Ground Ball Battles & Tempo

Ground Ball Battles & Tempo
Phase 2: Create & Manipulate: As players transition into the Early Train to Compete phase, the focus shifts from executing skills to intentionally creating advantages. Players learn how to manipulate defenders through two-man actions, off-ball movement, proper spacing, and early ball movement while developing the ability to play through second and third actions. Defensively, the emphasis is on communication, help principles, and recognizing how to disrupt offensive advantages. Coaches encourage players to read the game rather than memorize patterns, using competitive, game-like environments that develop intelligent, adaptable decision-makers.	Week 6 Practice / 90 Minute Session	Activities Spoke Passing w/ Pressure 1v1 Groundball Attack! Ground Ball General Drill 5v4 Scrappin’ Drill 6v6 Scrimmage
Spoke Passing w/ Pressure - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A progression off the traditional spoke passing drill, adding defense Set Up Put your players In groups of 8 or 10, and set up 4 lines all right next to each other, in the shape of a + sign. Start with 1 ball in 1 line. The first player in line must carry with the 2nd player defending as the trailer. The defender will shade one side, and the offense must roll to space and adjacent line teammate must pop out to support. Connect a pass to the outside so the trail defenders can intercept the pass, and continue until you get all the way around the circle. Reset and start a ground ball with a new line Coaching Points & Principles		Escapes – Feeling the open Space Off Ball Play – Adjacent teammates must recognize if their teammate curls to them and pop out for support Passing – Pass the ball to the outside to prevent defensive knock downs
1v1 Groundball Attack! - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
Put your players into 2 groups from this drill for more reps		Ground ball battles! use body to position yourself in front of the ball Hands, players must have good hands to get the ball clean or direct to open space where they can re-attack
Ground Ball General Drill - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A progression drill from our General Drill, that starts with a live ground ball! Set Up Put an offensive player and defensive player open the crease, and add an offensive and defensive player at the top of the box. Coach will have ball up near the top players, and the drill is triggered with coach rolling a ground ball in play. The 2 players on crease will fight for the ground ball, while top defenseman much sprint to the crease, and get back to approach his opponent up top. The offensive player on the crease, want to win the ground ball and move the ball quickly to their teammate, to increase the advantage to the dodger! As the ball is in the air, the defense must approach the offensive player and take a good angle to keep them away from the middle of the field. The offense must catch the ball, and make 1 quick move to get their hands free for a shot. Try to limit the play to 5 seconds Coaching Points and Principles Defense Offense Ground Balls – get your head up and move the ball quick after possession! One quick move and go, we want to use deception to get our hands free. If you get your hands free, get loaded and shoot, don’t let the defended recover. Use split dodges and jab steps to freeze the defense Try to take high quality shots, changing planes and shooting away from the goalies stick Progressions Use tennis balls if you want to keep it lighter for your goalies		Focus on your angle of approach, we want to take away the middle of the field, where a shooting angle is higher get your inside foot, top side to help with that approach and take short choppy steps so you stay balanced, trying not to lunge forward Lead with your stick and get to the players hands, hole the topside as best you can’t and drive through shoulders during the dodge to prevent shots
5v4 Scrappin’ Drill - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A great traction drill that works on ground balls and up tempo play Set Up Put 2 attack and 2 defenders in on the offensive end. Add in 3 offensive players and 2 defensive players on the wing. The drill starts with a groundball battle between the wing players. If the offense wins, they play 5v4 transition to the goal. If the defense wins, they must clear it Coaching Points & Principles		Ground Ball Battles – Box Out, Communicate Transition – Offense find the advantage, defense slide and rotate
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

Spoke Passing w/ Pressure
1v1 Groundball Attack!
Ground Ball General Drill
5v4 Scrappin’ Drill
6v6 Scrimmage

Phase 2: Create & Manipulate: As players transition into the Early Train to Compete phase, the focus shifts from executing skills to intentionally creating advantages. Players learn how to manipulate defenders through two-man actions, off-ball movement, proper spacing, and early ball movement while developing the ability to play through second and third actions. Defensively, the emphasis is on communication, help principles, and recognizing how to disrupt offensive advantages. Coaches encourage players to read the game rather than memorize patterns, using competitive, game-like environments that develop intelligent, adaptable decision-makers.

