A fun way to play small area game and developing offensive and defensive game IQ
Set Up
Create a small playing area (30×35) and split your players up into 2 teams. Line them up on the sideline. We are going to play a 4v4 game with some added constraints to build in game awareness
Optional Added Constraints
- Initiate every offense with an on or off ball pick
- 2x Points if players score off ball from a pass, pick, or quick stick
Coaching Points and Principles
- Spacing – Transition spacing and riding gapes to move the ball up the field quickly
- Subbing – Try to sub in a strategic way so you aren’t playing with a disadvantage’
- Maintain gaps and coding spaces with shallow cuts and picks
Progressions
- Play 5v4 for the youngest players so there is always an advantage – Keep an extra offensive player in at all times but the goalie can not clear it full field to them.. the team must clear the ball first
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- 8 Seconds to Clear / 10 Seconds to get a shot off once over midfield
- Sub on the fly – No Horns – Forces players to know how and when to sub off
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A great warm up passing drill to get the kids engaged and alert
Set Up
Put 4-5 lines across from each other in a small area, like the restraining box area. On on side, give everyone 1st in line a ball, and give 1 player a ball on the opposite side. If you have 5 and 5, there would be 6 balls in play. The players must all make passes to teammates across, but CANNOT throw to a player directly across or from the same line the ball came from.
Coaching Points & Principles
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- Communicate! players with and without the ball must communicate to connect with a good pass
- Stick work – Players should be always ready to receive a pass with their stick up as a target, and make good crisp passes
- Movement – We shouldn’t be passing standing stills, players should be slightly moving their feet to the teammate they are passing to
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A fun game that works on defensive pressure, communication, and offensive ball movement
Set Up
Put 5 defenders inside the crease and 5 offensive players outside the crease. On coaches first whistle, the offense will jog around the cage clockwise, and the defense will jog around the cage (inside the crease) counter clockwise. On coaches 2nd whistle, they will roll a ball out on the perimeter. The play is live, and the rule is we always want the defense to double team the player going for the ball. The offense must break out to space and support the teammate who’s going for the ball and will be double teamed.
The objective is for the offense to move the ball quickly to backside, to get a good high quality shot. The defense wants to pressure the offense enough to now allow the ball to get backside, and eventually get them back to neutral. Play until the offense scores, or the defense successfully clears the ball to midfield.
Coaching Points and Principles
Progressions
- Have the defense try to shut off the adjacent first pass after the GB
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- Offense – Get the ground ball, run away from pressure and find a teammate quickly! Adjacent teammates must support
- Defense – Pressure, pressure, pressure. Keep on the offense as much as possible, and communicate through the sliding/rotations.
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This is a great drill to work on playing with extra players and working on man down defense
SET UP
Set up in front of the cage an arc using cones, that is about 10 yards away from the goal. Start in a 3v3, but you can build up to 6v6. The rules of the game are as followed
- The offense can only score inside the arc OR
- Outside the arc in any fashion
- Play for 15 seconds reps
- Flip teams after every rep, keep score
PRINCIPLES & COACHING POINTS
PROGRESSIONS
- Add in Constraints/rules like must pick off or on ball
- Build up to 4v4, 5v5 – Makes it harder for offense as it’s more crowded inside.
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- Encourages off ball play, to get open inside the arc.. use backdoor cuts, picks, etc..
- Defense must communicate through off ball ball play to protect the HOUSE
- Use point system to encourage certain typer of goals (2 points inside the arc / 1 Outside)
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This full field build up drill will work on all facets of 6v6 lacrosse. Players will be in all even situations, unsettled/uneven opportunities, and conditioning!
SET UP
Put 3 Attack and 3 Defense on each offensive end. Split the midfielders up in half, and out 1 line of each color on the box side of field. The play starts with a fast break for 1 team. Player until a dead ball. A new offensive player will come in from sideline from the team that just played defense, and goalie will outlet a new ball for a 4 v 4 to the opposite end. Repeat every step, and you will get a 4v5, 5v5, 6v5, 6v6. ALL Players stay on the field until the end, then restart a new buildup.
PRINCIPLES & COACHING POINTS
PROGRESSIONS
– Tell goalies they can only outlet to players who just played defense.. 2nd passes can go to new player coming into play
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- Play fast!
- Attack Ride in transition
- Push the field, find the opportunities
- Defense communicate and rotate
- CONDITIONING!
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