Hockey drill

Neutral Zone Battle – Regroup vs Forecheck

A 5-on-5 in the neutral zone: one team organizes its regroup while the other applies a forecheck to force a turnover. For U11/U12 through U17+.

Category: Odd man rushes
Levels: U11/U12 · U13 · U15 · U17+

Hockey drill diagram: Neutral Zone Battle – Regroup vs Forecheck

5on5
angling
forecheck
read and react
regroup & transition
odd man situation
neutral zone

How it runs

This is what your players need to understand before the puck moves.

Divide the players into two teams of five. Each team starts on opposite sides of the red line, between the red line and blue line. Place two pucks in zones, one on each side.

On the coach’s signal, all players move within their designated area while keeping their eyes on the coach positioned at center ice. The coach then points with the stick to determine which puck becomes active.

The team on the side of the activated puck must quickly retrieve it and organize a neutral-zone regroup. The opposing team immediately organizes into its neutral-zone forecheck.

From that point, play becomes live. The team in possession attempts to advance into the offensive zone and create an attack, while the forechecking team looks to force a turnover, regain possession, and counterattack.

Allow the sequence to continue as a small game or controlled scrimmage for a predetermined amount of time.

Coach Steve's take

The coach’s signal is the key: nobody knows which team will be regrouping, so everyone has to be ready. It is a good drill to see who reads the play and who waits to be told what to do. For the regrouping team, look for patience: a simple pass beats an unnecessary risk. For the forecheck, look for communication. Come back to it once your game principles are already in place.