Unsettled Play

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Unsettled Play

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
  1. Chaos Keep Away Small Area Game
  2. Restart Game
  3. Half Court Small Ball
  4. 3-Quarter Field Scramble
Chaos Keep Away Small Area Game - Link to Drill Set Up Focus Points

Set Up

Create a small area playing field and split players into 2 teams. Both teams at opposite end of the fields, and lacrosse balls to the middle of the field. I usually like to you 1/2 balls to players.. so if there are 20 total players, use 10 balls. On the whistle, the players will run in trying to get a ball. Once they gain possession, they must run away and escape the defenders staying in the playing area. The team with the most balls at the end of 1 minute wins that round

Rules

Coaching Points & Principles

  • Groundballs! Winn the ground ball battles
  • Stick control & cradling with the ball vs pressure
  • Teamwork, don’t be afraid to pass to open teammates to maintain possessions

Boys Version for Reference: https://lacrossedrive.com/chaos-keep-away-game/

 

Girls Chaos Keep Away Game Preview
  • Players can pass to teammates to escape pressure and maintain possession
  • If they go out of bounds with a ball, turnover to defending player
  • Players without the ball, can pressure to take away and flip a possession
  • The team who possesses the most balls after 1 minute, wins
Restart Game - Link to Drill Set Up Focus Points

A game that forces the offense to find quick advantages off restarts and the defense to communicate and get into proper positioning

Set Up

On half field, play 4v4. Give the offense a 15 second shot clock. Play until one of the following happens

Once one of this has happened, coach blows the whistle and rolls a new ball in to the offense into a random area. The Defense must get back into the house/hole area to protect the goal, and the offense must move quick to find scoring opportunities.

Coaching Points & Principles

  • Fast restart – Offense should try and take advantage of a defense that is spread out, and attack open space to get them to slide/rotate
  • Defensive communication  – Off restarts, they need to match up and make sure they are supporting for help/slides
  • Play 4v3 for the youngest players so there is always an advantage

 

 

Restart Advantage Drilll Preview
  • Shot/Goal
  • Goalie Save/Def Clear
  • Defensive Clear
Half Court Small Ball - Link to Drill Set Up Focus Points

A live game where players can work on their skillset, creativity, and playing in small spaces

Set Up

You can play this game as half field, or full field. Make sure you are USING TENNIS BALLS OR SOFT LACROSSE BALLS for this game. Split players up into two teams, and play 3v3 or 4v4. One player on the defensive team has to play goalie, so it’s always an unsettled game. If the defense turns the ball over, or there is a dead ball, the defending team will clear it past restraining line (like basketball half court) and then they will be on offense. This is a great game for station play or small groups

Coaching Points and Principles

Progressions

  • Change the number off players
  • play a full field version with 2 goals
Girls Small Ball Half Field Preview
  • Unsettled offense and defense – Players should recognize the situation Offense – Draw a defender and find an open teammate / off ball move to space Defense – Play zone-like defense with slides and recovery
  • Offense – Draw a defender and find an open teammate / off ball move to space
  • Defense – Play zone-like defense with slides and recovery
  • Awareness and Game IQ
3-Quarter Field Scramble - Link to Drill Set Up Focus Points

SET UP

Put 4 attack and 4 defenders down on one side of the field in front of the cage. At the far restraining box, set up , add 3 lines of each color alternating by color. (we have the attack and defense in different colors because their positions never change) Each line has a number, to start the drill, coach gives the numbers going in and coach passes a ball in. The team that gets it is on offense and they must push the ball in transition while the defense has to communicate at talk through the situation. If the goalie saves it or there is a turnover/missed shot, have them clear it back to starting point. If the offense scores, kill the play and restart with a new group

PRINCIPLES & COACHING POINTS

PROGRESSIONS

  • Tell Defense to play different types of D
  • Add in contraints, like goals need to finish off a pass
  • Keep the offense and defense separate up top, if you have specific transition players
Quarter Scramble Preview
  • Have coach change up numbers (5v4, 6v5, 6v6)
  • Encourage to try and find solutions for quick scoring options (Shot clock)
  • Discuss slow breaks when occurs, and encourage moving the ball 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.

