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Power Play: Inverted 1-3-1

Flip the 1-3-1 upside down — net front high, three across underneath, point low — to attack a passive box from the inside out.

F1F2F3F4D1PP OZ INVERTED 1-3-1
F = forwards, D = defence (our five power play skaters) / Net we are attacking is at the top, blue line at the bottom / Dashed line = pass or shot option / Solid arrows = movement / Black dot = puck

The idea

The Inverted 1-3-1 keeps the same five positions as a standard 1-3-1 but drops the whole structure lower in the zone. Against a killing unit that pressures hard at the blue line or blocks every point shot, the inverted look moves the shooting layer down below the top of the circles and works from behind the box.

Reading the diagram

The net is at the top of the board. F1 is high in the paint, F2 and F3 sit just below him at the tops of the circles, F4 is in the middle, and D1 is the low point with the puck (black dot) closer to the blue line than the rest.

The dashed lines are the point man's three options: straight up the middle to the bumper, or out to either half wall. Because everyone is lower, those passes are short and the shots come from inside the dots.

Why it works

Everything is closer to the net, so shots are higher quality and rebounds stay in the danger area. It also drags the box down and away from the blue line, which makes a puck retrieval far less dangerous if we lose it.

What to look for

  • Same five roles as the 1-3-1, all shifted lower in the zone
  • Point man plays below the blue line, not on it
  • Shots come from inside the dots — quality over volume
  • Best against a killing unit that pressures the blue line

Coaching cues

  • Attack from inside out: middle first, then the walls
  • Keep feet moving so the box cannot square up
  • Net front works across the crease, not in one spot
  • Recover pucks below the circles, not at the line

Common mistakes

  • Sagging so low there is no shooting angle
  • Losing the point man's support and getting stuck on the wall
  • Half walls standing behind killers' sticks
  • Trying to force the standard 1-3-1 seams from lower ice
Keep going

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