The Zone

In hockey, each half of the court is called the "zone". When you are in your "attacking zone", you are on the end of the court where you can score. When you are in the "defending zone" you are defending your own goal against the opponent. Before you learn how to "attack," you better learn the proper way to "defend" your own goal. This is important because you can draw up a ton of plays and score 15 goals a game, which would be amazing, but it doesn't mean anything if your opponent scores 16 off of your mistakes.

Defending starts with the goalie. It is his/her first responsibility to stop the shooter from scoring. The defenders in front of the goalie can make this easier by doing some very simple things. First, the defender should force the attacking player toward the boards of the court. The attacker should never be allowed to come straight down the middle of the court. By forcing the attacker to the side, it cuts down the shooting angle and makes the goalie's job easier. If there is a loose ball, the defender's first priority is to get the ball away from the net. This can mean just putting the ball back up against the wall, but NEVER keeping it in the middle of the court. After the scoring threat is nullified, then you can clear the zone (which means hitting the ball over the center court line into
your attacking zone) and go on the attack.

Solid defense is important because it gives your goalie and the rest of the team confidence. Plus, it also makes a statement to your opponent that they will have to work to score on you. Getting into the opponent's head can help lead to mistakes on their part and hopefully put you in a position to capitalize.