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simple is good at the beer league level and the tips above are all helpful. for players who've never really paid attention to that side of the game, I'd suggest first getting a feel for what their current habits are before trying to get them to make conscious tactical changes. 1) be mindful of your check's body language - if you see his numbers, pressure him against the boards and try to take the puck away. if you see his crest, hold your ground and look to a) take away passing options to the middle of the slot and b) deter him/her against walking with the puck into the middle 2) be mindful of your stick position - if you can't physically get to your check, try to influence his play either up to the point or down to the corner by inviting that option with your stick and overall body language. either outcome is better than a pass to the slot, which you should be taking away with your skates and stick blade 3) be mindful of skate position - good offensive players either consciously or subconsciously try to manipulate defenders' feet in order to cross them up and open up space to attack the net. if your skating technique is already deficient (cant stop/turn/pivot in both directions) this is where you may run into problems. at the elite level, the best defenders react quickly, sprint to their check, and are able to keep their toes pointing at the check for as long as possible before having to stop or turn "on a dime" depending on how the play develops. if you turn away early because you don't trust your edges, you're very easy to beat with a shake on one side and a pass or carry to the opposite side.

In beer league, I think it's easiest to play a system by stressing concepts rather than strict adherence to a plan. Get your players thinking about why you'd play the system instead of what to do in each situation. Adults don't typically want to be told what to do, but they will try to try if you explain to them why they're doing it. For example, instead of telling a wing, especially a weaker one, all of the things he would need to do in a box+1, get him to understand shooting lanes and the high danger areas of the ice. Then just tell him to not let the defender get the puck through those areas, but he doesn't have to be right up on the guy or all the way down in the circle either. He likely going to be out of position in relation to the overall system, but he may still be effective in keeping pucks from the point from getting through. If you can get everyone on the ice to do their individual job at some level, even if it's not a fully functioning system, you'll have a lot more success.