Playing vs Pressure

Playing vs Pressure
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 3v2 Groundball Keepaway w/ Jenny Levy (University of North Carolina) 3v3 Small Area w/ Double Teams 2v2 With Slides 4v4 Plus X
3v2 Groundball Keepaway w/ Jenny Levy (University of North Carolina) - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
3v3 Ground Ball is a competitive possession game that teaches players to box out, work with teammates, escape pressure after the pickup, and complete a clean outlet pass to finish the play. SET UP Set up three players against three players around a designated ground-ball area, with an outlet player positioned approximately 10–15 yards away. Initiate each rep by rolling or placing a loose ball into the playing area and allow the players to compete live for possession. Players should use their first step to box out, work with teammates, and secure the ground ball through pressure. Once possession is gained, the player does not have to pass immediately—they can carry into open space to escape pressure before finding the outlet. Finish the rep by completing a clean pass to the outlet player. Progress or simplify the game by changing the numbers, including playing 2v2, or adjusting the distance of the outlet. COACHING POINTS & PRINCIPLES		Box Out First: Make the first step a box-out step—get your body between the opponent and the ball before attacking the ground ball. Escape the Pressure: Securing the ground ball is only the first action. Carry into space when necessary before trying to make the outlet pass. Finish the Play: Use deception or a stick fake to avoid blocked passes, protect the stick through pressure, and complete a clean pass to the outlet.
3v3 Small Area w/ Double Teams - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A great small area game that emphasizes playing vs pressure Set Up If your field has the football hash lines, use those or create a small area in front of the goal 10×20. Its a live 3v3 and you can manipulate the rules as you see fit, but here are the base set of rules: Always trigger with a pass down pick down Defense must always try to double team off the picks If the defense neutral;izes the pick, offense should move the ball and try to find an advantage to the goal Coaching Points & Principles Progressions Have the off ball defender show more as a slide player Younger players that don’t use picks, have a slide come to the dodger as a double team and use shallow cuts for offense		Playing vs pressure – double teams we need ball carried to find space and off ball teammate to find support space Quick ball movement Picks – making sure we use good angle to help our teammate get hands free
2v2 With Slides - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A great drill to work on transition play and reading the opponent slides & double teams Set Up Create a small area playing space, in this video we are using the restraining box on 1 side of the field. We have split the field in half with cones, so players get some form of visual on where to be defensively and offensively off ball. We have the white team going 1 direction and the dark team going the opposite, so everyone played both offense and defense. To start, put an offensive and defensive player on the crease. The drill initiates with a 1v1 dodge from the high wing, if you want to give your offensive player a little advantage (2-3 steps), that works just fine. They will run down the alley, and the defender will slide off the crease to double team. The offensive player off ball should show their stick, call for the ball, and if they need to, step to the pass to catch and finish! The two players on the crease will move up to the opposite wing and the two players who ran down the alley, will now move to the crease area Coaching Points & Principles Progressions Put 2 players on the crease, and offense has to read where the slide comes from		Run hard down the alley like you are trying to score in transition! When the double team comes, make sure to get the pass off while your hands are free, or bounce to get your hands free Crease offense, should move to a passing lane for their teammate to get a clear path and reduce knockdowns Shooting! Nice hard overhand shots through the net!
4v4 Plus X - Link to Drill	Set Up	Focus Points
A great unsettled small area game that emphasizes changing sides of the field and re-attacking Set Up Play 4v4 above GLE, and add a player at X on offense. The X player can only transfer the ball, they cannot dodge or shoot, but the defense must play them when they receive the ball. That will create an unsettle situation above GLE as the players move the ball through X Coaching Point and Principles		Offense – Get them to dominos and find the advantage. Work the 2-3 player game above GLE Defense – Communicate, protect the house, and slide/recover efficiently.

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3v2 Groundball Keepaway w/ Jenny Levy (University of North Carolina)
3v3 Small Area w/ Double Teams
2v2 With Slides
4v4 Plus X

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.

3v2 Groundball Keepaway w/ Jenny Levy (University of North Carolina)

3v3 Ground Ball is a competitive possession game that teaches players to box out, work with teammates, escape pressure after the pickup, and complete a clean outlet pass to finish the play.

