Practice Plan: Finding Advantages Station Work

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Open Field Space Cradling with Escapes
Station 1: Mini 1v1 Game
Station 2: Wing Dodges w/ Guided Defense
Station 3: Half Field Small Ball
Football Unsettled!

Phase 2: Play & Decide – Focus Points to build on our fundamental skillsets, while adding in some light decision making

Week 4 Practice / 60 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.

Theme Description This practice is designed continue to build on our foundational skillsets. Players will start to learn how to make reads on the field, and finding the advantages

For Stations: Spend about 8-10 Minutes Per Station – Use 1-2 Minutes Max to set up the drills

Open Field Space Cradling with Escapes

Set Up

Use a designated area on the field or use cones to create one, that the players must stay inside of. Every player has a ball, and on coaches whistle, they will start running around 50% speed. They must keep their head up and make an escape dodge every time they meet another player inside the circle. If you want to make it a game, players will leave the are if they drop the ball, or run out of bounds. The last player standing wins! Add a coach in for light defense to make it more challenging

Coaching Points and Principles

Cradling and Ball Control! Keep the stick protected
HEAD UP! See where you are running, don’t run into another teammate
Use both strong and weak hands

Progressions

Use more constraints, specific dodging styles
Add in defenders and coaches for light pressure
Make field smaller to make it more challenging or larger to make it easier

Tags

Anticipation & Recognition Attack Ball Control & Cradling Beginner Block - On Air (no opponent)Defense Dodging & Escapes Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield U10 U8

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Station 1: Mini 1v1 Game

Set Up

Create a small area 10×10 or so, with 2 goals in the middle back to back. You can use smaller goals if you have, and don’t necessarily need goalies. Split the players up into 2 teams, and line up on sideline. The game starts with coach rolling a live ground ball in, and the winning team must try and score a goal on their opponents net. Once there is a dead ball, goal, our ball out of play, coach will roll a 2nd ball in for the same 2 players for another rep. Do 3-5 reps then change with new players starting from the sideline.

Coaching Points and Principles

Groundball – Players should be working hard to win the ground ball, accelerating and running away from pressure.
Defense – Focus on containment, don’t let the offensive player get to the middle of the field
Offense – Use dodges and deception to win your 1v1 battle!
Conditioning – a great workout for with multiple reps

Progressions

Play 2v2
Add in constraints or shooting areas

Tags

Beginner Game - Live Play Ground Ball Battles Ground Balls Intermediate Offense & Defense Principles Small Area Games Small Area Games U10 U12 U8

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Station 2: Wing Dodges w/ Guided Defense

Set Up

Put the players in a line on the wing, with the balls for them to start with. We are using cones to give the players a little guidance, but having a guided defender you don’t necessarily need them. The players will start to attack a space they see, and the coach will shade high or low. That will determine whether the player gets underneath, or gets over the top for a shot.

Coaching Points and Principles

They want to attack the space the see free to start
If a coach takes a side away they are trying to get to, they should naturally change direction
Try to get a shot off as soon as you best the defender

Progressions

Add in a 2nd coach and slide forcing a pass
Execute on different side of the field
Protect the stick while dodging

Tags

Anticipation & Recognition Attack Beginner Decision Making Dodging & Escapes Guided - Token Opponent Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield Shooting Shooting on the Run U10 U12 U14 U8

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Station 3: Half Field Small Ball

Set Up

You can play this game as half field, or full field. Make sure you are USING TENNIS BALLS OR SOFT LACROSSE BALLS for this game. Split players up into two teams, and play 3v3 or 4v4. One player on the defensive team has to play goalie, so it’s always an unsettled game. If the defense turns the ball over, or there is a dead ball, the defending team will clear it past restraining line (like basketball half court) and then they will be on offense. This is a great game for station play or small groups

Coaching Points and Principles

Unsettled offense and defense – Players should recognize the situation
- Offense – Draw a defender and find an open teammate / off ball move to space
- Defense – Play zone-like defense with slides and recovery
Awareness and Game IQ

Progressions

Change the number off players
play a full field version with 2 goals

Tags

3v2 4v3 Beginner Game - Live Play Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Offense & Defense Principles Small Area Games Small Area Games Transition U10 U8

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Football Unsettled!

A fund game that introduces all even play and playing against pressure

Set Up

Make a 25 x 20 yd. field with a touchdown. scoring zone on each end. The teams play 3v2 and score by cradling down downfield, making passes, and finishing with a pass into the end zone. Once a TD is scored, the opposing team re-starts the game from their end zone. The last player to touch the ball on offense is out, and then the ball plays to the opposite end. Players can’t carry the ball into the endzone unless they have made 2 passes already. Everyone must move to find space and connect

Coaching Points & Principles

Cradling – Carry the ball vs pressure
Finding Space
Play vs Pressure

Progressions

Set more passing limits
Play 4v4 with more advanced players or u10/u12

3v2 Beginner Game - Live Play Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Passing Small Area Games Small Area Games Transition U10 U8 Women’s Lacrosse

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