Middies = Mad Dogs
Job Description

Middies are key players in all aspects of playing the game. They start the play with a face-off. If we get the ball they are starting the offense. When the opposition gets the ball, middies are the first line of defense. They clear, they ride, they shoot, they play defense.  They are the workhorses.

It is the midfielder's job to make sure we are never off-sides. To be onsides, all a team has to do is keep four players on the defensive side of the field and three on the offensive half at all times. Each off-sides a team gets costs them either the ball or a 30-second man down situation. Preach this as unacceptable from day one.

The greatest asset a midfielder can have, whether he carries a short stick or a long one, is speed. With a fast midfielder who makes good decisions, a fast break situation can be created any time we get the ball, almost anywhere on the field. A fast break is simply any situation that gives us, even if just for an instant, an advantage like 6 on 5. The middle are of the field is where these situations are most easily created.

Midfielders have to cover the entire field. Sometimes they might have to run up and down the field five or six times on a rotation. The action can often be strenuous and continuous.

Specialization is something that became very popular in the late 70's and 80's, when virtually every whistle had a horn and free substitution for 25 seconds. Every whistle brought in a new group depending on the situation. This gave the coaches total control of the game, but took something from the beauty and flow of the game. Now the horn is available only on situations where the ball goes out of bounds on the sideline of the field. When the ball goes out behind the goal, like on a shot, substitution must be "on the fly," meaning that one player must come off the field before the new one goes on. Midfielders must learn how to change on the fly from day one and it must be a part of scrimmage situations. Midfielders must learn to come out when they are tired and more specifically before they are too tired to run back and play defense. A great way to start is to have players really hustle in and out on drills.

It always is a good idea to think about having your best offensive players on the field for offense and the best available defenders to play defense, especially when your team needs a goal or needs a stop. The problem is that it is not always that simple because a change of possession changes everything. Depending on how large your team is, try to put together fairly balanced groups of three. Your first group might be a little better on offense while group number two is proficient at defense.  Never be afraid to mix and match if you feel the need as well.

More on this chapter coming soon . . .