Clearing & Competing

Clearing & Competing
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 Waterfall Passing with Corinne Desrosiers (Wellesley College) Cortland 5-Line Passing 4v3 Gauntlet Game 3-Quarter Field Scramble 6v6 Situational Scrimmage
Waterfall Passing with Corinne Desrosiers (Wellesley College) - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A full field passing drill that works on ball control and playing vs light pressure
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.
4v3 Gauntlet Game - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A fun unsettled game that forces offense and defense to play quick, and get rewarded for positive outcomes! Set Up Using a small area between the goal and restraining line, create a full field small playing area. Split the field in half, with coach in between with balls. After you split your group into 2 teams, put 3 players In at defense in one end, and 4 players in the other. Each side of the field is its own 4v3 game The game starts with coach throwing the ball into 1 side for the offense. They play until a goal or a turnover happens: Play for 1-2 minutes and then rotate players. First team to 10 goals win! Coaching Points & Principles Find the 2v1 advantage on offense. Move the ball quick to force defense to rotate Defense play the ball and backside zone feel to slow down the offense Defense keep sticks up in passing lanes, try not to let skip passes through!		Goal: Make it take it, coach gives the offense the ball again Save/Turnover: Coach sends a ball in the other ends to play 4v3 down there
3-Quarter Field Scramble - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
SET UP Put 4 attack and 4 defenders down on one side of the field in front of the cage. At the far restraining box, set up , add 3 lines of each color alternating by color. (we have the attack and defense in different colors because their positions never change) Each line has a number, to start the drill, coach gives the numbers going in and coach passes a ball in. The team that gets it is on offense and they must push the ball in transition while the defense has to communicate at talk through the situation. If the goalie saves it or there is a turnover/missed shot, have them clear it back to starting point. If the offense scores, kill the play and restart with a new group PRINCIPLES & COACHING POINTS PROGRESSIONS Tell Defense to play different types of D Add in contraints, like goals need to finish off a pass Keep the offense and defense separate up top, if you have specific transition players		Have coach change up numbers (5v4, 6v5, 6v6) Encourage to try and find solutions for quick scoring options (Shot clock) Discuss slow breaks when occurs, and encourage moving the ball through X
6v6 Situational Scrimmage - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
This drill puts players into real game situations where score, time, possession, and personnel dictate how they should play. Set up live 6v6 and choose a specific scenario before each possession, adjusting the clock, score, or numbers to create different problems—such as short-time EMO/MDD, protecting a lead, needing a goal, or killing the clock. Allow players to communicate and solve the situation with limited coaching, then quickly reset with a new scenario. Coaching Points		Understand the score, time, possession, and personnel before play begins. Short-time EMO/MDD: Offense plays with urgency without forcing; defense protects the middle and understands when it must pressure. Kill the clock: Value possession, use the entire field, support the ball, and recognize when attacking the cage is unnecessary. Defense vs. keep-away: Communicate pressure, identify when to double, rotate behind the double, and anticipate the next pass. Need-a-goal offense: Play with urgency, attack favorable matchups, move the ball quickly, and understand how much time is available. Emphasize smart substitutions and timeout awareness when appropriate.

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Waterfall Passing with Corinne Desrosiers (Wellesley College)
Cortland 5-Line Passing
4v3 Gauntlet Game
3-Quarter Field Scramble
6v6 Situational Scrimmage

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.

Waterfall Passing with Corinne Desrosiers (Wellesley College)

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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.

To view more from Championship Productions Click Here.

4v3 Gauntlet Game

Set Up

Using a small area between the goal and restraining line, create a full field small playing area. Split the field in half, with coach in between with balls. After you split your group into 2 teams, put 3 players In at defense in one end, and 4 players in the other. Each side of the field is its own 4v3 game

The game starts with coach throwing the ball into 1 side for the offense. They play until a goal or a turnover happens:

Goal: Make it take it, coach gives the offense the ball again
Save/Turnover: Coach sends a ball in the other ends to play 4v3 down there

Play for 1-2 minutes and then rotate players. First team to 10 goals win!

Coaching Points & Principles

Find the 2v1 advantage on offense.
Move the ball quick to force defense to rotate
Defense play the ball and backside zone feel to slow down the offense
Defense keep sticks up in passing lanes, try not to let skip passes through!

3-Quarter Field Scramble

SET UP

Put 4 attack and 4 defenders down on one side of the field in front of the cage. At the far restraining box, set up , add 3 lines of each color alternating by color. (we have the attack and defense in different colors because their positions never change) Each line has a number, to start the drill, coach gives the numbers going in and coach passes a ball in. The team that gets it is on offense and they must push the ball in transition while the defense has to communicate at talk through the situation. If the goalie saves it or there is a turnover/missed shot, have them clear it back to starting point. If the offense scores, kill the play and restart with a new group

PRINCIPLES & COACHING POINTS

Have coach change up numbers (5v4, 6v5, 6v6)
Encourage to try and find solutions for quick scoring options (Shot clock)
Discuss slow breaks when occurs, and encourage moving the ball through X

PROGRESSIONS

Tell Defense to play different types of D
Add in contraints, like goals need to finish off a pass
Keep the offense and defense separate up top, if you have specific transition players

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

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6v6 Situational Scrimmage

This drill puts players into real game situations where score, time, possession, and personnel dictate how they should play.

Set up

live 6v6 and choose a specific scenario before each possession, adjusting the clock, score, or numbers to create different problems—such as short-time EMO/MDD, protecting a lead, needing a goal, or killing the clock. Allow players to communicate and solve the situation with limited coaching, then quickly reset with a new scenario.

Coaching Points

Understand the score, time, possession, and personnel before play begins.
Short-time EMO/MDD: Offense plays with urgency without forcing; defense protects the middle and understands when it must pressure.
Kill the clock: Value possession, use the entire field, support the ball, and recognize when attacking the cage is unnecessary.
Defense vs. keep-away: Communicate pressure, identify when to double, rotate behind the double, and anticipate the next pass.
Need-a-goal offense: Play with urgency, attack favorable matchups, move the ball quickly, and understand how much time is available.
Emphasize smart substitutions and timeout awareness when appropriate.
Require players to communicate the situation to one another rather than relying on the coach.
Keep coaching windows short—let players make decisions, experience consequences, and adjust on the next possession.

Advanced Anticipation & Recognition Ball Control & Cradling College Decision Making Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Small Area Games Small Area Games Team Systems & Conceptual Play Transition U10 U12 U14

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