Chaos Keep Away Small Area Game

Girls Chaos Keep Away Game Preview

Set Up

Create a small area playing field and split players into 2 teams. Both teams at opposite end of the fields, and lacrosse balls to the middle of the field. I usually like to you 1/2 balls to players.. so if there are 20 total players, use 10 balls. On the whistle, the players will run in trying to get a ball. Once they gain possession, they must run away and escape the defenders staying in the playing area. The team with the most balls at the end of 1 minute wins that round

Rules

  • Players can pass to teammates to escape pressure and maintain possession
  • If they go out of bounds with a ball, turnover to defending player
  • Players without the ball, can pressure to take away and flip a possession
  • The team who possesses the most balls after 1 minute, wins

Coaching Points & Principles

  • Groundballs! Winn the ground ball battles
  • Stick control & cradling with the ball vs pressure
  • Teamwork, don’t be afraid to pass to open teammates to maintain possessions

Boys Version for Reference: https://lacrossedrive.com/chaos-keep-away-game/

 

Ball Control & CradlingBeginnerDisruptive - Light Physical OpponentDodging & EscapesFoundational SkillsIntermediateSmall Area GamesSmall Area GamesU10U8Women’s Lacrosse

View Drill Page →

Restart Game

Restart Advantage Drilll Preview

A game that forces the offense to find quick advantages off restarts and the defense to communicate and get into proper positioning

Set Up

On half field, play 4v4. Give the offense a 15 second shot clock. Play until one of the following happens

  • Shot/Goal
  • Goalie Save/Def Clear
  • Defensive Clear

Once one of this has happened, coach blows the whistle and rolls a new ball in to the offense into a random area. The Defense must get back into the house/hole area to protect the goal, and the offense must move quick to find scoring opportunities.

Coaching Points & Principles

  • Fast restart – Offense should try and take advantage of a defense that is spread out, and attack open space to get them to slide/rotate
  • Defensive communication  – Off restarts, they need to match up and make sure they are supporting for help/slides
  • Play 4v3 for the youngest players so there is always an advantage

 

 

4v34v4AdvancedBeginnerCollegeDecision MakingGame - Live PlayHigh SchoolIntermediateLacrosse IQMen’s LacrosseOff Ball Defensive PlayOff Ball Offensive PlaySmall Area GamesSmall Area GamesTransitionU10U12U14Women’s Lacrosse

View Drill Page →

Half Court Small Ball

Girls Small Ball Half Field Preview

A live game where players can work on their skillset, creativity, and playing in small spaces

Set Up

You can play this game as half field, or full field. Make sure you are USING TENNIS BALLS OR SOFT LACROSSE BALLS for this game. Split players up into two teams, and play 3v3 or 4v4. One player on the defensive team has to play goalie, so it’s always an unsettled game. If the defense turns the ball over, or there is a dead ball, the defending team will clear it past restraining line (like basketball half court) and then they will be on offense. This is a great game for station play or small groups

Coaching Points and Principles

  • Unsettled offense and defense – Players should recognize the situation
    • Offense – Draw a defender and find an open teammate / off ball move to space
    • Defense – Play zone-like defense with slides and recovery
  • Awareness and Game IQ

Progressions

  • Change the number off players
  • play a full field version with 2 goals
3v24v3AdvancedAnticipation & RecognitionDecision MakingGame - Live PlayHigh SchoolIntermediateSmall Area GamesSmall Area GamesTeam Systems & Conceptual PlayTransitionU10U12U14U8Women’s Lacrosse

View Drill Page →

3-Quarter Field Scramble

Quarter Scramble Preview

SET UP

Put 4 attack and 4 defenders down on one side of the field in front of the cage. At the far restraining box, set up , add 3 lines of each color alternating by color. (we have the attack and defense in different colors because their positions never change) Each line has a number, to start the drill, coach gives the numbers going in and coach passes a ball in. The team that gets it is on offense and they must push the ball in transition while the defense has to communicate at talk through the situation. If the goalie saves it or there is a turnover/missed shot, have them clear it back to starting point. If the offense scores, kill the play and restart with a new group

PRINCIPLES & COACHING POINTS

  • Have coach change up numbers (5v4, 6v5, 6v6)
  • Encourage to try and find solutions for quick scoring options (Shot clock)
  • Discuss slow breaks when occurs, and encourage moving the ball through X

PROGRESSIONS

  • Tell Defense to play different types of D
  • Add in contraints, like goals need to finish off a pass
  • Keep the offense and defense separate up top, if you have specific transition players
AdvancedAnticipation & RecognitionCollegeGame - Live PlayHigh SchoolIntermediateSmall Area GamesSmall Area GamesTeam Systems & Conceptual PlayTransitionU12U14Women’s Lacrosse

View Drill Page →