Tackling in Hockey

In tackling, the player tries to tackle the ball by putting the stick in the way of the ball coming from another player. He puts the stick close to the ground where ball is moving. The stick works as a barrier for the ball. When the ball comes into the possession of a player he wants to keep it in his possession as long as he can. But when he cannot do this he has to either pass the ball to one of his team mate or take it away from the opponent players who try to get hold of the ball. A player keeps tackling the ball until the ball remains in his possession and he does not touch the other player's stick.

But one thing is important here. The tackler cannot force the opponent player out of his way by using any body part such as legs and hands. If he does so a penalty is awarded to the defender player as punishment. But it is to be remembered that if a ball accidently touches the feet of a player and there is no benefit gained, there is no question of penalty arises as sometimes it is natural to touch the ball with feet. The main thing is that there should not be obstruction in the path of a tackler. There are some circumstances in which obstruction may occur. They include coming of the stick between the ball and the opponent's stick, coming the defender between the ball and the opponent player and blocking the path of the ball.