Defensive zone coverage
They have the puck
- Us
- Them
- On the puck
- Support
Who has the puck?
Where’s the puck?
Your position
The D is on the puck and the centre is helping. The other D takes the net front, the near winger sits halfway up the wall and the far winger stays high.
Right D
On the puck. Pin the carrier on the wall, body on the net side and stick on the puck.
Centre
Helping. Sit just outside the battle, ready for the loose puck, and pick up the attacker on the low half wall.
Left D
In front. Take the player at the net front, stay between them and the goalie, and tie up their stick.
Right winger
Halfway. Sit between the half wall and the right point with a stick in the lane, ready for a pass on the wall if we win the corner.
Left winger
High. Up toward the far point, on your side of the middle, ready to take their D if the puck goes across.
The corner D wins it or ties it up, and either one is fine. The centre stays outside the circle so a loose puck has somewhere to go.
For coaches
This is a visual way to explain basic D-zone coverage and the breakout to younger players. Share the link with your players and let them click through it themselves. They can pick where the puck is and their own position, and see exactly where they should be.
The red circle is the battle around the puck, and the blue one is the support area, where the next player waits for a loose puck or the next pass. It’s one common way to play it, and your team might play it a bit differently, but the jobs stay the same wherever the puck goes.
Made by Rinkflow.