The Ten Positional Commandments

  1. THE GOLDEN RULE
    Offense is when you have the puck. Defense is when the opponent has the puck - plain and simple. This applies to all three zones. If you do not have the puck, you cannot score, and therefore, must apply defensive strategies to obtain the puck. When you have possession of the puck, you develop offensively strategies to put the puck in the net.
  2. THE BASICS
    Players must learn their side of the rink before they can employ any other offensive or defensive strategies. Left wingers must learn to stay on their side of the rink, and vice versa for right wingers. Centers must learn to stay in the center zone. Left defense must learn their side of the rink, and so on.  If a player is having problems staying on their side of the ice you can use a simple trick.  Place a piece of white tape on the top of their glove which corresponds to the side of the ice they are playing (e.g. the left winger has tape on the left glove). Once the players learn the basics, they can proceed to more advanced positioning. This can easily be compared to a painter. An impressionist painter must first become an accomplished realistic painter before they can understand and employ the impressionist style.
  3. DEFENSE FIRST !
    Defense first! If you have a solid defense, the best an opponent can accomplish is a tie, 0-0, game score. Again, defense refers to all of your team's six players (goalie too) on the ice when they DO NOT have the puck in their possession.
  4. CHECKING
    "Stick checking",  "play the man checking" and body checking (at the appropriate level) must be skillfully incorporated into all offensive and defensive plays. Without effective checking, you simply will not be able to employ positional strategies.
  5. THERE ARE NO HEROES OR ZEROS
    A team must learn that a goal scored against, or for, was scored by the entire unit on the ice. THERE ARE NO HEROES OR ZEROS, only a team. Effective positional play is achieved by all six players (goalie too) on the ice. I would much rather have a line of six average-skilled players who work as a team and dig hard, than a line with one or two superstars who play as entities unto themselves.
  6. POSITIONAL PLAY
    I am a strong believer in utilizing the USA Hockey Initiation Program's philosophy to teach skills on the ice. Positional play should be limited to chalk sessions, constant reminders on the bench during the games, off-ice practices and a small amount of ice time. At this level, it is more important for players to learn how to skate, pass, shoot and check properly. Positional strategies will come easily once they can perform these skills. You will notice that the better skaters have a tendency to play positional hockey better because they are less occupied with performing the skill required to get the job done. In addition, a hard won puck immediately passed away by a bad pass puts you back on the defense and negates all of the teams' hard work.

    Stressing fundamentals in the "TEACHING BY THEMED GAMES" method introduces players to team strategies.  It creates players who can read the ice, create situation awareness and many other tools necessary for team strategy play.
  7. ONLY POSITIVE WORDS
    A team who will "dive" for the goalie is a winning team.  The coach and team should never, not even once, say a bad word to, or about, a goalie.  Of course, the goalie should never be reprimand or insulted by his fellow teammates.  Only positive words to a goalie.  When a goal is scored against, it is the team's fault - collectively;  Why did the shot even get off?  After a goal is scored, only positive remarks to the goalie are allowed like "we'll get it back", "I should've got that player", "we let you down".  Even if the goalie is marginal, you should stick by the rule.  This positive reinforcement will make your goalie better and make the players perform as one cohesive team.  You, as the coach, must set the example and strictly administer this policy.
  8. FORE CHECKING and BACK CHECKING
    Fore checking and back checking is an essential component of positional play.  It is the gneiss strategy and should be learned effectively before you proceed with any other strategies.  It is an easy concept to learn and extremely effective against opposing teams.  Forwards must learn to GET BACK and play an important part of the defensive team.  A well-disciplined fore/backing checking team is very hard to beat.
  9. THE GOALIE IS THE CORNERSTONE OF THE DEFENSIVE UNIT
    In turn, a dedicated goalie coach should be assigned to train the goalie. As the season progresses, team goalie drills should be incorporated. These drills train both the players and goalie at the same time. It places the goalie in game-like situations and also practices screens, difficult angles, etc.  Remember, every save the goalie makes, is one less goal the team has to score to win.
  10. EAT THE PUCK © DENNIS FREED
    Get to the puck first.  Players must learn that the team that gets the puck first WINS.  If the other team gets to the puck first, it is theirs to score with! 
  11. READ AND REACT DRILLS
    Perform drills which make players think about their next movement.  These drills teach players to think and make decisions quickly.   In addition take ordinary repetitious drills and add a final movement which makes the players decide their next actions.  Be creative.