# Match Statistics · Field Hockey Level 6: Advanced

Field Hockey · Level 6: Advanced · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/field-hockey/level-6/match-statistics/)

The numbers teams count in a match, what each one says and what it hides: possession, circle entries, shots, penalty corners, turnovers, tackles, passing, saves and how to read a stats sheet.

## Test 1: Possession and territory

- It is a share of match time: 60% means that team had the ball for about six minutes in every ten. By itself it says nothing about chances created. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- Territory is about location, not time on the ball: a team with high territory spends most of the match in the opponents' half, even if it holds the ball little. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- Counter-attacking teams can score from little possession. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Systems in hockey)
- Safe passing at the back keeps the ball for long spells. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Systems in hockey)
- Being pinned back under a press keeps the ball deep. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Outletting under pressure)
- Possession near the opponents' circle matters more than at the back. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- The guide divides the field into three zones for pressing and analysis. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Defensive presses)
- The closer to the opponents' goal, the more it counts. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Defensive presses)
- The raw share means little alone: placing it on the field and setting it against chances created turns it into a conclusion a coach can use. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- Heavy shading in the defensive third means plenty of passing at the back but little threat near the opponents' circle. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Defensive presses)

## Test 2: Circle entries

- The count is made whenever the ball is played or carried into the attacking circle, because goals can only be scored from there. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- Every goal must be struck from inside the circle, so entries measure how often a team gets a chance to score at all, not just how long it holds the ball. (Source: FIH Rules of Hockey 2027 (player's view), Rule 8.1)
- Entries without shots show the attack breaking down in the circle. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- Right-side entries suit the forehand of the carrier. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide)
- Quality entries create shots or penalty corners. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- Entries need runners and finishers to become goals. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Phase 2)
- Width spreads defenders and opens routes into the circle. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Six-a-side)
- Coding follows the attack as it unfolds: the team wins the ball, enters the circle, takes a shot, and the shot ends as a goal or a save. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- A goal is worth most, a lost ball least. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide)
- Crossing the circle line with the ball counts as an entry whether it is carried or passed in; no shot or corner is needed for it to be logged. (Source: General field hockey reference)

## Test 3: Shots and shots on goal

- A shot on goal would have gone in or been saved; one that misses the frame is only a shot. The gap between the two shows accuracy. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- A goal is valid only if the ball is played by an attacker inside the circle, so a long hit from the 23 cannot score even if it ends up in the net. (Source: FIH Rules of Hockey 2027 (player's view), Rule 8.1)
- If shots keep missing the frame, the team is creating opportunities but wasting them, which points at finishing technique or composure rather than a lack of chances. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Phase 1)
- Goals divided by shots. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- Shot location shows chance quality. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- A touch at the post may be logged as part of another shot. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide)
- Patient attacks seek higher-quality chances. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Phase 2)
- A wide shot gives the attack nothing, a saved shot tests the keeper and may leave a rebound or corner, and a goal is the full reward. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- The closer, the better the chance. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide)
- Only shots that would reach the goal count as on target; one passing outside the post is a shot in the total but not a shot on goal. (Source: General field hockey reference)

## Test 4: Penalty corners won and converted

- Goals from corners divided by corners won. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- Penalty corners are among the best scoring chances in hockey. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Penalty corners)
- A strong drag-flicker turns corners into goals. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide)
- The evaluation leads to set-piece work in training. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Evaluates the match)
- Corners conceded come from defending errors in the circle. (Source: FIH Rules of Hockey 2027 (player's view), Rule 12.3)
- Time and play are stopped on the award of a penalty corner. (Source: FIH Rules of Hockey 2027 (player's view), Rule 13.3a)
- Each routine's success guides training. (Source: NFHCA, Penalty Corners: Positions and Basic Tactics (2022), Basic options)
- Each corner is logged from the award through the injection and the shot to its outcome, so conversion can be traced step by step. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Penalty corners)
- 10%, 30%, 50%. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- Conversion is goals divided by corners won; many corners but few goals means a low ratio, so the routine needs work. (Source: General field hockey reference)

## Test 5: Turnovers

- The team that loses the ball is said to turn it over, and the opponents gain possession, so the same event is a loss for one side and a gain for the other. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Glossary)
- A ball lost close to your goal gives a short route to a shot. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Systems in hockey)
- The full press aims to win the ball in the turnover. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Full press)
- Loose control and pressure produce turnovers. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Turnover and dominance)
- A turnover often starts a quick attack. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Glossary)
- Safe options under pressure reduce losses. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Outletting under pressure)
- A defender's lost ball is closest to goal. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide)
- The nearer your goal, the worse. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Systems in hockey)
- A counter flows straight from the turnover: the opponent gains the ball, releases it forward while the defence is out of shape, and shoots. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Glossary)
- Lost balls near your own circle are the costliest turnovers, because the opponents are then only a pass or two from a shot. (Source: General field hockey reference)

