Practice Plan: Station Work

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Trucks and Trailers
Station 1: 2v1 Recognition Drill
Station 2: Groundball Rodeo
Station 3: 42 Groundball Game
22 Small Ball

Phase 2: Play & Decide – Focus Points to build on our fundamental skillsets, while adding in some light decision making

Week 3 Practice / 60 Minute Session

Please Note:The practice is designed to bring value across multiple age levels. You can use this as a foundation to build and develop your own practice. With that being said, we highly encourage you to adjust the drills based on your team’s age and skill levels. Lacrosse Drive should always be used as a starting point — you can make drills easier or harder by changing the constraints.

To make a drill easier, you might Increase the playing area, reduce the number of defenders or rules, add time or space to make decisions

To make a drill harder, you might: Shrink the field or add boundaries, add defenders or touch restrictions (e.g., “one-pass before shooting”), or Limit time or space to force faster decisions

Small adjustments to field size, player numbers, and rules can significantly change the challenge level while maintaining the same core learning goal.

Theme Description This practice is designed to maximize reps through stations. Players will start to learn how to make reads on the field, and finding the advantages

For Stations: Spend about 8-10 Minutes Per Station – Use 1-2 Minutes Max to set up the drills

Trucks and Trailers

Set Up

Put players in lines of 4 or 5, with the lead player with NO ball, they are the TRUCK. The 4 players behind them ar the Trailers and they all will be carrying a ball. The Truck will run in random patterns for 15-20 seconds, and the Trailers must run, and stay in line following the Truck! After the time is up, switch the roles until everyone has been a TRUCK!

Coaching Points and Principles

Truck – Try to make quick moves, change direction, create a pattern
Trailers – Keep your heads UP! cradling the ball under control. If you drop it, pick it up and continue

Progressions

Add less players so it goes quicker
Use Cones to make it easier to navigate for less experienced players

Tags

Anticipation & Recognition Attack Ball Control & Cradling Beginner Block - On Air (no opponent)Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield U10 U8

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Station 1: 2v1 Recognition Drill

Set Up

Put 2 lines up to about 5 yards apart. Add a coach in the middle as the defender. We are starting this drill with a ground ball, you can start with a pass as well. The players will criss cross attacking the goal. The player clearing through, is cutting under their teammate which we want to emphasize. As the ball carrier attacks the goal, the coach will either slide to the ball, or slide to teammate without the ball. Players must recognize the slide and react to it!

Coaching Points and Principle

Spacing – Clearing space under your teammate, not above
Read the defense – when a slide comes to you, we want to move the ball. When you have free space, we want you to take it and shoot it
Shooting – shot placement and finishing the ball on cage
Passing – making great passes to your teammates

Progressions

Make it a 3v2
Set up on the wings for a different look
Use constraints like off-hand only

Tags

2v1 Anticipation & Recognition Attack Beginner Communication Decision Making Foundational Skills Guided - Token Opponent Inside Finishing & Goal Scoring Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield Shooting U10 U12 U8

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Station 2: Groundball Rodeo

Set Up

Set up the players in lines of 4 or 5. Each player starts with a ball. On coaches whistle, each player will roll their ball out about 8-10 yards DIAGONALLY (Not straight ahead). Each player must go retrieve a ball that wasn’t theirs. You will notice 2 players may go to the same ball, which allows for a little extra competition. After they secure a ball, they will make a pass to the next teammate in the line they started in or go to the goal and take a shot as you see here with a smaller group.

Principles and Coaching Points

Ground ball principles, getting low and accelerating through the ball
Finding ground balls in traffic
Awareness, teammates in line waiting for ball to call for it.

Progressions

Take 1 ball away, so there are 4 players and 3 balls making it more competitive
Add constraints, like using your off hand for added skill work

Tags

Ball Control & Cradling Beginner Block - On Air (no opponent)Disruptive - Light Physical Opponent Ground Balls Men’s Lacrosse Small Area Games Small Area Games U10 U8

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Station 3: 42 Groundball Game

Set Up

Put players in 4 lines on the sideline, and give each player/line a number. Coach rolls a ball out and it’s a live 1v1v1v1 groundball. Once a player wins it, coach will yell out a second number, and that player will now be a teammate to the player who won the ground ball. They will play 2v2 to the goal

Coaching Points and Principles

Groundballs – win the battle!
Recognition – think quickly if you are on offense or defense
2v2 game principles – Offense support teammate, move and give them space to dodge. DEFENSE , communicate and try to force player with ball away from goal.

Progressions

Add a 5th line, so it becomes a 3v2 unsettled
make a rule, that the defense must double team the ball!

Tags

Anticipation & Recognition Game - Live Play Ground Ball Battles Ground Balls Intermediate Small Area Games Small Area Games U10 U8

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22 Small Ball

A great small sided game that works on advantages, recognition skills, and getting players to compete!

Set Up

You will use Foam Lax Balls or Tennis Balls for this game. Using the restraining box area of the field, set up a fulfilled game using two goals at each end as you can see here we have flipped the goals upside down to make it a little bit more challenging to score. You can also use small goals if you have them. But you’re gonna split the group into two teams and the players are gonna play 2v2. The rule is one player has to play goalie when on defense so it’s a 2v1 constant advantage. The goal is for them to start seeing and recognizing the advantages. Find the 2v1 and move the ball to the right player to get open shot. When a player scores or the ball goes out of bounds, you can automatically turn it over to the other team and go the other way in a fast paced motion. It’s a lot of fun, kids will love it, and you’ll be able to create scoring opportunities where they will be able to explore some new ways to get the ball in the back of the net.

Principles & Coaching Points

Find the advantages! Move the ball to your open teammates until you get the best shot
Play Fast! We want quick traction typer plays here, if they slow it down, add a 10 second shot clock
Have Fun!

2v1 Beginner Game - Live Play Intermediate Lacrosse IQ Men’s Lacrosse Small Area Games Small Area Games Transition U10 U8 Women’s Lacrosse

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