Week 6 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.

Spoke Passing w/ Pressure

Set Up

Put your players In groups of 8 or 10, and set up 4 lines all right next to each other, in the shape of a + sign. Start with 1 ball in 1 line. The first player in line must carry with the 2nd player defending as the trailer. The defender will shade one side, and the offense must roll to space and adjacent line teammate must pop out to support. Connect a pass to the outside so the trail defenders can intercept the pass, and continue until you get all the way around the circle. Reset and start a ground ball with a new line

Coaching Points & Principles

Escapes – Feeling the open Space
Off Ball Play – Adjacent teammates must recognize if their teammate curls to them and pop out for support
Passing – Pass the ball to the outside to prevent defensive knock downs

Tags

2-Player Game Advanced College Disruptive - Light Physical Opponent Dodging & Escapes Foundational Skills Guided - Token Opponent High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Passing Team Passing U14

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1v1 Groundball Attack!

Put your players into 2 groups from this drill for more reps

Set Up

Put players in 2 lines, and put a coach about 20 yards away. Coach will roll the ball in with speed head on to the players, and they must battle to win the roundball and get it back to coach or an assistant player next to coach!

Coaching Points & Principles

Ground ball battles! use body to position yourself in front of the ball
Hands, players must have good hands to get the ball clean or direct to open space where they can re-attack

Tags

Advanced College Foundational Skills Game - Live Play Ground Ball Battles Ground Balls High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse U12 U14

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Ground Ball General Drill

Set Up

Put an offensive player and defensive player open the crease, and add an offensive and defensive player at the top of the box. Coach will have ball up near the top players, and the drill is triggered with coach rolling a ground ball in play. The 2 players on crease will fight for the ground ball, while top defenseman much sprint to the crease, and get back to approach his opponent up top. The offensive player on the crease, want to win the ground ball and move the ball quickly to their teammate, to increase the advantage to the dodger! As the ball is in the air, the defense must approach the offensive player and take a good angle to keep them away from the middle of the field. The offense must catch the ball, and make 1 quick move to get their hands free for a shot. Try to limit the play to 5 seconds

Coaching Points and Principles

Defense

Focus on your angle of approach, we want to take away the middle of the field, where a shooting angle is higher
get your inside foot, top side to help with that approach and take short choppy steps so you stay balanced, trying not to lunge forward
Lead with your stick and get to the players hands, hole the topside as best you can’t and drive through shoulders during the dodge to prevent shots

Offense

Ground Balls – get your head up and move the ball quick after possession!
One quick move and go, we want to use deception to get our hands free. If you get your hands free, get loaded and shoot, don’t let the defended recover.
Use split dodges and jab steps to freeze the defense
Try to take high quality shots, changing planes and shooting away from the goalies stick

Progressions

Use tennis balls if you want to keep it lighter for your goalies

Tags

Advanced Attack Defense Defensive Positioning & Footwork Dodging & Escapes Foundational Skills Game - Live Play Ground Balls High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield Shooting Shooting on the Run Team Systems & Conceptual Play U14

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5v4 Scrappin’ Drill

Set Up

Put 2 attack and 2 defenders in on the offensive end. Add in 3 offensive players and 2 defensive players on the wing. The drill starts with a groundball battle between the wing players. If the offense wins, they play 5v4 transition to the goal. If the defense wins, they must clear it

Coaching Points & Principles

Ground Ball Battles – Box Out, Communicate
Transition – Offense find the advantage, defense slide and rotate

Tags

5v4 Advanced College Game - Live Play Ground Ball Battles Ground Balls High School Men’s Lacrosse Small Area Games Team Systems & Conceptual Play Transition U14

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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

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