Defensemen in a 1-2-2 NZ FC typically look to play a tight gap and cut off wide carries near the red line. If this is not possible, D1 and D2 tighten up to create the illusion that they will not contest a wide controlled entry. Once the puck carrier commits to straight-lining outside the dot lane, D1 and D2 can either protect the middle and wait for F3 to catch up to the puck carrier, or surf out aggressively to force a dump-in.