• Offensive Formations
• Defensive Formations
• Power Plays
• Penalty Killing

Offensive Formations

• Behind the Net
• Crash the Net
• Funnel
• Positional
• Triangle
  

Behind the Net:A formation that is tough on the opposing goalkeeper, Behind the Net is designed to score based on confusion and quick one-timers. The offensive center shuffles behind the enemy net with the puck, thus distracting the keeper while the right and left wings get in position for a quick one-timer. Or, in the event that both wings are covered, the center can dish the puck to a defensive back for a one-timer.

Behind the Net tips: You'll need a great passing center and excellent shooters for this to work. You'll be in trouble if the defense is running a Man to Man or a Box Plus 1 because there'll be a defender putting extra pressure on your center. And if you lose the puck, your center and wings will end up being the only ones confused.

Crash the Net: Easily the most aggressive formation, Crash the Net is your all-out scoring attack. The principle is simple: have all your players but one crash the enemy net. This is best set up by having one of your forwards coming in with the puck at an angle, giving one of your defensive backs time to move into position to crash the net. Now slap a shot low, to avoid a glove save and improve the chances of your crashers picking up an easy rebound.

Crash the Net tips: You'll need big players to crash the net effectively, so make sure you have your hard-checking line in when you attempt this move. Also, use caution when employing this formation: in the event of a turnover, four of your crashers will be caught deep and a quick opponent will be off to the races.

Funnel: A precise formation in which the three offensive forwards set up a tight funnel around the goal in hopes of confusing the goalkeeper, finding space behind the keeper for a quick one-timer or scooping up a rebound before the defense realizes what's going on.

Funnel tips: As with Crash the Net, it helps to have big players who can bully their way into position. While not as strong as that formation, Funnel does leave both your defensive backs in good position to stop breakaways, allowing you to use this play more frequently.

Positional: Your bread-and-butter attack formation. Three forwards time their assault to perfection as they approach the enemy net; you can pass to one of your other forwards or just slap it in yourself. A very fast, dangerous formation if you have skilled puck-handlers.

Positional tips: You'll need skill, speed, and style when running a Positional formation. Make sure your best passer leads the charge, ready at even the slightest flinch of the goalkeeper to set up the one-timer that will set the net ablaze. A low-risk formation that leaves both your defensive backs in good position to kill any counterattacks.

Triangle: A very sound offense. You'll get a good mixture of offensive pressure on the opposing keeper and defensive backs sharply watching for a counterstrike. The formation starts with your center and wings forming a triangle heavy to one side of the net, with a wingman in the center to direct attention away from your defensive backs, who can creep up to take an optional shot if you see an opening.

Triangle tips: Run the Triangle when you have both great-skating forwards and great-shooting defensive backs. Keep the puck moving--if you give the opposing defense any time to react, you'll ruin your chances to find that opening.

• Box Plus One
• Colapsing
• Man to Man
• Shadow
• Zone
  

Box Plus 1: Box Plus 1 is a commonly used formation. Your players create a defensive box around the net to keep the center clear and scoop up rebounds. Then the "Plus 1" man automatically squares up with the most threatening opposing forward, usually the team's star player.

Box Plus 1 tips: Use Box Plus 1 when you have one or two really great defensive backs who can bring all sorts of unwanted pressure on the opposing team's star player. Their champion will get pressure from the outer box and pressure from the "Plus 1" man. This formation can usually shut a star player down, taking him completely out of his gameplan.

Collapsing: Collapsing starts off with a five-man box and then folds in on itself as the pressure mounts. Your defensive backs won't have to worry about getting beat because they'll already be closing all space around the net. A defense formation designed to play passive and pick up rebounds.

Collapsing tips: Run Collapsing when you've got a tired or slow line on the ice, since they won't need to move around a lot. Be ready to pick up those rebounds: anything not snapped up by your team will easily find the net as your keeper loses sight of the puck in all the traffic.

Man to Man: Man to Man may sound simple--each man guards one of the opposing team's men--but there's more to it.. This formation works well if both teams are of even skill, and in the event of a defensive turnover, it's off to the races. But if the defense comes up shorthanded and just one man gets beat, an opposing forward might have a little tea party in the back of the net.

Man to Man tips: Keep in mind that you'll need fast skaters with great checking abilities and the skill advantage before running this formation. If you're uncertain about your team' s skill compared to the enemy's, don't try this play: Not many teams can run it successfully.

Shadow: Shadow is like Box Plus 1 except that the box moves over to shadow the opposing offense. If they move left, the box shadows them. It's a very tough defense that puts a lot of pressure on an opposing star player, just like Box Plus 1. The only down side about it is that shifting an entire defense to one side might allow an opposing forward to get wide-open on the far side of the rink.

Shadow tips: This formation automatically pits your best defender against their star player, so keep an eye out for mingling forwards who are looking to get open on the opposite side of the net.

Zone: Zone is a positional defense in which each player guards a specific area instead of worrying about a certain player or star player. What you have is basically a box in which the center stays on top of the crease and doesn't let anyone get open in the middle. A great defense for stopping players who are constantly wide-open.

Zone tips: Use Zone when you don't have a very good defense: you won't need fast skaters, good checkers, or even star players to run this formation effectively. Another good time to use it is when you're trying to protect the lead, since it doesn't give your defensive backs opportunity to make mistakes like those often made in more complicated defensive formations.

• Overload
• Shooting
• Umbrella

Overload: Overload provides many scoring opportunities as your entire line goes heavy to one side of the net. The pressure starts with one of your forwards getting in position near the net to one-time the puck to any of your four other players.

Overload tips: Get that puck moving! You'll need a good passing line to take advantage of Overload.

Shooting: For a Shooting formation to work, two of your forwards will have to park right outside the enemy crease. Then one of your backs will rocket the puck toward the keeper, hoping the forwards will scoop up the rebound.

Shooting tips: Aim your shot low for a rebound off the keeper, or aim high if you want to deflect the puck off a player for that lucky goal.

Umbrella: Surrounding the net like a pack of sharks, the Umbrella is meant to keep the defense guessing until you can find an opening. Your players will spread out and cover the perimeter, passing around the outer edge to frustrate the defense.

Umbrella tips: Keep the puck moving. Shoot from the sides, aiming the puck high in hopes of a deflection bouncing over to your opposite side forward.

• Diamond
• Large Box
• Passive Box
  

Diamond: The Diamond formation is just that, a diamond. Your team forms a small diamond in front of the net in an effort to stop a wide variety of shots.

Diamond tips: Switch back and forth from Diamond to the similar Passive Box to offset certain adjustments to opposing power-play units.

Large Box: The Large Box--a formation in which your defensemen form a very large box that's meant to put them right up in the face of the enemy--is known for putting pressure on the opposing team's power-play unit.

Large Box tips: Check often and check hard. Make sure you have your hard-checking line in when running Large Box. If you don't put the offense on their butts, you're only giving them the chance to out-skate you.

Passive Box:
Passive Box is the opposite of Large Box in that it isn't aggressive at all: Your line forms a small box in front of the net to maximize the shot-blocking effort.