Analyzing Differences in Penalty Corner Execution Pattern between Winning and Losing Teams in Women's Hockey

Abstract

Penalty corners are crucial events in hockey games as they provide a big opportunity to score a goal and win the game. However, the execution patterns of penalty corners vary among teams, which can impact their success rates. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the execution patterns of penalty corners between winning and losing teams in the Women's Malaysian Hockey League. The data of the study was collected from the National Women's Hockey League, which included twenty league matches and five knockout matches in the cup competition. A total of 195 penalty corners were analyzed using the computerized software namely Gamebreaker (Hudl, USA). This study focused on the pattern or types of shots namely drag flick, direct hit, deflection and tap. The results through a paired-sample t-test found that only drag flick (p.05). In conclusion, this study proved that drag flick was an effective pattern of shot that provided positive results to the team. Therefore, players and teams must focus on improving their penalty corner execution, especially concerning drag flicks, to achieve better outcomes. These findings have practical implications for hockey coaches, players, and teams, highlighting the importance of paying attention to their penalty corner execution strategies.