Practice Plan: Finding & Protecting the Advantages

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Build Down Game
Offensive Skill Station: Throwback Passing
Defensive Skill Station: 3v2 Slide and Recovery
3v2 Triangle Game
Splitsville Game
Finish w/ 6v6 Scrimmage (Time Permitting)

Phase 3: Create Under Pressure: Introduce Train to Compete elements while staying developmentally appropriate. This is where players begin learning how to create advantages intentionally, not just recognize them.

Week 8 Practice / 75 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

Build Down Game

Start practice with a fun small area game

Set Up

Create a small playing area, and split group into 2 teams. Start with a 4v4, and play until a dead ball (Goal, Save, Turnover). The last offensive player to touch the ball, leaves the game. The defending team now goes on offense playing 4v3 to the other goal. Same rules apply, last offensive player to touch, leaves game. Continuing playing with these rules until you get to 1v0 against the goalie. Restart a new game, and give the other team the start so they play with uneven advantages.

Coaching Points & Principles

Transition Play – Playing fast
Finding the advantages
Defense organization – unsettled, all even

View Drill Page →

Offensive Skill Station: Throwback Passing

Set Up

Place all the attackmen at X and the Midfielders at the high wings. Every line has a ball, the players will dodge, and then roll back and throw to the next teammate in line

Coaching Points & Principles

Dodge with the ball, and with a purpose.
Protect the stick with a roll back
Communicate

Defensive Skill Station: 3v2 Slide and Recovery

Set Up

Put 3 Players in the shape of a triangle, on GLE and above, and add 2 defenders inside. The offense will pass the ball around and the defense is focused on sliding to ball and recovering to the crease. The offense can hold the ball for 1-2 seconds to allow the defense to get set. Speed up as the players play. There are 2 progressions here and focus points for the defense.

Progression 1: No Skips

Progression 2: Add in Skips

Coaching Points & Principles

Defense approaching ball, should have stick up towards the head of the offensive players stick, not hanging low
Defense recovering top the crease, always have stick up and in passing lanes. This will be vital to take away the skips

To view more from Championship Productions Click Here.

3v2 Triangle Game

A fun game to work on defensive approaches and recovery around the crease.

Set Up

Be sure to use tennis balls or soft lacrosse balls for this game, as players and goalies will see high volume shots. Put 3 offensive players in a stationary triangle and 2 defenders in. The game starts with a pass from coach to 1 offensive player. The offense will pass quick shoot as soon as they have the lane and advantage, give a shot clock if needed (5-8 seconds), as we want to it be fast reps. Have each group do 3 reps, then change all players. Give bonus points to the defense if they knock down skips

Coaching Points & principles

Offense – quick ball movement, finishes with quick release
Defensive – Sliding / Recovery and protecting the middle of the field.

3v2 Advanced Anticipation & Recognition Attack College Defense Defense Slide & Recovery Defensive Positioning & Footwork Disruptive - Light Physical Opponent High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield Off Ball Defensive Play Shooting Shot Release Small Area Games U10 U12 U14

View Drill Page →

Splitsville Game

SET UP

Start by placing cones down the middle of the field (on one half). There will be two teams on the field, and offense and a defense. Put 3 offensive players on each side of the field, and match them all with a defender. The offensive players, must stay on the side of the field they started on, but the defense has the freedom to move from side to side. Ideally on each side of the field, you will have a small sided 3v3 game, and the offense can transfer the ball to the other side to get different looks and/or moving the ball away from a sliding defense.

PRINCIPLES & COACHING POINTS

Offense – Players must be able to find open space if their teammates want to transfer across field. They need to be moving off ball
Offense with the ball, can play 3 man game to try and get shots off using spacing, picks, dodges, etc..
Defense should be challenging the offense to move the ball to other side of field by using good angles, double teams, and close out defense

PROGRESSIONS

You can play 4v4 (2 v 2 per side) if you want to work on a 2 man game or just increase playing area for more spacing and younger players. To make it more challenging, play 8v8 (4v4 per side) to make spacing smaller and work on stick skills and in tight play

Finish w/ 6v6 Scrimmage (Time Permitting)

Finish practice for a free play 6v6, but add in bonus points for the offense and defense for certain outcomes

Offense: Gold Medal Goals, Assisted Goals

Defense: Knockdowns, Slide/Recovery Turnover