Play vs Pressure

Play vs Pressure
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 Donut Passing Offensive Skill Session - 3 Corner 2 Ball Shooting Defensive Skill Session - 2v1 + 1 4v3 Split Field Through X 6v6 Double Team
Donut Passing - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
Set Up Put players in groups of 4 or 5 and spread out on the field. Place one player in the middle, and have them start with the ball. They will find a perimeter teammate to pass to, and follow their pass. The new ball carrier goes into the middle, finds another perimeter player, gets a give and go, and then finds a new teammate. Coaching Points & Principles		Passing – Have soft hands and make good passes Communication – Players should be calling for the ball Target – Off ball teammates would have stick up as targets
Offensive Skill Session - 3 Corner 2 Ball Shooting - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A high volume team shooting drill to get the kids working on various shot types SET UP Put players in 3 lines, one on goalie line about 5 yards away from goal, 2 lines up on the high wings. The ball starts with the high opposite line making a pass and shallow cut.The player recieving the ball will sweep to the middle of the field for a shot. The second player in line makes a pass down to the lower line on GLE for a shot up the hash. The second progression, after the player makes a shallow cut, they cut backside for a finish from a pass on lower GLE line. The Player up top sweeping makes a pass to the lower line for a shot up has cutting towards ball. Coaching Points and Principles Progression Add a 3rd ball/shot into the mix		Focus on the finish and shot placement. Hight to Low Opposite side of net from sho location Make good passes to your teammates Communicate
Defensive Skill Session - 2v1 + 1 - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A drill to work on your slide and recovery Set Up Place 2 attackmen behind the goal, add 1 defender guarding 1, and the second defender on the crease. Use a trash can or a token offensive player on the crease. The defender will guard the 1 attacker, and force them to make a pass. They will then sprint over to the other attacker that received the pass, and guard them at they go to the goal. At this point, our second defender will come slide and help Coaching Points & Principles		Good on ball defense, force the ball carrier back under Goal Line Off Ball Help – We want to shade the side the dodges is happening from, so when the ball goes east-west, the defender on crease shades the other side of the crease Sliding – We want to slide and approach with good angles. Topside, we want to slide towards the top shoulder Underneath – Slide about 1 body length away from the ball carrier Topside, we want to slide towards the top shoulder Underneath – Slide about 1 body length away from the ball carrier
4v3 Split Field Through X - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A fun Small Area Game to emphasize changing sides of the field and creating quick scoring opportunites Set Up Split the field in half, and put 4 offensive and 3 defense on 1 half. Coach throws a ball in and the offense must move the ball through X, and play the other half. They play until dead ball, coach rolls a new ball and players repeat, moving the ball through X to play other half of the field. Play ends, get a new group in Coaching Points and Principles		We want to play fast When we move the ball through X and change fields, we get the defense to turn and rotate Offense should look for quick scoring opportunities, finding the 2v1
6v6 Double Team - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A great drill to work on beating double teams and controlling the ball vs pressure Set Up Put 6v6 players on the field, and you can trigger the drill from any spot. Start with 1 player being double teamed, and coach rolls a ball into that player. They will scoop it and immdiately need to run away from the 2 players chasing them. The offense needs to have front and back side support so teammates on the field must move to get open. Play until the offense can get a shot off, or there is a turnover, and then repeat from another area on the field Coaching Points & Principles Progressions For younger players, start with smaller numbers like 3v3 or 4v4		Play vs pressure – we want to be able to run away to space and maintain ball control Off Ball Offense – Moving to space to help teammates being pressured Defense – Work on trying to get the offense to make bad passes – don’t give away bad checks that lead to open lanes.

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Donut Passing
Offensive Skill Session - 3 Corner 2 Ball Shooting
Defensive Skill Session - 2v1 + 1
4v3 Split Field Through X
6v6 Double Team

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.

Donut Passing

Set Up

Put players in groups of 4 or 5 and spread out on the field. Place one player in the middle, and have them start with the ball. They will find a perimeter teammate to pass to, and follow their pass. The new ball carrier goes into the middle, finds another perimeter player, gets a give and go, and then finds a new teammate.

Coaching Points & Principles

Passing – Have soft hands and make good passes
Communication – Players should be calling for the ball
Target – Off ball teammates would have stick up as targets

Block - On Air (no opponent)Decision Making Foundational Skills Intermediate Passing Positional / Tactical Team Passing U10 U12 U14 Women’s Lacrosse

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Offensive Skill Session - 3 Corner 2 Ball Shooting

SET UP

Put players in 3 lines, one on goalie line about 5 yards away from goal, 2 lines up on the high wings. The ball starts with the high opposite line making a pass and shallow cut.The player recieving the ball will sweep to the middle of the field for a shot. The second player in line makes a pass down to the lower line on GLE for a shot up the hash. The second progression, after the player makes a shallow cut, they cut backside for a finish from a pass on lower GLE line. The Player up top sweeping makes a pass to the lower line for a shot up has cutting towards ball.

Coaching Points and Principles

Focus on the finish and shot placement. Hight to Low Opposite side of net from sho location
Make good passes to your teammates
Communicate

Progression

Add a 3rd ball/shot into the mix

Defensive Skill Session - 2v1 + 1

Set Up

Place 2 attackmen behind the goal, add 1 defender guarding 1, and the second defender on the crease. Use a trash can or a token offensive player on the crease. The defender will guard the 1 attacker, and force them to make a pass. They will then sprint over to the other attacker that received the pass, and guard them at they go to the goal. At this point, our second defender will come slide and help

Coaching Points & Principles

Good on ball defense, force the ball carrier back under Goal Line
Off Ball Help – We want to shade the side the dodges is happening from, so when the ball goes east-west, the defender on crease shades the other side of the crease
Sliding – We want to slide and approach with good angles.
- Topside, we want to slide towards the top shoulder
- Underneath – Slide about 1 body length away from the ball carrier

4v3 Split Field Through X

Set Up

Split the field in half, and put 4 offensive and 3 defense on 1 half. Coach throws a ball in and the offense must move the ball through X, and play the other half. They play until dead ball, coach rolls a new ball and players repeat, moving the ball through X to play other half of the field. Play ends, get a new group in

Coaching Points and Principles

We want to play fast
When we move the ball through X and change fields, we get the defense to turn and rotate
Offense should look for quick scoring opportunities, finding the 2v1

6v6 Double Team

A great drill to work on beating double teams and controlling the ball vs pressure

Set Up

Put 6v6 players on the field, and you can trigger the drill from any spot. Start with 1 player being double teamed, and coach rolls a ball into that player. They will scoop it and immdiately need to run away from the 2 players chasing them. The offense needs to have front and back side support so teammates on the field must move to get open. Play until the offense can get a shot off, or there is a turnover, and then repeat from another area on the field

Coaching Points & Principles

Play vs pressure – we want to be able to run away to space and maintain ball control
Off Ball Offense – Moving to space to help teammates being pressured
Defense – Work on trying to get the offense to make bad passes – don’t give away bad checks that lead to open lanes.

Progressions

For younger players, start with smaller numbers like 3v3 or 4v4

Advanced Anticipation & Recognition Attack Ball Control & Cradling College Communication Decision Making Defense Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield Off Ball Offensive Play Passing Small Area Games Small Area Games Transition U14

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