaches in associated gaze behavior and decision making. Study 1 showed that players consider reacting to the defenders' behavior during a penalty corner a promising avenue for improving success at penalty corner attempts. It also indicated that such defense-dependent strategies are currently only rarely employed. Study 2 demonstrated how gaze behavior differs between different strategical approaches of the offense. It was shown that the gaze direction on the ball, the stopper, and the goal area is important to allow for a more optimal adaptation to the tactical behavior of defense. It can be concluded that adaptive decision making (i.e., choosing which variation will be carried out just after the “injection” of the ball) seems promising but requires further training to improve the success rate of penalty corner.

Field hockey from the performance analyst’s perspective: A systematic review

Field hockey is an evolving sport, but it is unclear whether performance analysis techniques are reflective of current best practice. The objective of this review was to identify performance analysis methods used in field hockey, assess their practicality, and provide recommendations on their implementation in the field. A systematic search of the databases SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE and PubMed was performed. Key words addressed performance analysis methods and field hockey, with all other disciplines of sport science excluded. A total of 8 articles were identified from the systematic review. Three studies explored patterns of play in relation to goal scoring opportunities, two articles examined penalty corner strategies and three compared specific actions in hockey. The limited performance analysis research in field hockey has focused on game actions in patterns of play. However, greater insights may be gained by analysing hockey using a holistic approach that incorporates spatio-temporal variables and player-opposition interactions. There is an opportunity to employ novel performance analysis techniques in hockey which provide more practical and effective approaches for analysing strategies and tactics.

Performance, perceptual and physiological comparison of traditional and small-sided games in youth hockey

This study aimed to determine if children playing field hockey small-sided games (SSG) have different levels of physiological, performance and perceptual responses, compared to traditional hockey. Fifteen school hockey players (10–12 y) played eight matches over four months. Traditional games (n = 4) were played on a full-sized pitch with 11 players per team, and SSG were played as two-separate games (n = 8), with 7 players per team on a half-field pitch. Heart rate, movement data and match involvement were collected during the game. Participants were asked their session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) and completed an enjoyment questionnaire. There were more possessions per player in the SSG format compared to traditional (53.9 ± 2.5 vs. 36.8 ± 6.5, [ d = 3.83]). Number of shots on goal, total goals, penalty corners and circle penetrations were increased in SSG compared to traditional games ( d = 1.11–1.83). Mean and maximum heart rate, sRPE, enjoyment, total distance run, meters per minute, distance run at low velocity and high velocity were similar for both formats, with no significant difference between them. SSG increased match involvements, allowing more participation than the traditional format, without compromising the physiological (e.g. heart rate), performance (e.g. total distance) and perceptual (e.g. sRPE) workload.

Analysis of Spaciotemporal Indicators of Penalty Corners in Field Hockey at the World Cup 2018

The article provides a statistical analysis of the data on accounting for penalty corners in field hockey. As in many team sports, one of the decisive moments and a very important playing situation is the penalty corners. Of the total number of goals scored in international competitions, during penalty corners, one third of them lead to a goal. The article presents the results of the successful delivery of a penalty corner, and its correct performance, which depends on three main components: 1) the player performing the pass from the penalty corner, 2) the player stopping the ball behind the line of the penalty space and 3) the player performing a shot on goal (Fig. 1). It has been confirmed that the first components are the most stable, although their implementation is equal to or more important than the last phase. It is the shot on goal phase that has a large number of variations, since it can be performed both with a direct shot on goal and with playing on the field

Incidence of penalty corner injuries in international field hockey

ABSTRACT Field hockey penalty corners (PCs) put players at potential risk for injuries. This study evaluated the incidence of PC-related injuries with special regards to head injuries. Video sequences provided by the Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) of 295 matches in 11 elite field hockey tournaments (2015–2016) were analysed for overall injuries and PC-related injuries in detail. In total, 13.9% of all match injuries (49/352 injuries) occurred in relation to a PC, accounting for 7.1 PC-related injuries per 1000 player match hours (95% CI 4.4–9.9). There were 11 head injuries afflicting six defenders and five attackers. One head injury was related to a direct hit by a ball (drag flick). This study provides the first data on PC-related injuries in elite field hockey. The recorded numbers and mechanisms of PC-related injuries should be used as a baseline for further studies and potential rule adaptations.

BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PHASES OF A PENALTY CORNER IN FIELD HOCKEY

The research purpose was to provide a biomechanical analysis of penalty corner striking techniques in field hockey. Research problems. 1) To identify the boundary phases of a penalty corner; 2) To determine the mechanism of pressure distribution under the feet; 3) To identify the characteristics of an ideal model of spatial-temporal motion of the projection of the center of pressure on the supporting surface when executing a penalty corner. Methods: literature review, biomechanical analysis with the use of a podometric platform, and mathematical statistics. Results. The results of a biomechanical analysis enabled us to register the parameters of pressure distribution under a foot during a penalty corner, and to identify boundary and spatial-temporal phases. We revealed 3 periods in the movement structure: preparation, implementation, and completion. We revealed 5 movement phases: #1 Preparation, #2 Adjustment to a starting position, #3 Start of a stroke, #4 Stroke, and #5 Completion. We identified the values of pressure under a foot in each of the phases of penalty corner and the bio-mechanism of its change and regulation when during penalty corner execution. Therefore, for each phase, pressure changes under the right (R) and left (L) feet from the percentage of body weight were arranged. The arrangement is as follows: #1 – Preparation (R – 72; L – 28%), #2 Adjustment to a starting position (R – 93; L – 7%), #3 Start of a stroke (R – 17; L – 83%), # 4 Completion of a stroke (R – 16; L – 84%), and # 5 – Stick and body motion after a stroke (R-1: L-99%). We identified the characteristics of the ideal model of spatial-temporal motion of the projection of the center of pressure on the supporting surface when executing a penalty corner. We revealed that each phase took a certain time period during the stroke execution: #1 – Preparation (35%), #2 Adjustment to a starting position (22%), #3 Start of a stroke (26%), #4 Completion of a stroke (4%), and #5 Stick and body motion after a stroke (13%). Conclusion. The research findings can enable coaches and athletes to understand the characteristics of an ideal model of the stroke execution, and to get aware of various tools available for its technical support.

Individual differences in performance and learning of visual anticipation in expert field hockey goalkeepers

The study of anticipation in truly expert performers can provide insight into how they cope with extreme time constraints. The purpose of this dual-experiment paper was to investigate individual differences; in anticipation of the penalty corner drag-flick, its trainability, and transfer of improvement to field settings. Australian international and national male field-hockey goalkeepers participated. In experiment 1, international and national goalkeepers (n = 11) completed a penalty corner drag-flick temporal occlusion task that presented; defensive runner positioning at the penalty spot, drag-flicker kinematics, and ball flight. Results indicated seven goalkeepers integrated runner contextual and drag-flicker kinematic information to anticipate above chance. The cause of individual differences was independent pick-up of run and kinematic cues that presented greater opportunity to integrate sources for anticipation. In experiment 2, a sub-sample of goalkeepers participated and received temporal occlusion training or no training. Results indicated individualized improvement in anticipation across video, field, and competition assessments for those that received the intervention, but not controls. Improvements on video test were retained for six months. An individual differences approach can identify deficiencies in anticipation, which can be improved through perceptual training that transfers to motor responses. This contributes to theoretical and practical knowledge to develop anticipation skill.

PENALTY CORNERS IN FIELD HOCKEY AT THE 2018 WORLD CUP FOR MEN AND WOMEN

Purpose – Analysis of the matches in the World Cup 2018 of the leading teams, among men and women, with regard to occurrence of penalty corners. Methods. The following research methods were used: analysis and generalization of scientific-methodical and special literature, video analysis, and mathematical statistics. Results. The study included a video analysis of 36 women’s matches and 36 men’s matches of the 2018 World Cup with regard to occurrence of penalty corners. We recorded parameters such as shooting type, shooting time, shooting accuracy, ball receiving, and the moment of realization. The study determined the effectiveness of penalty corners for men's and women's teams. It has demonstrated that the speed of the ball shooting when performing a penalty corner is significantly different for women and men. In men's teams, there is only one type of a penalty corner - from a static position. Women's teams have a large proportion of penalty corners from a static position, but there are also mobile shots and sweeping shots. Conclusion. The analysis of matches of the World Cup 2018 of women’s and men’s leading teams with regard to occurrence of penalty corners has revealed that the effectiveness of a penalty corner for the strongest men’s teams is 23.6%, for women’s teams - 17.8%. Men's teams serve mainly from a static position, while women's teams use 3 types of shots. The factor analysis based on the values of factor weights enabled explanation of tournament tables and creation of a pattern of the winner's team according to the results of penalty corners.

Psycho-perceptual-motor skills are deemed critical to save the penalty corner in international field hockey

In interceptive sports such as field hockey goalkeeping, the psycho-perceptual-motor skill anticipation is vital for performance due to the extreme time constraints associated with saving a goal. The purpose of this study was to understand the beliefs and attitudes of international field hockey goalkeepers and coaches regarding anticipation of the drag-flick in penalty corners. Seven international goalkeepers and five international coaches were interviewed. Using a constructionist and relativist approach to reflexive thematic data analysis, we identified three overarching themes to anticipate the drag-flick, namely, pre-match video analysis, perception and action, and psychological factors. In the first theme, participants reported that pre-match video analysis allowed goalkeepers and coaches to identify the attacking capabilities of opposing teams. This analysis was used to inform defensive structure and save the drag-flick. In the second theme, participants reported that perception and action, which consisted of the pick-up of visual cues and movement execution, was important to anticipate the drag-flick. Goalkeepers reported that they rely heavily on ball flight, which was central in coaches’ approaches in training drills such as to use a projection machine that presents only ball flight information. The third theme, psychological factors, encompassed, psychological resilience, arousal regulation, leadership and communication, and sports intelligence, which were thought to be vital to facilitate anticipation of the drag-flick. The findings of this study have important implications for how to assess and train visual anticipation in time-constrained interceptive sports skills.

