Never throw a ball just to get rid of it; instead look to the goalie, to a middie upfield or, if you see nothing on your side of the field, pull the ball back and look “up and over” the field, where the man farthest from you will most likely be open.

Scoop through ground balls. If it is in the middle of a group of people either kick it out or just run through them and scoop it.

Never pass a ball across in front of your goal. A missed catch could lead to a goal.

On clears, make all passes sharp, away from the attack man and, as a general rule, to the nearest open man.

On a clear, when making a pass to a man who is coming in to meet the ball throw at his face, so that he catches the ball in front of him, making it hard for an attack man to check him.

Take your time. You have 20 seconds to get the ball over the midfield line. It's better to slowly work the ball up the field than to force a bad pass and turn the ball over.

Practice making cross-field passes. Often this is a defenseman's only option. When making these passes, it's better to throw the ball a little short so your teammate can receive the ball on a bounce than to throw it over his head and out of bounds.

Don't be afraid to run over the midfield line if you are a defender. In many cases, this is the best option. Be sure to call "middie back" loudly and sprint over the midfield line, and then look for the open man for a pass.

NEVER force a pass. If a man is not completely open, do not make the pass. Since you have the goalie on your side, you have an extra man. This means that there is always someone completely open. Find this person.