Closing and tackling in a zone defence

If there’s a single principle to take away from this session on “Closing and Tackling in a Zone Defence” with Danny Kerry, it’s the immense value of using clear defensive principles to underpin your team’s decision-making. All the tactical talk in hockey, all the intricacies of pressing, tackling, and shaping a team’s defensive zone, can quickly get lost in translation if it’s just drilled through static rehearsals and rigid instructions. What comes through clearly in this masterclass, is that your coaching should revolve around a handful of robust, simple-to-understand defensive principles – not rigid systems or highly prescriptive patterns. Why? Because the real world is chaotic and unpredictable. It tests your players when they’re tired, pressured, or facing something new.

As Danny Kerry repeatedly demonstrates, the four principles – Deny, Dictate, Disrupt, Dispossess – are practical, actionable, and serve as crucial reference points for defenders young and old:

“For me, I use principles to help athletes make good decisions under pressure, and in the moment. And rather than telling them, you know, do this, do that, it’s more around, how do they apply a particular principle under pressure.”

Day to day, this means moving away from over-coaching and micromanaging players’ defensive movements. Instead, encourage athletes to constantly ask themselves key questions in real time: What are they seeing? What’s the main threat? Where are we trying to dictate play? Are we best placed to deny the most dangerous pass or run? A defender should always know which mode they’re in, often flipping between denying (blocking preferred channels), dictating (steering play into small spaces), disrupting (interfering with passing options or player connections), and dispossessing (making the challenge or interception), sometimes several times in a single phase of play.

It’s critical to embed these concepts in your training activities. Don’t wait for match day. Small-group defensive games, box drills with overloads, and deliberate scenario work are all ideal for developing “principle-based” decision making. Throughout, push players to verbalize their intent: Are you denying, dictating, disrupting, or dispossessing? Not just moving in shape, but actively recognizing and adapting to the flow of attack. Use freeze frames. Ask questions. Give permission for mistakes made under pressure, provided the thinking matches the defensive mode required.

Another bit to remember – having clarity about who tackles when double teams and overloads are created – avoids the “no one tackles” problem where players hesitate and simply allow the attacker to wriggle free. Make sure your system clarifies roles, especially in double teams, by spelling out who is “holding up” and who is “attacking blind side or with access.” This is as much about communication and shared reference as technical prowess.

That’s the core: anchor your defensive design, your team-wide language, and your technical and tactical coaching in these principles. Train them until they become instinctive. And always ask your players to coach themselves and each other in the language of deny, dictate, disrupt, dispossess.

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Why Watch the Whole Masterclass?

The video digs deep and shows exactly how these principles operate in live match clips from recent international hockey, including how zone systems have evolved and how cutting-edge teams like Belgium manipulate their defensive structures in real time. You’ll see detailed examples of nuanced tactical shifts, intelligent tackling roles, and how zone defence interacts with modern threats like aerials and 3D skills. The discussion moves well beyond theory – you’ll find specific coaching methods, real-match scenarios, and thoughtful responses to key coaching challenges.
Whether you’re wrestling with transitioning between zone and man-to-man, figuring out how to train defensive reading, or wanting practical ways to develop tackling technique and decision-making, the full masterclass is packed with context and explanation that’s tough to capture in summary alone.

Want the full walkthrough, more granular detail, and Q&A insights? Keep reading below...