Playing Physical & Neutral

Playing Physical & Neutral
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	Activities B2B2B Ground Ball to 2V1 Tight 1v1 2v2 No Pass Game 4V4 Transition Game
B2B2B Ground Ball to 2V1 - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
This ground ball game is great for youth lacrosse teams looking to add in some competition and fun, being a progression to a traditional ground ball drill. Set Up Put 3 players back to back to back, with a ball on the ground in the middle. Give each player a number (1,2,3)Players must start with their stick on their shoulders and heads up, no cheating! On the whistle, it’s a live groundball. Who ever wins the ball, coach will yell out a number, that player is on defense and the 3rd player can now play 2v1 with the teammate who has the ball. You can make it a keep away game, or have them attack a goal. Principles and Coaching Points		Ground balls use body to box out and feet to kick ball loose Play under pressure Game recognition, either play defense or offense.
Tight 1v1 - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
For young players, this is a good drill to work on understanding body position when dodging toward the goal Set Up Put an offense and defense player in play. They start with the offense shielding stick with body, leaning into the defender. The defense leans back with hands/stick on hip on opponent. On whistle, the offense player attacks the goal, and does so by feeling the weight/positon of the defender, and attacking the opposite. Coaching Points & Principles Progressions Have players start with small separation, so the defense must approach.		Stick Protection! Use Body to feel the pressure angle from defender.. roll dodges and top side drives will work but find the natural escape Defense work on recovery angles Do this drill from all areas of the field
2v2 No Pass Game - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A fun game that emphasizes players finding solutions before finding the advantages Set Up Create a playing are ad add a 5-yard wide “no-pass zone” across the center of the field using two parallel lines of cones. The kids will play a Regular 2v2 1/2 field type game. While in the no-pass zone, you cannot pass. You must carry the ball through that zone individually. Once you exit the zone, passing is allowed again. This forces every ball carrier to have an individual carrying solution at least once per possession. It creates the 1v1 moment within a team game context. Rotate through, offense to defense to back of the line Coaching Points & Principles Progressions Widen the no pass zone for more 1v1 action Narrow zone for faster play play 3v3		Transition Play, offense should be trying to find the dodging solutions Have the defense double team once the dodger gets beat Finding advantages – In the dodging aspect, players should find the space to attack in the 1v1 matchup, and then any 2v1 advantages outside the zone
4V4 Transition Game - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A 4v4 small sided game that emphasizes on an off ball team play and incorporating picks within the 2-player game Set Up Start by creating a small playing area, particularly between the restraining boxes and put a goal each end. Split your group up into two teams and line them up on both wings of the midfield line on the respected defense end. Add in to attack in 2-D on both sides . To start the game coach will give the ball to one team to play 4V4. They’re gonna play until there’s a dead ball that could be a save a goal or any kind of turnover. The two midfield players who were on defense for the red team will come out and two new red players will come in to transition the other way. The blue offensive players who just played, will be getting back on defense in transition to stop and quick play. Players will play offense then defense and then they will come out. But just a really good fun game to work on individual offense and defense in both on ball and off ball scenarios Coaching Points & Principles		Offense Work on off ball movement like passing cutting or shallow cuts to create dodging space for your teammates, especially at the younger levels If you are an older group (HS/College), this is a great drill to work on 2-player games like pick and rolls Work on off ball movement like passing cutting or shallow cuts to create dodging space for your teammates, especially at the younger levels If you are an older group (HS/College), this is a great drill to work on 2-player games like pick and rolls Defense – Play with pressure, try to force the offense to make bad decisions by staying on their hands and playing tough through any pick play

Jump to a Section

B2B2B Ground Ball to 2V1
Tight 1v1
2v2 No Pass Game
4V4 Transition Game

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.

B2B2B Ground Ball to 2V1

Set Up

Put 3 players back to back to back, with a ball on the ground in the middle. Give each player a number (1,2,3)Players must start with their stick on their shoulders and heads up, no cheating! On the whistle, it’s a live groundball. Who ever wins the ball, coach will yell out a number, that player is on defense and the 3rd player can now play 2v1 with the teammate who has the ball. You can make it a keep away game, or have them attack a goal.

Principles and Coaching Points

Ground balls
use body to box out and feet to kick ball loose
Play under pressure
Game recognition, either play defense or offense.

Tight 1v1

Set Up

Put an offense and defense player in play. They start with the offense shielding stick with body, leaning into the defender. The defense leans back with hands/stick on hip on opponent. On whistle, the offense player attacks the goal, and does so by feeling the weight/positon of the defender, and attacking the opposite.

Coaching Points & Principles

Stick Protection!
Use Body to feel the pressure angle from defender.. roll dodges and top side drives will work but find the natural escape
Defense work on recovery angles
Do this drill from all areas of the field

Progressions

Have players start with small separation, so the defense must approach.

2v2 No Pass Game

A fun game that emphasizes players finding solutions before finding the advantages

Set Up

Create a playing are ad add a 5-yard wide “no-pass zone” across the center of the field using two parallel lines of cones. The kids will play a Regular 2v2 1/2 field type game. While in the no-pass zone, you cannot pass. You must carry the ball through that zone individually. Once you exit the zone, passing is allowed again. This forces every ball carrier to have an individual carrying solution at least once per possession. It creates the 1v1 moment within a team game context. Rotate through, offense to defense to back of the line

Coaching Points & Principles

Transition Play, offense should be trying to find the dodging solutions
Have the defense double team once the dodger gets beat
Finding advantages – In the dodging aspect, players should find the space to attack in the 1v1 matchup, and then any 2v1 advantages outside the zone

Progressions

Widen the no pass zone for more 1v1 action
Narrow zone for faster play
play 3v3

Anticipation & Recognition Attack Ball Control & Cradling Beginner Defense Defensive Positioning & Footwork Dodging & Escapes Game - Live Play Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield Small Area Games Small Area Games Transition U10 U8 Women’s Lacrosse

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4V4 Transition Game

Set Up

Start by creating a small playing area, particularly between the restraining boxes and put a goal each end. Split your group up into two teams and line them up on both wings of the midfield line on the respected defense end. Add in to attack in 2-D on both sides . To start the game coach will give the ball to one team to play 4V4. They’re gonna play until there’s a dead ball that could be a save a goal or any kind of turnover. The two midfield players who were on defense for the red team will come out and two new red players will come in to transition the other way. The blue offensive players who just played, will be getting back on defense in transition to stop and quick play. Players will play offense then defense and then they will come out. But just a really good fun game to work on individual offense and defense in both on ball and off ball scenarios

Coaching Points & Principles

Offense
- Work on off ball movement like passing cutting or shallow cuts to create dodging space for your teammates, especially at the younger levels
- If you are an older group (HS/College), this is a great drill to work on 2-player games like pick and rolls
Defense – Play with pressure, try to force the offense to make bad decisions by staying on their hands and playing tough through any pick play