For: Indian Men's Team vs. Belgium & Argentina (Rourkela Leg)

Live playbook: direct link (https://huggingface.co/spaces/singhn9/indian-hockey-tactics-sim)

https://huggingface.co/spaces/singhn9/indian-hockey-tactics-sim

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• INTRODUCTION
• SCHEME COMPONENT LIBRARY
• ATTACKING STRUCTURES (OFFENSIVE SCHEMES):
  • FULTON'S "DEFEND TO WIN" COUNTER-ATTACK
  • 3-3-3-1 POSSESSION (THE "CONTROL" GAME)
  • PC SPECIAL (THE HARMANPREET PROTOCOL)
• DEFENSIVE STRUCTURES (DEFENSIVE SCHEMES):
  • HALF-COURT PRESS (THE "STRUCTURE")
  • FULL PRESS (THE "CHOKE")
  • ZONAL MARKING WITH MAN-TO-MAN HYBRID
• OPPONENT SPECIFIC SCHEMES:
  • VS. BELGIUM (THE RED LIONS COUNTER)
  • VS. ARGENTINA (THE LOS LEONES BREAKDOWN)
• Fan Zone

WHAT IS A "SCHEME" IN FIELD HOCKEY?

In field hockey, a scheme is the organized structure of players and the decision-making framework for both possession (outletting/attacking) and non-possession (pressing/defending). Unlike the static formations of American football, hockey schemes are fluid. A team might defend in a 4-4-2 block but transition immediately into a 3-2-3-2 or 3-3-4 upon winning the ball.

Modern Hockey Schemes revolve around three phases:

1. Outletting: How you move the ball from your defense (16-yard hits) past the opponent's high press.
2. Pressing: Where and how you engage the opponent to win the ball back (Full Press vs. Half Court).
3. Circle Entry: The specific patterns used to penetrate the shooting circle (Baseline runs, 45-degree crosses, direct balls).

For Coach Craig Fulton, the current "Scheme" for India is "Defend to Win." It emphasizes defensive solidity first, relying on rapid transitions and world-class Penalty Corner (PC) execution to punish teams, rather than just holding possession for possession's sake.