D-Zone Coverage: “Sagging” Zone

Monday, August 29th, 2011 at 6:52 am

The “Sagging” Zone is a more aggressive defensive zone coverage set-up that will cause more turnovers than the less aggressive Box +1

In this video, we walk through the “Sagging” Zone set-up. I really like the risk level of this particular set-up. It is quite aggressive, but by dropping your weak-side winger down into the low slot, you can still maintain great coverage in front of the net.

As players get more comfortable with this system, teach the weak-side winger to anticipate and pick off D to D passes, and cross-ice passes out of the corner. Good, quick wingers will see a lot of breakaways and 2 on 1′s by reading these passes well.

As is the case with the Box +1, “Sagging” Zone Coverage converts very well into a breakout when the transition occurs. The natural positioning for coverage is exactly where the players need to be to initiate the breakout.

Enjoy!