GOALKEEPER

• Primary job is to defend the goal cage
• Uses her stick and body to prevent ball from crossing the goal line
• Should attempt to save every shot with her stick
• Body is secondary line of defense
• Must develop good footwork, good body position
• Ability to cover the angles of shots
• Most desired traits are quick reflexes with hands and feet, concentration and gumption

POINT

• Closest to the crease
• Primary responsibility of marking 1^st home of the attacking team
• She must be decisive in evaluating and reacting to the play of her teammates up the field
• Highly trained to defend the crease
• Reliable stick checker and blocker
• Good decision making abilities and strong body-positioning

COVERPOINT

• Plays in front of point
• Responsible for individually marking the 2^nd home on the attaching team
• The defender who is most competent in all Defensive skills
• One-on-one marking ability and body checking must be superior
• Good decision maker and communicator
• Leader of the defensive unit

THIRD MAN

• Lines up on Circle for a draw
• Plays in front of the coverpoint
• Marks the 3^rd home on the attacking team
• Although still a primary defender, she must be assertive in disrupting midfield play by intercepting and sliding to pick up free opponents.
• Involved in mid field transition and occasional opportunities to score
• Key traits are; blocking skills and ability to anticipate a loose ball
• Interception opportunities, good timing, instinctive risk taking
• Speed to recover on defense
• Versatility

DEFENSE WINGS

• Right and Left Defensive Wings mark the opposing attack wings
• Line up on circle for draw
• Must be the fastest defenders to match the speed of the attack wings, recover back on defense and pick up a free player
• Must also possess good anticipation and marking skills
• Good blockers and body checkers
• Valuable in transition and opportunistic on attack
• Should be capable of shooting from the outside

 

CENTER

• Takes Draws
• Primary responsibility is to defend her opposing centre
• Fills in for her defensive teammates if they get caught out of position
• Most valuable in transition from defense to offense
• Possess good field vision and space awareness to serve as a connector
• Must have consistent ball skills
• Part of both the offensive and defensive units
• Must possess speed and endurance to cover both ends of the field

ATTACK WINGS

• Ball from the draw frequently goes to the wings along the center circle
• Should be the fastest players who must utilize the space and width of the midfield
• Speed ideally should be used to create a quick transition and lead to a fast break
• Called upon to make good decisions about distributing the ball during transition
• Need to be strong passers and shooters, as they are utilized during fast break

THIRD HOME

• Lines up on the circle
• Marked by the third man
• Well rounded attack player
• Strong ball and shooting skills
• Must be able to anticipate, recognize, and move to open spaces away from the ball to support her teammates
• Finding the appropriate spaces allows her many opportunities to score
• Must be quick to recognize change of possession and switch to her defensive role of marking

SECOND HOME

• A dynamic attack player with great stick skills
• Often the attack’s lead playmaker.
• Must be able to get open and receive passes
• She can shoot or distribute the ball to her teammates

FIRST HOME

• Plays closest to the goal
• Must be able to protect the ball
• Must be a good feeder
• Must possess excellent cradling, dodging, and shooting skills
• Be able to react to the ball and her teammates movements
• Have a “nose” for the goal
• In reaction to her opponents’ movements, it is to her advantage to be able to cut in limited space and to use the crease