## Test 6: Tackles and interceptions

- Interceptions cut out passes; tackles win the ball from a carrier. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Glossary)
- Cutting out a pass means the defender saw it coming and moved early, which shows good positioning rather than last-ditch tackling. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Defending outside the circle)
- A missed tackle can be worse than none. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Patience)
- Standing side-on lets the defender watch both the ball and the passer and step quickly into the line of the pass. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Important)
- Defending deep means the press is not stopping them. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Systems in hockey)
- Passes through a congested area are intercepted. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Half court press)
- Fouls in dangerous areas concede free hits or corners. (Source: FIH Rules of Hockey 2027 (player's view), Rule 12)
- An interception comes while the ball is still travelling, a tackle when a carrier is challenged, and picking up a loose ball beside an opponent is the closest of the three. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Glossary)
- Positives first, then misses and fouls. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- Stepping into the line of a pass to win the ball before the receiver controls it is an interception, not a tackle. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Glossary)

## Test 7: Passing numbers

- Completed passes divided by passes attempted. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- Many safe passes may not move the ball forward. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Systems in hockey)
- Penetrating passes beat lines but are easier to intercept. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Glossary)
- Passing maps show the hubs of the team, often the pivot. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Eleven-a-side)
- Long passes travel further through traffic. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Outletting)
- The pivot touches the ball most. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Eleven-a-side)
- A fast pass that misses the receiver gives the ball away, while an accurate one lets the receiver control it and play on at once. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Six-a-side)
- The deeper into the opponents' area, the harder. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide)
- Both counts come first so a completion rate can be worked out; direction and key links then show whether the passing moves the team forward and who connects it. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- The hub is the player most passes run through; here the lines converge on the central midfielder, who links defence and attack. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Eleven-a-side)

## Test 8: Goalkeeper saves

- Saves divided by shots on goal. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- A keeper facing close shots has a harder job. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- Clearing quickly gives fewer rebounds. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Phase 1)
- Saves that drop in front invite rebounds. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Phase 1)
- Late deflections leave no time to react. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide)
- Corner defending is a set piece of its own. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Defensive penalty corners)
- Good clearances to team-mates turn defence into attack. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Outletting)
- The line starts with the keeper's workload (shots faced), then the outcomes (saves and goals conceded), and finally clearances, the help given to the team. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- Save percentage is saves divided by shots on goal, so 90% means nine of every ten shots on target were stopped: the best of the three. (Source: General field hockey reference)
- A save that drops in front of goal gives attackers a second chance, so analysts log it apart from a clean clearance to the side. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Phase 1)

## Test 9: Reading a stats sheet

- A sheet holds too many figures to use at once; choosing a few tied to the match plan keeps the feedback clear and usable. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- Assess if the tactical tasks set to the team were carried out. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- Strong and weak points show up in comparison. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- Patterns shift as fatigue and tactics change. (Source: FIH Rules of Hockey 2027 (player's view), Rule 5.1)
- A team leading late plays differently. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Defensive presses)
- Feedback should be short and clear. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Communication)
- Identify what will be incorporated in the next training sessions. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Evaluates the match)
- The numbers are narrowed first, tested against the plan, explained by video, and only then turned into a training plan. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- Video adds the most context. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide)
- Circling three numbers shows the coach picking out the few figures that matter instead of reading the whole sheet to the team. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)

## Test 10: What numbers miss

- Decoy runs create space but leave no number. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Role of the strikers)
- Positioning closes space before a tackle is needed. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Basic defensive rules)
- Talk keeps cover and marking right but is not counted. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Phase 1)
- Numbers show what; video shows how and why. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- Key incidents are lost in totals. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide)
- If you pay attention to everything you will miss the important things. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- The mental side of a match is hard to count. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Warm-up)
- Goals are obvious; space is hard to measure. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide)
- Figures come first, video explains them, players add what the camera cannot show, and the review ends in a decision about training. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Match analysis)
- Decoy runs leave no figure on the sheet. (Source: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, Role of the strikers)

Sources: KNHB/SAHA Field Hockey Activity Guide, USA Field Hockey 101, NFHCA notes, FIH history and official results; original questions authored, nothing reproduced. Numbered rules belong to the Rules category (Field Hockey - Rules of Hockey).

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