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Positioning drills

Drills you can run at practice.

Team drill
Zone Color Positioning Game
Run at practice

Positioning

12 minutes
Zone Color Positioning Game
Positioning
Legend
Player
Coach
Cone
Player movement
How It Works

Teach young players basic on-ice position awareness by responding to color cues that correspond to zones on the ice.

More drills
What You Need
hockey stickcolored conesice
Your Focus

Position awareness requires players to know where they are on the ice relative to teammates, opponents, and zones — a spatial skill that must be introduced early.

1
Set Up

Mark three zones with colored cones: defensive zone red, neutral zone yellow, offensive zone green.

2
Run The Rep
A.
You skate freely; coach calls a color and all players must immediately skate to and stand in the correct zone.
B.
Add a rule: no more than 3 players in any one zone at a time, creating positional decision-making.
3
Check It

Spread out, never all stand in the same place

Goal

You've got it when you're already in your color zone before the play develops, not scrambling to get there after the puck moves.

Helpful Cues
Spread out, never all stand in the same placeKnow which zone you are in at all timesIf your zone is full, fill the open one
UPLVL IT

You must also carry a puck while responding to the color calls, adding stickhandling to the positional awareness task.

Source: USA Hockey American Development Model (ADM)
Team drill
Offensive Zone Triangle Drill
Run at practice

Positioning

12 minutes
Offensive Zone Triangle Drill
Positioning
Legend
Player
Goalie
Coach
Puck
Puck path
How It Works

Develop correct offensive zone positioning by establishing and maintaining a triangle formation that creates passing angles and scoring threats.

More drills
What You Need
hockey stickpuckconesice
Your Focus

The triangle is the most efficient offensive zone formation because it creates passing options in all directions and maximizes coverage of high-danger areas.

1
Set Up

Set up 3 forward positions with cones: net-front, right wing, left wing in a triangle.

2
Run The Rep
A.
Coach passes to any player; that player controls the puck while others skate to triangle positions.
B.
You cycle through passing in the triangle for 30 seconds; goal is to maintain the triangle despite movement.
3
Check It

Find the open corner of the triangle, fill the space

Goal

You're there when all three players in the triangle stay spread out and at the right distance even as the puck moves around.

Helpful Cues
Find the open corner of the triangle, fill the spaceThe triangle only works if all three players are in positionMove when the puck moves, don't stand still waiting for a pass
UPLVL IT

Add two defenders who try to collapse the triangle, requiring the offense to readjust positioning in real time.

Source: USA Hockey American Development Model (ADM)
Team drill
Neutral Zone Positioning and Trap Read
Run at practice

Positioning

12 minutes
Neutral Zone Positioning and Trap Read
Positioning
Legend
Player
Opponent
Puck
Opponent movement
Puck path
How It Works

Develop elite neutral zone positioning awareness by reading a defensive trap system and adjusting offensive positioning to beat it.

More drills
What You Need
hockey stickpuckice
Your Focus

The neutral zone trap is the most challenging defensive system for offensive positioning — it eliminates traditional entry lanes and requires attackers to find new positioning...

1
Set Up

Defensive team sets up a standard neutral zone trap formation.

2
Run The Rep
A.
Offensive team approaches from their zone; coach blows whistle and offensive players must call out what they see in the trap and adjust positioning accordingly.
B.
Offensive team attempts zone entry based on their read.
3
Check It

The trap wants you to go wide, find the middle seam instead

Goal

You're doing it right when you read the trap and adjust before it closes, you find the open ice, not the covered space.

Helpful Cues
The trap wants you to go wide, find the middle seam insteadPosition yourself behind their trap, not in front of itOne player beats the trap, the other four must be positioned to receive the puck instantly on the far side
UPLVL IT

Defensive team alternates between a trap and a 1-2-2 forecheck at random, requiring offensive players to read and adjust positioning each time.

Source: USA Hockey American Development Model (ADM)
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