Quick answer
Playing the point means running the offense from the top of the zone as a defenseman at the blue line. Your three jobs, in order: keep the puck in at the line, walk the line to open a clear shooting lane, and get a low, hard shot through for tips and rebounds. Shoot when you have a lane, pass when you don't — a blocked shot is a turnover going the other way. Jump into the play on your reads, but never both defensemen at once: one activates, one stays home. Every offensive choice is weighed against the fact that you are the last line back.
Key takeaways
- Keeping the puck in at the blue line is your number-one job — a puck that leaks out kills a 40-second offensive-zone shift.
- Walk the line (slide along the blue line) to slip past the first shot-blocker and find a lane before you shoot.
- Shoot low and hard so forwards can tip it, screen it, or bang the rebound — and only when you have a lane; a blocked shot is a turnover.
- Activate down into the play on your reads, but the two defensemen never both leave the blue line together.
- You are the last line back. Every offensive decision at the point is weighed against your defensive responsibility.
What does playing the point actually mean?
The point is the spot near the blue line, just inside the offensive zone, on each side. When your team sets up to attack, the two defensemen hold those two points and become the top of the structure. You are the release valve and the trigger man: when a play breaks down or the puck rims up the wall, it comes to you to reset the offense.
When I played, the point men who scared me as a forward were not the ones with the biggest shot. They were the ones who never let the puck out, took one step to beat my stick, and put every shot on the ice. That is the job in one line: hold the zone, create a lane, get it there low.
Job one: keep the puck in at the line
Nothing you do at the point matters if the puck leaks out behind you. A clear that gets by you ends the shift and sends your tired forwards on a long back-check. Keeping pucks in is the most underrated skill in the position.
Set up a foot or two inside the blue line so you have a cushion — stand right on the line and one bounce sends the puck offside and gone. Keep your feet moving so you can slide either way; a flat-footed point man gets beaten by any puck along the wall.
Cue: "feet first, stick second." Reach with only your stick and a hard rim goes right under it — get your feet across so your body becomes the wall, then use the stick. Watch for: turning your back to the middle to chase a puck down the wall, which gives up the slot.
Coach Joel's tip: At game speed you will not have time to catch a rimmed puck, look up, and decide. So pre-scan. Before the puck gets to you, take a quick shoulder check to know where the boards, the middle, and your outlet are. When I played, the good point men had already decided "keep in and D-to-D" before the puck touched their stick — that scan buys the half-second that makes you look calm.
Job two: walk the line to open a lane
The first forward out to pressure you will drop to a knee or throw a stick in the lane to block your shot. Shoot right into that and you have started a 2-on-1 the other way. The answer is to walk the line: take one or two hard lateral steps along the blue line to slide past the shot-blocker and find open ice to the net.
Walking the line does three things at once: it moves you past the blocker, it changes the angle so the goalie has to re-set, and it drags defenders with you, opening a passing lane you did not have a second ago. As you slide, keep your head up and the puck out in front where you can shoot or pass instantly.
Cue: "one step to a lane." You rarely need the whole blue line — one sharp step usually clears the shin-blocker. Watch for: head down staring at the puck. Eyes down and you walk straight into the next defender and miss the forward who just got open at the net.
Build this at home by laying out drill cones as your blue line and a shin-blocker, then repping the lateral step-and-release off a shooting pad until the footwork is automatic.
Job three: shoot low and hard for tips and rebounds
Here is where most young point men get it wrong: they wind up for the hardest possible slap shot and fire it high. A high shot the goalie catches does nothing. A low, hard shot on the ice is a scoring play, because your net-front forward can tip it, screen it, or pound the rebound — the point shot is not about scoring off the shot itself, it is about creating chaos in front.
Keep the shot down: follow through at the pads, not the crossbar. Get it off quick — a snap shot or hard wrist shot beats a full slap shot at the point because it comes off before the lane closes and is easier to keep on the ice. Aim a stick-blade of net just inside the post so a tip or rebound has somewhere to go. For why the bottom of the net is gold, read our breakdown on how and when to shoot low.
Coach Joel's tip: Miss the net on purpose sometimes — but miss it smart. When I played, part of a defenseman's job was firing a hard shot a foot wide, off the end boards, to a spot where our winger was already reading the rebound. That is a designed play, not a mistake. Radar numbers are fun, but the puck a forward can redirect is what wins the shift.
