Blog | Published: May 28, 2026

How to Win Playoff Games: Why Man-Up Matters

How to Win Playoff Games: Why Man-Up Matters

As teams head into league and state playoff games, the margin for error becomes smaller. In tight postseason matchups, one extra-man goal can completely shift momentum and become the difference between advancing or going home.

Why man-up matters in playoff lacrosse:

  • Possessions become more valuable
  • Defenses tighten up and scouting improves
  • Transition chances decrease
  • Momentum swings decide games
  • Undisciplined penalties get punished

Great man-up units don’t rely on just one play. They focus on:

  • Patience – Taking the BEST and RIGHT Shot
  • Ball movement
  • Spacing
  • Quick decisions
  • Off-ball movement
  • Forcing defensive rotations & confusion

The best playoff teams treat extra-man offense as a true weapon, not just a quick segment at the end of practice.

As you prepare for postseason lacrosse, ask yourself:

  • Can your players recognize rotations?
  • Can they move the defense side-to-side, high-to-low?
  • Can they capitalize under pressure?
  • Can your man-up unit deliver in a big moment?

Because in playoff lacrosse, one extra-man possession can change a season.

👇 below we’ll break down key concepts, actions, and strategies that can help your man-up offense become a weapon when games matter most. We also share a few of our favorite plays

You can also use our Drill Drawing tool to create & save your own plays!

1

Man Up Basics w/ Sean Kirwan

View Drill Page
2

Short Time EMO

Set Up

Put your players in a 1-4-1 and initiate on a low back wing area:

  1. Player with ball drive up towards nearside pipe
  2. Adjacent crease player cuts to teammate
  3. Backside crease player pops off low corner to get a pass from ball carrier
  4. Point player crashes down and seals any wing defenders
  5. Backside wing player cuts to top center
  6. Adjacent wing gets in a shooting area

Look progressions

  1. Attack cut adjacent (More of a dummy look) sometimes the defense leave this open
  2. Wing shot off the seal
  3. Seal player on crease
  4. Skip to point player
View Drill Page

3

3-3 to Open

Set Up

Put your players into a 3-3 and use the progressions as followed:

  1. Point player triggers the play with a pass to an adjacent teammate
  2. The crease guy pops high, and becomes almost like a pair with the point player, and the backside low crease goes to X
  3. Move the ball down to the X player, and while that is happeneing
    • The high wing who received the first pass, moves quickly to the opposite high wing
    • The point player and high crease both cut to the pipes.. They can be diagonal, staggered, straight on, coaches choose
    • The opposite high wing player is moving into a lefty shooter area on the win

The look progressions are

      1. One of the crease players crashing
      2. The skip to the new high wing
      3. The low left Qing step down
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4

5v4 EMO

In 5v4 scenarios, here is a great motion to get your players open for a high % shot!

Set Up

Put your players in a Box and 1

  1. Initiate with a carry from high wing
  2. Pop the crease player out into that new gap
    1. Cut to opposite low corner up into the crease
  3. Look for the throwback to the Pop player, and your looks should be:
    1. New Crease Player
    2. Pass to Low corner, if no shot look for
    3. Crease Player or backside Skip
View Drill Page