Practice Plan: Team Principles & Actions

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Activity 1: Line Drills & Escapes
Activity 2: FF Stack Clearing w/ Pressure
Activity 3: Shell Drill w/ Slides
Activity 4: 3v3 General Drill
Activity 5: 4v3 to 5v4 Transition
Activity 6: 4v3 Split Field Through 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.

Theme Description & Objected: Team Principles & Actions

Team Principles & Actions is designed to help players understand the simple building blocks of how a team works together on the field. The objective of this plan is to introduce young athletes to core concepts like communication, spacing, supporting the ball, playing unselfishly, and working together on both offense and defense. Through fun, game-like activities, players learn how their individual actions—moving to space, calling for the ball, helping on defense, and making the extra pass—impact the success of the whole group. This approach builds teamwork, confidence, and early game IQ, helping players understand not just what to do, but why it matters in a team setting.

10 Minutes

Activity 1: Line Drills & Escapes

Set Up

Put players in lines about 15-20 away from each other. Start the ball with a pass, once that player goes and passes to the next teammate in line, they will play token/guided defense. The player with the ball will add in some form of escape. In this drill we will work on 3 different escapes

Hitch – After you catch the ball, get loaded for a shot and then hitch around defender
Roll Away – Roll away from the defender, working on stick protection
Fakes – Have players throw quick pump fakes before getting around defende

Coaching Points and Principles

Try to get the pass off right away, after you get around defender
Execution of the escapes including stick protection and control
Make good long passes to your teammates

Progression

Add different escapes like face and split dodges
Have the defender player tougher defense

Tags

All Attack Ball Control (with the ball)Defense Dodging & Escapes Guided - Token Opponent High School Intermediate Midfield Passing Team Passing U14

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10 Minutes

Activity 2: FF Stack Clearing w/ Pressure

Set Up

Place 2 defensive lines in each corner of the field, a goalie in each cage, and 4 midfield lines across the midline. The attack players can funning in to the midfield line and/or be the riding personnel. You can play both sides at the same time, for maximum reps. It starts with the goalie outleting the ball to the defense players. They will carry up the field, and the riding defender will cover 1 of the 2 midfield players. The ball carrier will pass to the open teammate, and then look to pass upfield to their teammate who was covered by the attack player. The team will get the ball down to the opposite defense player, who will transfer to the goalie and start again towards the opposite side. If you don’t have 2 goalies, a coach can fill in as the transfer player

Coaching Points and Principles

Move your feet as you are passing the ball, and off ball players cut to the ball
Riding attack players, put pressure on the ball no matter where it goes.. try to knock down or intercept passes

Progressions

add in 2 attack/riders to the drill to make it harder.. once plays the defender with the ball and the other players the 2 midfielder.

Tags

Advanced Clearing College Decision Making Disruptive - Light Physical Opponent Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Lacrosse IQ Men’s Lacrosse Passing Team Passing Team Systems & Conceptual Play U12 U14

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10 Minutes

Activity 3: Shell Drill w/ Slides

Set Up

On one end of the field, put 5 offensive players and 5 defensive players out, with 4 perimeter and 1 crease player. Use cones to create an 5×5 – 8×8 house area in front of the goal. The offense will move the ball on the perimeter, and the defense will work together to approach the ball, and off ball players working to sink in to help the house. Defenders 2 passes awat should be all the way inside the house, with the adjacent teammates with 1 foot in the house. Have the offense move the ball around so the defense has to constantly move on and off ball to maintain position. On coaches whistle, the crease player will slide to a dodger, and the offense has to react. We want the defense to stay tight in the house as we are weak on the backside, and the offense should try to move the ball quickly to get a good shot off.

Coaching Points and Principles

Defensively
- Players approaching the ball should break down with their stick out, thinking about the angle of approach, keeping ball carriers away from the middle.
- Off ball defense get you sticks up in the passing lanes
- Communicate “Ball” “1 slide”, “2 Slide”
Offense
- Move the ball quickly, and think about spacing make good 8-10 yard passes

Tags

5v5 Advanced Fundamental Team Offense & Defense Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Other Skills Team Defense Principles Team Offense Principles

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10 Minutes

Activity 4: 3v3 General Drill

Set Up

This drill is a build up from our 1v1 general drill. We will put 3 offensive players and 3 defensive players in. The offense will start the ball on the high wing with a ball, guarded by a defender. A coach will be at X being the transfer player, and the 2nd offensive player on the opposite high wing where the ball is starting and a 3rd on the crease. Add a second defender on the crease being the slide player and a 3rd being the two slide help. Player 1 with ball will dodge the alley, and a slide will be initiated from the crease. Player 1 will move the ball to Coach to transfer the ball to player 2, while defender 1 recovers to crease, they will bump out D3 to the player receiving the ball on the backside. Same rules apply now from our 1v1 General Drill.. 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

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
Play live 3v3 after the transfer, so the offense can work together to score
Make the crease offensive player move to make the 2 slide tougher

Tags

3v3 Advanced Attack Communication Defense Defensive Positioning & Footwork Dodging & Escapes Fundamental Team Offense & Defense Game - Live Play Guided - Token Opponent High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield Shooting Shooting on the Run Team Systems & Conceptual Play

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Activity 5: 4v3 to 5v4 Transition

Set Up

Put 3 attack and 3 defensive players in play around the crease. Up to near the midfield line, put a defensive midfield line in the middle, with 2 offensive midfield lines on each side. Start the drill with the coach giving a ball to a d-mid for a 4v3 fast break. Play until there is a dead ball, the d-mid now switch to defense, and coach give a ball to 2 O-Mid players up top to come down in a 5v4. Try to find different ways to creat scoring opportunities whether you play through X or look for quick shots and 2v1 up top.

Coaching Points and Principles

Defense – Communicate and recognize the situations. Play in a tight zone-like approach and ready to slide and recover quickly
Offense – Move the ball quick, and play off bal. Use cuts and finding space to make the defense shrink, a good way to do that is by movement through the crease

Progressions

Tell the Attack and Defense before every rep, to be moving so they have to spring into position as the drill begins

Tags

4v3 5v4 Advanced Anticipation & Recognition Communication Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Transition

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15 Minutes

Activity 6: 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

Tags

4v3 Advanced College Game - Live Play High School Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Small Area Games Small Area Games Transition U14

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