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| By Mark Tabrum, USA Hockey Director of Coaching Dan Brennan, USA Hockey InLine Coordinator Coaching & Player Skill Development Illustrations by Mike Curti |
| In previous issues of Coaches' Playbook we have discussed a few basic fundamentals of playing defense. Among the skills discussed were angling and gap control. Now we will incorporate those individual skills into a team defensive concept, or system. Some people believe that "system" is a dirty word because they think it takes away from individual skill development. What we are talking about here is a basic system of team defense to ensure that every opposing player in your defensive zone is accounted for and that the puck carrier is neutralized so you can gain control of the puck and begin the offensive attack. |
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 TIP #1
The basic system we're talking about is man-on-man with the center supporting
the puck. When the puck is in the corner, the defenseman closest
to the puck plays the puck carrier while the center looks to pick up the
loose puck. Playing the body does not necessarily mean checking an
opponent, especially if you're a Squirt or Mite player. You can successfully
take your opponent out of the play by taking the proper angle and
steering him toward the boards. The second defenseman remains in front
of the net off the far post, facing up ice, with his head on a swivel to
watch for opposing players cutting into the slot or parking themselves in
front of the net and should maintain a tight gap within a stick's length.
The puckside winger should be above the face-off circle in a line between
the opposing defenseman on the blue line and the net. The weakside
winger should be positioned a little above the hash marks in the high slot
to cut off the cross ice
pass and help with
another player in the
slot. He or she must be
aware of the farside
defenseman breaking
into the high slot.
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 TIP #2If the puck shifts to the other corner the defensive players have
to rotate. The wingers should act like they're on a pendulum,
with the weakside winger now swinging over to the top of the
face-off circle and the puckside winger
now taking his or her position above the
hash marks in the high slot. This system
requires your center to be a strong
skater because he or she is responsible
for supporting both corners and the front
of the net.
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 TIP #3 If the puck makes its way to the blue line, the center and
two defensemen need to cover the forwards in front of the
net. Their sticks need to be under the stick of their opponent
and they must keep inside body position. The puckside
winger pressures the puck carrier toward the boards while
the weakside winger is positioned in the high slot marking
the weakside defenseman. His stick needs to be positioned
toward the middle of the rink and on the ice.
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 DRILL #1
The player with the puck skates behind the goal line. A defenseman
covers him but cannot cross the goal line. This will help the
defender work on positioning his body and stick while attempting
to cut off the passing lane. An attacking forward and a second
defenseman are positioned in front of the net with the forward
working to free himself to receive a pass and get a shot on goal.
Simple variations to this drill include adding a second forward
and defensive player in front of the net.
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 DRILL #2
Start with two attacking forwards and two defensive
players in the corner facing each other. On the whistle
the forwards try to work the puck out of the corner
and get a shot on goal. On a second whistle, the
forwards leave the puck and a third forward comes
out of the opposite corner with the puck against a
third defensive player. The situation now becomes a
3-on-3.
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 DRILL #3
The defensive team is positioned in the zone as a coach stands in the
corner with the puck. The coach then shifts to the opposite corner. On
his whistle, the players skate to the appropriate defensive zone positioning.
The coach then skates to the blue line and blows the whistle,
and the players must adjust their positioning again.
An appropriate progression to this drill would be to play 5-on-5 in
the defensive zone. The defensive team would play with their sticks
turned over. The offensive group would start with the puck in the
corner. On the coach's whistle, they would attempt to score. The
defensive group is working on defensive positioning in relation
to where the puck is. The drill goes on for about 20 to 30 seconds
each time.
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