Playing with Pressure

Playing with Pressure
Phase 1: Precision & Pace: focuses on refining players’ ability to execute fundamental skills quickly and efficiently under game-like pressure. Rather than introducing new concepts, this phase challenges players to perform with greater speed, precision, and decision-making while developing purposeful dodging, crisp ball movement, sound defensive habits, and transition awareness. The emphasis shifts toward accountability, game tempo, and consistently making quality decisions at spee	Week 2 Practice / 90 Minute Session	Activities Line Drills with Escapes 44 Break Game Offensive Skill Session - Jump Cut Shooting Defensive Skill Session: C-Check Drill Scoop & Chase Unsettled 6v6 Scrimmage
Line Drills with Escapes - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A great drill to build off traditional line drills with! Set Up Put players in lines about 15-20 away from each other. Start the ball with a pass, once that player goes and passes to the next teammate in line, they will play token/guided defense. The player with the ball will add in some form of escape. In this drill we will work on 3 different escapes Hitch – After you catch the ball, get loaded for a shot and then hitch around defender Roll Away – Roll away from the defender, working on stick protection Fakes – Have players throw quick pump fakes before getting around defende Coaching Points and Principles Progression Add different escapes like face and split dodges Have the defender player tougher defense		Try to get the pass off right away, after you get around defender Execution of the escapes including stick protection and control Make good long passes to your teammates
44 Break Game - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A small sided game that works on transition offense and defense Set Up Create a small playing area— in this video, we’re using the restraining area. Place two attackmen and two defensemen in the playing area at both ends of the field. Set up midfielder lines on either side of the midfield line. To start the drill, designate one team to be on offense and send two midfielders from each team onto the field. Play continues until a dead ball situation occurs, such as a goal, save, or turnover. At that point, the two midfielders who were just on defense will exit the field, and two new midfielders will enter to help in transition. The midfielders who were just on offense will get back and play defense. Attack and defense remain in for every rep, while the midfielders rotate—playing offense, then defense, and then subbing off. Coaching Points & Principles Transition play – try to get quick opportunities if possible on offense Incorporate 2 player games like Picks or Shallow Cuts Defense should apply pressure to the ball to force turnovers Progressions		Add in a shot clock put 3 attack and 3 defense in to make 5v5
Offensive Skill Session - Jump Cut Shooting - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
An shooting drill that works on “Off-Ball” Play Set Up Put 2 lines up top and 2 lines on the wings. The ball will start up top, and a pass diagonal to the far wing line. The player who makes the pass, will execute a “jump cut”.. We want to act line we are moving to space on the crease, but then we plant hard, change direction, and explode back to our teammate with the ball for a catch snd shot. Coaching Points and Principles Progressions Add in a token defender Work same side, pass down then jump cut		After you make a pass, drift to middle like you are just moving the crease, explode back to teammate Time up your cuts! Wing players/passers, move your feet, don’t pass flat footed! Finish the ball far pipe
Defensive Skill Session: C-Check Drill - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points

Scoop & Chase Unsettled - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A fun game that works on small area and then full team offense and defense Set Up If you can, give your defense and attack different color tanks that the team. Here we are using green pennies for the attack, and red pinnies for the defense. They will always hold their positions. The midfield will then be split up into their normal tank colors, so they are split black and blue. The drill starts with either group (A or M) and coach rolls a live 3v3 out. They will play until either the offense scores there is a turnover (Defense clear to coach up top, or shot clock violation). Once that rep finishes, the M up top have a live 3v3 GB (You can change the numbers depending on how many you want on offense). Whoever wins that GB, is on offense, and go play 6v6 until another dead ball. Restart the drill, but give the first GB battle to the opposite group Coaching Points & Principles Progressions If you want to take away the live GB, give the ball to the offense to start, good for some younger groups that puts a bigger emphasis on the transition play		Ground Ball Battles – Need to find the first GB and look to score or clear the ball fast Transition – Playing quick and finding those advantages Defensive Matchups and communication
6v6 Scrimmage - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A live 6v6 scrimmage allows players to apply the skills and concepts practiced throughout the session in a game-like environment. Play continuously while encouraging communication, decision-making, and teamwork. Keep coaching interruptions to a minimum, using brief teaching moments between possessions to maintain the flow and maximize repetitions. Constraint Ideas: Possession clock • Every player touches the ball • Assisted goals only • Bonus points for defensive stops or caused turnovers • Start from specific situations (clear, ground ball, man-up, etc.) • Limit dodges or require a dodge before shooting • Reward good spacing and ball movement • Play uneven numbers (6v5, 5v6).

Jump to a Section

Line Drills with Escapes
44 Break Game
Offensive Skill Session - Jump Cut Shooting
Defensive Skill Session: C-Check Drill
Scoop & Chase Unsettled
6v6 Scrimmage

Phase 1: Precision & Pace: focuses on refining players’ ability to execute fundamental skills quickly and efficiently under game-like pressure. Rather than introducing new concepts, this phase challenges players to perform with greater speed, precision, and decision-making while developing purposeful dodging, crisp ball movement, sound defensive habits, and transition awareness. The emphasis shifts toward accountability, game tempo, and consistently making quality decisions at spee

Week 2 Practice / 90 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.

