Day of Games

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Day of Games

Phase 3: Create Under Pressure: Introduce Train to Compete elements while staying developmentally appropriate. This is where players begin learning how to create advantages intentionally, not just recognize them.

Week 10 Practice  / 75 Minute Session

Activities
  1. 4v4 Continuous Game
  2. Crossfire Passing
  3. 5v5 Apache Ground Ball Game
  4. 33 Arc Game
  5. Full Field Build Up
4v4 Continuous Game - Link to Drill Set Up Focus Points

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

 

4v4 Preview
  • 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
Crossfire Passing - Link to Drill Set Up Focus Points

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

Crossfire Passing Preview
  • 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
5v5 Apache Ground Ball Game - Link to Drill Set Up Focus Points

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

 

Apache Preview
  • 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.
33 Arc Game - Link to Drill Set Up Focus Points

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

  1. The offense can only score inside the arc OR
  2. Outside the arc in any fashion
  3. Play for 15 seconds reps
  4. 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.

33 Arc Preview
  • 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)
Full Field Build Up - Link to Drill Set Up Focus Points

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

  • Play fast!
  • Attack Ride in transition
  • Push the field, find the opportunities
  • Defense communicate and rotate
  • CONDITIONING!

Phase 3: Create Under Pressure: Introduce Train to Compete elements while staying developmentally appropriate. This is where players begin learning how to create advantages intentionally, not just recognize them.

Week 10 Practice  / 75 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.

4v4 Continuous Game

4v4 Preview

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

  • 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

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

 

4v34v4AdvancedBeginnerCollegeDecision MakingGame - Live PlayHigh SchoolIntermediateMen’s LacrosseOff Ball Defensive PlayOff Ball Offensive PlaySmall Area GamesSmall Area GamesTransitionU10U12U14Women’s Lacrosse

View Drill Page →

Crossfire Passing

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

  • 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

View Drill Page →

5v5 Apache Ground Ball Game

Apache Preview

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

  • 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.

Progressions

  • Have the defense try to shut off the adjacent first pass after the GB

 

5v5AdvancedAnticipation & RecognitionCommunicationDecision MakingGame - Live PlayHigh SchoolIntermediateMen’s LacrosseOff Ball Defensive PlayOff Ball Offensive PlaySmall Area GamesSmall Area GamesTeam Systems & Conceptual PlayTransitionU10U12U14

View Drill Page →

33 Arc Game

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

  1. The offense can only score inside the arc OR
  2. Outside the arc in any fashion
  3. Play for 15 seconds reps
  4. Flip teams after every rep, keep score

PRINCIPLES & COACHING POINTS

  • 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)

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.

View Drill Page →

Full Field Build Up

Summary

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

  • Play fast!
  • Attack Ride in transition
  • Push the field, find the opportunities
  • Defense communicate and rotate
  • CONDITIONING!

PROGRESSIONS

Tell goalies they can only outlet to players who just played defense.. 2nd passes can go to new player coming into play

View Drill Page →