The 2-1-2 is essentially man-on-man coverage, with wingers (F1 and F2) pressuring opposing defensemen, the center (F3) staying above his counterpart and Ds gapping up early against opposing wingers. Man coverage breaks down unless everyone is fast and fit enough to hit their marks, so the 2-1-2 is most often seen following NZ faceoff losses, rather than in open play.