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Man on Man Coverage

Man on Man

Excerpt From: Hockey Plays and Strategies

This system relies on constant puck pressure and denying time and space to the opponent. D1 starts by pressuring the puck carrier and then, after a pass is made, sticks with that player as he tries to get open. The only place D1 won’t follow the when he doesn’t have the puck is out to the blue line; D1 has tight coverage on any players in the slot. F1 now pressures the pass and once again if the puck is moved sticks to his man (figure 9.10). This continues with D2 in the low zone area while F2 and F3 have responsibility for the opposing defensemen. F2 and F3 cover the defensemen whether they move in through the slot or slide down the boards. There is no confusion with the man-on-man system with regard to who a player is covering, but if the opposition is fairly creative and incorporates lots of motion, then it becomes harder to stay with your check. The new rules preventing clutching and grabbing have made it harder to play a true man-on-man system, but it can be very effective if the defenders are good skaters because the offensive team has minimal time with the puck before being pressured, and players away from the puck have trouble finding space to get open for a return pass.

Figure 9.10 Man-on-man coverage.

Continue Reading: Situational Guidelines for Defensive Zone Coverage

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