Transition & Tempo

Transition & Tempo
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	Activities T-Drill – Stutter Steps Throwbacks Over the Shoulder Half Field Passing Cortland 5-Line Passing Blast 43 Small Area Game
T-Drill – Stutter Steps Throwbacks - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
Set up Put your players in groups of 4-5 in lines. About 5 yards away, use 4 cones to make the shape of the top of a lower case (t). The player first in line starts with the ball and carries to the first cone. They will stutter step around the first cone and then carry/curl around the top cone. They will then make a pass to their next teammate in line who repeats Coaching Points & Principles		Stutter Step – Quick feet, and explode on an angle around cone Passing – Making passes while moving in small areas
Over the Shoulder Half Field Passing - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A passing drill you can do with all your players, or a smaller group Set Up Split the field in half, and put 2 goalies at each end. Set up 4 lines, as shown on diagram. The ball starts with a pass from the low defense to the adjacent wing braking to the ball, should be over the shoulder. That player will do a give and go with the goalie, and receive an over the shoulder pass. Once they get the ball back, they will make a pass to the far line up top, who resets the same passing, but going the opposite direction. YOU CAN DO THIS ON BOTH ENDS OF THE FIELD, FOR MORE MAX REPS
Cortland 5-Line Passing - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
Cortland 5-Line Passing is a high-repetition stickwork drill that develops quick exchanges, catching on the move, and passing accuracy while giving every player significantly more touches than traditional team play. SET UP Set up five lines of players to create a continuous passing weave toward the goal. The sequence begins with an inside player flipping the ball to a teammate moving around them, who catches the exchange in their outside hand. Continue into a second flip exchange before moving the ball ahead with a longer pass to the next player in the pattern. That player works around the action, receives the final pass, and finishes with a shot on goal. Keep players moving through the pattern continuously, emphasizing clean execution and spacing before increasing the speed of the drill. COACHING POINTS & PRINCIPLES		Maximize Touches: Keep the drill flowing so players get frequent catches, passes, and exchanges to develop stick skills through repetition. Catch to the Outside: On the flip exchange, receivers should work around their teammate and receive the ball in their outside hand to create a clean, natural exchange. Spacing Before Speed: Don’t get on top of the player in front of you too quickly. Maintain enough separation to execute each exchange and connect the final pass cleanly before adding more pace.
Blast 43 Small Area Game - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A great small area game to work on playing in tight spaces and getting high % scoring opportunites Set Up Set up 3 players per team in the middle, with 1 offensive attack player stationed on each end. The result is a constant 4v3 situation. Team with the ball will play 4v3 until there is a dead ball or a turnover. At that point, the 3 offensive midfielder players leave the game, the the 3 defensive players transition to the other side of the field. While that’s play is happening, add in 3 new defensive players on the original side, and wait for transition to come back. Midfielders will play Defense, then Offense, and then OUT! Coaching Points & Principles Progressions Let the team who just played offense RIDE, but tell the last person who took the shot, to leave the game Make field smaller for younger players		Players must read the game quickly, push the pace, and capitalize on the numbers advantage to finish opportunities. The focus is on awareness, decision-making, and playing fast in tight spaces.

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T-Drill – Stutter Steps Throwbacks
Over the Shoulder Half Field Passing
Cortland 5-Line Passing
Blast 43 Small Area Game

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.

T-Drill – Stutter Steps Throwbacks

Set up

Put your players in groups of 4-5 in lines. About 5 yards away, use 4 cones to make the shape of the top of a lower case (t). The player first in line starts with the ball and carries to the first cone. They will stutter step around the first cone and then carry/curl around the top cone. They will then make a pass to their next teammate in line who repeats

Coaching Points & Principles

Stutter Step – Quick feet, and explode on an angle around cone
Passing – Making passes while moving in small areas

Over the Shoulder Half Field Passing

A passing drill you can do with all your players, or a smaller group

Set Up

Split the field in half, and put 2 goalies at each end. Set up 4 lines, as shown on diagram. The ball starts with a pass from the low defense to the adjacent wing braking to the ball, should be over the shoulder. That player will do a give and go with the goalie, and receive an over the shoulder pass. Once they get the ball back, they will make a pass to the far line up top, who resets the same passing, but going the opposite direction.

YOU CAN DO THIS ON BOTH ENDS OF THE FIELD, FOR MORE MAX REPS

Advanced Attack Block - On Air (no opponent)College Defense Foundational Skills High School Intermediate Midfield Passing Riding and Clearing Team Passing Transition U12 U14 Women’s Lacrosse

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Cortland 5-Line Passing

Cortland 5-Line Passing is a high-repetition stickwork drill that develops quick exchanges, catching on the move, and passing accuracy while giving every player significantly more touches than traditional team play.

SET UP

Set up five lines of players to create a continuous passing weave toward the goal. The sequence begins with an inside player flipping the ball to a teammate moving around them, who catches the exchange in their outside hand. Continue into a second flip exchange before moving the ball ahead with a longer pass to the next player in the pattern. That player works around the action, receives the final pass, and finishes with a shot on goal. Keep players moving through the pattern continuously, emphasizing clean execution and spacing before increasing the speed of the drill.

COACHING POINTS & PRINCIPLES

Maximize Touches: Keep the drill flowing so players get frequent catches, passes, and exchanges to develop stick skills through repetition.
Catch to the Outside: On the flip exchange, receivers should work around their teammate and receive the ball in their outside hand to create a clean, natural exchange.
Spacing Before Speed: Don’t get on top of the player in front of you too quickly. Maintain enough separation to execute each exchange and connect the final pass cleanly before adding more pace.

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Blast 43 Small Area Game

A great small area game to work on playing in tight spaces and getting high % scoring opportunites

Set Up

Set up 3 players per team in the middle, with 1 offensive attack player stationed on each end. The result is a constant 4v3 situation. Team with the ball will play 4v3 until there is a dead ball or a turnover. At that point, the 3 offensive midfielder players leave the game, the the 3 defensive players transition to the other side of the field. While that’s play is happening, add in 3 new defensive players on the original side, and wait for transition to come back. Midfielders will play Defense, then Offense, and then OUT!

Coaching Points & Principles

Players must read the game quickly, push the pace, and capitalize on the numbers advantage to finish opportunities. The focus is on awareness, decision-making, and playing fast in tight spaces.

Progressions

Let the team who just played offense RIDE, but tell the last person who took the shot, to leave the game
Make field smaller for younger players

4v3 Advanced Anticipation & Recognition College Decision Making Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Lacrosse IQ Small Area Games Small Area Games Team Systems & Conceptual Play Transition U10 U12 U14 Women’s Lacrosse

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