Line Drills with Escapes

Set Up

Put players in lines about 15-20 away from each other. Start the ball with a pass, once that player goes and passes to the next teammate in line, they will play token/guided defense. The player with the ball will add in some form of escape. In this drill we will work on 3 different escapes

Hitch – After you catch the ball, get loaded for a shot and then hitch around defender
Roll Away – Roll away from the defender, working on stick protection
Fakes – Have players throw quick pump fakes before getting around defende

Coaching Points and Principles

Try to get the pass off right away, after you get around defender
Execution of the escapes including stick protection and control
Make good long passes to your teammates

Progression

Add different escapes like face and split dodges
Have the defender player tougher defense

Tags

Attack Ball Control & Cradling Defense Dodging & Escapes Guided - Token Opponent High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield Passing Team Passing U14

View Drill Page →

44 Break Game

Set Up

Create a small playing area— in this video, we’re using the restraining area. Place two attackmen and two defensemen in the playing area at both ends of the field. Set up midfielder lines on either side of the midfield line. To start the drill, designate one team to be on offense and send two midfielders from each team onto the field. Play continues until a dead ball situation occurs, such as a goal, save, or turnover. At that point, the two midfielders who were just on defense will exit the field, and two new midfielders will enter to help in transition. The midfielders who were just on offense will get back and play defense. Attack and defense remain in for every rep, while the midfielders rotate—playing offense, then defense, and then subbing off.

Coaching Points & Principles

Transition play – try to get quick opportunities if possible on offense
Incorporate 2 player games like Picks or Shallow Cuts
Defense should apply pressure to the ball to force turnovers

Progressions

Add in a shot clock
put 3 attack and 3 defense in to make 5v5

Tags

2-Player Game 4v4 Advanced Game - Live Play Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Small Area Games Small Area Games Transition U12 U14

View Drill Page →

Offensive Skill Session - Jump Cut Shooting

Set Up

Put 2 lines up top and 2 lines on the wings. The ball will start up top, and a pass diagonal to the far wing line. The player who makes the pass, will execute a “jump cut”.. We want to act line we are moving to space on the crease, but then we plant hard, change direction, and explode back to our teammate with the ball for a catch snd shot.

Coaching Points and Principles

After you make a pass, drift to middle like you are just moving the crease, explode back to teammate
Time up your cuts!
Wing players/passers, move your feet, don’t pass flat footed!
Finish the ball far pipe

Progressions

Add in a token defender
Work same side, pass down then jump cut

Tags

Advanced Anticipation & Recognition Attack Block - On Air (no opponent)Foundational Skills High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield Passing Positional / Tactical Shooting Shooting on the Run Stick Control (without the ball)Team Shooting U14

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Defensive Skill Session: C-Check Drill

Tags

Advanced Defense Defensive Stick & Body Contact Guided - Token Opponent High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse U14

View Drill Page →

Scoop & Chase Unsettled

Set Up

If you can, give your defense and attack different color tanks that the team. Here we are using green pennies for the attack, and red pinnies for the defense. They will always hold their positions.

The midfield will then be split up into their normal tank colors, so they are split black and blue.

The drill starts with either group (A or M) and coach rolls a live 3v3 out. They will play until either the offense scores there is a turnover (Defense clear to coach up top, or shot clock violation). Once that rep finishes, the M up top have a live 3v3 GB (You can change the numbers depending on how many you want on offense). Whoever wins that GB, is on offense, and go play 6v6 until another dead ball. Restart the drill, but give the first GB battle to the opposite group

Coaching Points & Principles

Ground Ball Battles – Need to find the first GB and look to score or clear the ball fast
Transition – Playing quick and finding those advantages
Defensive Matchups and communication

Progressions

If you want to take away the live GB, give the ball to the offense to start, good for some younger groups that puts a bigger emphasis on the transition play

Tags

Advanced Beginner College Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Small Area Games Small Area Games Team Systems & Conceptual Play Transition U10 U12 U14 U8

View Drill Page →

6v6 Scrimmage

A live 6v6 scrimmage allows players to apply the skills and concepts practiced throughout the session in a game-like environment. Play continuously while encouraging communication, decision-making, and teamwork. Keep coaching interruptions to a minimum, using brief teaching moments between possessions to maintain the flow and maximize repetitions.

Constraint Ideas: Possession clock • Every player touches the ball • Assisted goals only • Bonus points for defensive stops or caused turnovers • Start from specific situations (clear, ground ball, man-up, etc.) • Limit dodges or require a dodge before shooting • Reward good spacing and ball movement • Play uneven numbers (6v5, 5v6).

Advanced Beginner College Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse U10 U12 U14

View Drill Page →