Shoot or pass? Reading the lane
The number-one mistake at the point is shooting when there is no lane. If a defender is down in the lane, your shot gets blocked and you are caught up-ice. Read the lane before you commit, and treat the pass as a real weapon, not a bail-out.
| What you see | Best play | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Clear lane to the net | Low, hard shot for the tip | Net-front forward can redirect or bang the rebound |
| Shot-blocker down in the lane | Walk the line one step, then shoot | Slides you past the blocker into open ice |
| Two defenders collapse on you | D-to-D pass to your partner | Swings the puck to the open point and a new angle |
| Nothing open, pressure closing | Rim it low around to the far corner | Keeps possession and resets the cycle safely |
| Backdoor forward wide open | Pass, don't shoot | A tap-in beats a screened point shot every time |
The quickest way to beat a penalty kill is a D-to-D pass followed by a shot from the other point before the goalie re-sets. Move the puck, then the goalie has to move — and a moving goalie leaves holes.
Activate or stay home? Managing the risk
Jumping into the play — activating down off the point — is how modern defensemen create offense. A defenseman sneaking to the net or into the slot is a scoring threat nobody is covering. But it comes with a rule that never bends: the two of you never both leave the blue line at once. One activates, one stays home as the safety valve.
Good times to activate: your forward has clear possession below the goal line and can feed you, or the far-side forward can rotate up to cover your point. Bad times: the puck is loose, or you would be the third man deep with no one back. If you go, go hard and get back harder. Cue: "read, jump, recover." When in doubt, stay home — one bad pinch becomes an odd-man rush against your goalie.
Drills to build a better point game
Work these on a smooth surface. A shooting pad gives the puck near-ice glide so your reps transfer straight to the rink.
- Rim-in reps (feet first): A partner rims pucks hard along a wall. Step your feet across, kill the puck, keep it in. 3 sets of 10 each side; move on when you keep 9 of 10 in without reaching with just your stick.
- Walk-the-line release: Set a cone as a shin-blocker on the "blue line." One hard lateral step past the cone, then a low shot. 4 sets of 8, alternating middle and wall; move on when the release is under a second after the step.
- Low-shot targets: Hang shooting targets along the bottom of the net inside each post. Fire 40 shots, all on the ice; move on when 8 of 10 stay low and on frame.
- D-to-D quick release: Two players on the points. Pass D-to-D, one-touch walk, shoot within a second of receiving. 5 minutes — this is the play that beats penalty kills, and it trains the eyes-up habit that keeps you from walking into blockers.
For honest feedback on whether your low shot is actually hard, a shot speed radar turns every session into a competition against your own best number — just keep the puck on the ice while you chase it.
Common mistakes
- Letting the puck out. The shift-killer. Fix: set up a cushion inside the line, keep your feet moving, and play the rim with your feet first.
- Shooting into a blocked lane. A blocked point shot is a breakaway going the other way. Fix: read the lane, walk one step, or pass.
- Shooting high. High shots don't get tipped and don't leave rebounds. Fix: follow through at the pads, aim a stick-blade inside the post.
- Head down on the walk. You miss the open forward and skate into the next defender. Fix: eyes up, puck out in front, scan before you receive.
- Both D pinching at once. Leaves nobody home for the odd-man rush. Fix: one activates, one stays — always.
- All power, no quickness. A slow full slap shot gets blocked. Fix: default to a snap or hard wrist shot that gets off before the lane closes.
FAQ
What is the point in hockey?
The point is the area just inside the offensive blue line on each side, where the two defensemen set up in the offensive zone. Playing the point means running the top of the offense: keeping pucks in, moving the puck, and getting shots through to the net.
What is the point man's most important job?
Keeping the puck in at the blue line. A puck that leaks past you ends the offensive-zone shift and often creates a rush the other way. Before you think about shooting, you have to be reliable at holding the line with your feet, stick, and body.
Why do coaches want point shots low and on the ice?
Because a low shot is a scoring play, not just a shot. A puck on the ice can be tipped, screened, or knocked in on the rebound. High shots are usually caught or blocked and rarely produce second chances.
When should a defenseman jump into the play from the point?
Activate when your forward has clear possession and can feed you, or when the puck is coming to the middle and someone can rotate to cover your spot. Never leave the point if your partner has already jumped — one activates, one always stays home.
Should I use a slap shot or a snap shot at the point?
Usually a snap shot or a hard wrist shot. They get off faster, so they beat the shot-blocker, and they are easier to keep low and on the net. Save the full slap shot for the rare moment you have real time and a clear lane.
Summary
Playing the point comes down to three jobs in order: keep the puck in, walk the line to find a lane, and shoot low and hard so your forwards can go to work in front. Shoot only when the lane is there, treat the D-to-D pass as a weapon, and pick your spots to activate — but never leave the blue line empty. Above all, you are the last line back, so every offensive read is balanced against your defensive job. For the shooting side, pair this with our guides on how and when to shoot low, net-front presence, and where to shoot to score, and browse the Hockey Training hub for more position work. Then get out and rep it — a great point man is built one keep-in and one low shot at a time.