SET UP

Set up three players against three players around a designated ground-ball area, with an outlet player positioned approximately 10–15 yards away. Initiate each rep by rolling or placing a loose ball into the playing area and allow the players to compete live for possession. Players should use their first step to box out, work with teammates, and secure the ground ball through pressure. Once possession is gained, the player does not have to pass immediately—they can carry into open space to escape pressure before finding the outlet. Finish the rep by completing a clean pass to the outlet player. Progress or simplify the game by changing the numbers, including playing 2v2, or adjusting the distance of the outlet.

COACHING POINTS & PRINCIPLES

Box Out First: Make the first step a box-out step—get your body between the opponent and the ball before attacking the ground ball.
Escape the Pressure: Securing the ground ball is only the first action. Carry into space when necessary before trying to make the outlet pass.
Finish the Play: Use deception or a stick fake to avoid blocked passes, protect the stick through pressure, and complete a clean pass to the outlet.

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3v3 Small Area w/ Double Teams

A great small area game that emphasizes playing vs pressure

Set Up

If your field has the football hash lines, use those or create a small area in front of the goal 10×20.

Its a live 3v3 and you can manipulate the rules as you see fit, but here are the base set of rules:

Always trigger with a pass down pick down
Defense must always try to double team off the picks
If the defense neutral;izes the pick, offense should move the ball and try to find an advantage to the goal

Coaching Points & Principles

Playing vs pressure – double teams we need ball carried to find space and off ball teammate to find support space
Quick ball movement
Picks – making sure we use good angle to help our teammate get hands free

Progressions

Have the off ball defender show more as a slide player
Younger players that don’t use picks, have a slide come to the dodger as a double team and use shallow cuts for offense

2-Player Game 3-Player Game Advanced Anticipation & Recognition College Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Lacrosse IQ Off Ball Offensive Play Offense Spacing Principles Positional / Tactical Small Area Games Team Systems & Conceptual Play U10 U12 U14 Women’s Lacrosse

View Drill Page →

2v2 With Slides

A great drill to work on transition play and reading the opponent slides & double teams

Set Up

Create a small area playing space, in this video we are using the restraining box on 1 side of the field. We have split the field in half with cones, so players get some form of visual on where to be defensively and offensively off ball. We have the white team going 1 direction and the dark team going the opposite, so everyone played both offense and defense. To start, put an offensive and defensive player on the crease. The drill initiates with a 1v1 dodge from the high wing, if you want to give your offensive player a little advantage (2-3 steps), that works just fine. They will run down the alley, and the defender will slide off the crease to double team. The offensive player off ball should show their stick, call for the ball, and if they need to, step to the pass to catch and finish! The two players on the crease will move up to the opposite wing and the two players who ran down the alley, will now move to the crease area

Coaching Points & Principles

Run hard down the alley like you are trying to score in transition!
When the double team comes, make sure to get the pass off while your hands are free, or bounce to get your hands free
Crease offense, should move to a passing lane for their teammate to get a clear path and reduce knockdowns
Shooting! Nice hard overhand shots through the net!

Progressions

Put 2 players on the crease, and offense has to read where the slide comes from

Advanced Anticipation & Recognition Defense Slide & Recovery Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Positional / Tactical Team Systems & Conceptual Play Transition U10 U12 U14 Women’s Lacrosse

View Drill Page →

4v4 Plus X

A great unsettled small area game that emphasizes changing sides of the field and re-attacking

Set Up

Play 4v4 above GLE, and add a player at X on offense. The X player can only transfer the ball, they cannot dodge or shoot, but the defense must play them when they receive the ball. That will create an unsettle situation above GLE as the players move the ball through X

Coaching Point and Principles

Offense – Get them to dominos and find the advantage. Work the 2-3 player game above GLE
Defense – Communicate, protect the house, and slide/recover efficiently.

2-Player Game 3-Player Game Advanced Anticipation & Recognition College Communication Decision Making Defense Slide & Recovery Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Lacrosse IQ Off Ball Defensive Play Off Ball Offensive Play Offense & Defense Principles Offense Spacing Principles Small Area Games Small Area Games Team Systems & Conceptual Play U10 U12 U14 Women’s Lacrosse

View Drill Page →