Hockey activity recognition using pre-trained deep learning model

Activity recognition in sports is often complex task resulting from the rapid dynamic interaction within players. In this paper, pre-trained VGG-16, deep learning based hockey activity recognition model has been proposed. Own hockey dataset consisting of four main activity includes free hit, goal, penalty corner and long corner was constructed as there are no existing field hockey datasets available. Experimental results indicate that the pre-trained deep learning model generates comparative results on this challenging dataset by tweaking the hyperparameters of this pre-trained model.

Tactical offensive variables of penalty corner in World Cup men's hockey 2014

This research aims to Identify the most effective tactical offensive variables while performing the penalty corner in World Cup hockey men's 2014, where the researcher analyzed (272) penalty corner through a form for tactical variables of penalty corner in field hockey which designed by researcher. Research samples were chosen intentionally which include (38) matches for teams that participated in the World Cup of Hockey men 2014, which was held in Netherlands and they were twelve teams. A researcher has used descriptive survey method. The most important results that passing ball by drag is the only used skill in the first pass during ball entrance to the circle in all penalty corners, attackers organization on the circle during penalty corner as two groups is more effective and widely used than one group and finally shooting of the player none receiving the ball using drag flick skill from the right of the goalkeeper is more widely and effectively used than passing the ball in the circle after its fixation and shooting at goal.

Effects of visual exercises training on developing ball velocity and accuracy shooting of penalty corner in field hockey

The primary aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate the effect of visual training on visual abilities of field hockey female players. A secondary aim was to examine the effect of visual training on velocity of ball shooting in penalty corner of field hockey female players, and the third aim was to determine the effect of visual training on accuracy of ball shooting in penalty corner of field hockey female players. The researcher has used the expermintal design for one group from the first female Sahrkia Club team. Twelve players were participated in this study and underwent for pre and post tests after the visual exercises training over 8 weeks, which considered 3 training times every week. The results of current study indicate that, the visual skills such as eye coordination, anticipation time and concentration were very important factors when players performed the penalty corner situation in field hockey matches.

Kinematic Analysis of Drag Flick Shooting Motion for Training Shooters Specializing in Penalty Corners in Women's Field Hockey: A Case Study

Kinematic Analysis of Drag Flick Shooting Motion for Training Shooters Specializing in Penalty Corners in Women's Field Hockey: A Case Study

Injury incidence in elite youth field hockey players at the 2016 European Championships.

Despite being an essential consideration when deciding rule changes, injury prevention strategies, and athlete development models, there is little epidemiological data of U18 field hockey player injuries–something explicitly referred to in the 2015 International Olympic Committee’s Consensus Statement on Youth Athlete Development. The aim of this study was to quantify incidence and characteristics of injuries in elite youth field hockey players during a major international tournament. Standardized reporting forms detailing time, location on pitch, mechanism and anatomical location of injury were completed for new musculoskeletal conditions resulting in a time stoppage by the umpire and where a player was noticeably affected by an injury for up to 20 s regardless of time stoppage. Injury incidence was 1.35 and 2.20 injuries/match or 53 and 86 injuries per 1000 player match hours for boys (B) and girls (G) respectively; girls were over three times more likely to have a minor injury. Most injuries were contusions due to being hit by the ball or stick (B: 12, G: 27), with high numbers of injuries to the torso (B: 8) and head/face (G: 7). Injuries during the penalty corner (B: 3, G: 4) were to the lower limb and hand, and boys were less likely to wear facial protection (B: 65.9%, G: 86.4%). Results form an essential initial dataset of injuries in U18 field hockey players. Current reporting protocols under-report injuries and must be addressed by the international governing body. The high number of head/face injuries, particularly in females, requires further investigation.

Analysis of the penalty corner attack strategy in international women’s hockey: 2016 Champions Trophy and 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to analyse the differences in various penalty corner attack tactics observed in recent international women’s hockey matches, including the 2016 Champions Trophy (CT) and 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (OG), and to propose factors that lead to a successful penalty corner attack.MethodsThe study examined 204 cases of penalty corner attack (CT : 111, OG: 93) that occurred in 29 games of international women’s hockey matches (CT : 18, OG: 11); these were analysed with the chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis.ResultsDifferences were observed with respect to the set play position ( &#967<sup>2</sup> = 19.091, <i>p</i> = 0.002), shooting point ( &#967<sup>2</sup> = 5.355, <i>p</i> = 0.021), and shooting direction ( &#967<sup>2</sup> = 22.831, <i>p</i> = 0.004). The binary logistic regression, used to determine factors influencing the score, revealed that the chance of scoring increased with the use of set play (<i>p</i> = 0.015). However, the chance of failing to score is higher if the shooter makes a pass instead of a direct shot (<i>p</i> = 0.023).ConclusionsWhen analysing factors that affect penalty corner goals in women’s hockey, a higher success rate for goalscoring was seen with set plays. However, the failure rate was higher when the shooter used a passing technique instead of direct shooting. Thus, a strategy focusing on a constructed set play rather than passing techniques around stoppers should be established to increase the success rate of goals.