SCAN & DELIVER

Pre-scanning and scanning are essential skills in our game that directly impact decision-making, spatial awareness, and injury prevention. Through dedicated training methods, you can significantly improve your ability to read the game and contribute meaningfully. Regular practice, using structured drills and video analysis, will enhance these critical skills, contributing to better performance and game awareness.

In our game, pre-scanning refers to the active observation and assessment of the game situation prior to receiving the ball. This includes evaluating the positions of teammates, opponents, and the ball to make informed decisions. From passing opportunitues to pressing lines and closing down opposition space, pre-scanning is more or less continuous in a game. This activity will be from time to time prompted by team mates via calling Scanning, on the other hand, involves the ongoing awareness of the game environment while in play, particularly when a player has possession of the ball.

Importance of Pre-Scanning and Scanning

Enhanced Decision Making

Effective scanning is linked to improved decision-making capabilities under pressure. Research indicates that athletes who can quickly process visual information make more accurate and timely decisions (Schempp et al., 2006). For field hockey players, this translates into better choices about passing, shooting, pressing, tackling or dribbling.

Spatial Awareness

Pre-scanning and scanning foster spatial awareness, which helps players understand their positioning on the field relative to others. This awareness is crucial for anticipating the movements of both teammates and opponents and is associated with improved tactical execution (Williams et al., 2009). You need to be aware of distance, player proximities and most likely movement patterns to time a pass, run or intercept effectively.

Maintaining Game Flow

Players adept at scanning can more seamlessly connect plays during a match. This is more likely to occur if a team has played and trained together consistently over time and practise movement patterns and structures. By being aware of the dynamic nature of the game you can maintain possession and effectively support teammates, contributing to overall team performance (Mann et al., 2007).

Injury Prevention

Enhanced spatial awareness through pre-scanning can reduce the risk of injuries, as players are less likely to be caught off guard by opponents, and team mates, avoiding collisions (Pinder et al., 2011).

Training Methods for Pre-Scanning and Scanning

Video Analysis

Reviewing match footage allows players to analyze their own pre-scanning and scanning habits in various game situations. Coaches can highlight exemplary performances to demonstrate effective scanning strategies (Memmert et al., 2010) from your own game footage or elite level video archives. Talk to your Performance Analyst.

Simple Ball Receives and Carries

Make use of mannequins as passive space compressors and visual occluders. Add the number of mannequins in a space;alter the type of carry and the desired outcomes ( pass-shoot-ball retention).

Small-Sided Games

Engagement in small-sided games (e.g., 3v3 or 4v4) encourages players to make quick decisions with limited space and time. This environment fosters the necessity for constant pre-scanning and scanning to keep pace with the game (Coutts & Duffield, 2006). It's important you find opportunities to over and under load these mini games depending upon their objectives and game play.

Cognitive Drills

Implement drills where players must focus on specific aspects of the game.

Outlet Decisions

For example, during a practice session, players could be instructed to call out the number of opponents in a designated area or the position of teammates while actively engaging in the drill (Schempp et al., 2006). Simpler still, if using mini goals as stationary outlets gain awareness of proximity and relative position and practise outlet passing with and without passive opposition - place cones 1m either side of the mino goals and score passing accuracy under passive and then active opposition. Increment cognitive pressure bu adding 1 then 1 leading players altering deciskion making according to coach direction; again starting with passive and moving to active opposition (including various pressing regimes).

Overhead Hoop ball.

Given the contested nature of balls landing from overheads its vital pre-scanning occurs by both passer and receiver to anticipate landing time and position; similarly for defenders.

For attackers:

Make circular drop zones using cones and populate the zone with proximal mannequins. Have the passer and receiver practise timed runs and ball control in the drop zones. Move the drop zones, add proximal mannequins then replace with live defender action.

Observation Drills

Include drills that require players to verbally recap and analyze game footage or practice sessions, focusing on decisions made during play. This will sharpen both scanning skills and game understanding (Pinder et al., 2011). This amounts to a pre-dconditioned awareness evolution for players the more immersed they become, particularly if changes are tracked on the video performance analysis platform; coach and player can track improvvement.

Workout Routine to Improve Scanning and Pre-Scanning

Here’s a sample structured workout routine designed to enhance both scanning and pre-scanning abilities in field hockey players:

Warm-Up (15 minutes)

• Dynamic Stretching : Focus on hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings, and upper body.

• Agility Drills : Ladder drills or cone sprints to enhance foot speed and responsiveness eg S cones or Snake Cones.

Training Session (45 minutes)

• Small-Sided Games (20 minutes) :

Set up 3v3 or 4v4 games where players are encouraged to verbalize their observations regarding teammate positioning and opponent locations throughout the game.

Cognitive Decision-Making Drills (15 minutes) :

• Outlets

• Hoop Drop Zones

  Observation Drills (10 minutes) :

Use video clips showing various game scenarios. Pause at critical moments to discuss potential decisions and scanning strategies with the players. Encourage them to express how pre-scanning could have changed the outcome.

Cool Down (10 minutes)

Active Stretching & slow jogging : Emphasize flexibility for hips, back, and shoulders.

Reflection : Ask players to share what they learned during the session and how they will apply these skills in future games.

Bibliography

Broadbent, D. P., Causer, J., Williams, A. M., & Ford, P. R. (2014). Perceptual-cognitive skill training and its transfer to expert performance in the field: Future research directions. European Journal of Sport Science, 15(4), 322–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2014.957727

Coutts, A. J., & Duffield, R. (2006). Validity and reliability of a new measure of training load in soccer. Journal of Sports Sciences , 24(12), 1345-1356.

Coutts AJ, Duffield R. Validity and reliability of GPS devices for measuring movement demands of team sports. J Sci Med Sport. 2010 Jan;13(1):133-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2008.09.015. Epub 2008 Dec 2. PMID: 19054711.

Jordet G, Aksum KM, Pedersen DN, Walvekar A, Trivedi A, McCall A, Ivarsson A, Priestley D. Scanning, Contextual Factors, and Association With Performance in English Premier League Footballers: An Investigation Across a Season. Front Psychol. 2020 Oct 6;11:553813. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.553813. PMID: 33123039; PMCID: PMC7573254.

Mann, D. L., Williams, A. M., Ward, P., & Janelle, C. M. (2007). Perceptual-cognitive expertise in sport: a meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences , 25(1), 23-33.

Memmert, D., & Harvey, S. (2010). The effect of a small-sided games approach on cognitive load, perceived exertion, and performance in soccer.

Schempp, P., McCullick, B., & Mason, I. (2006). The Development of Expert Coaching. In R. L. Jones (Ed.), The Sports Coach as Educator: Reconceptualising Sports Coaching (pp. 145-161). London: Routledge.