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Fundamentals of Lacrosse

Presented by Alex Whitten

Head Boys Lacrosse Coach

New Canaan High School

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Personal History Wilton High School 3 time state champion. Duke University 4 year letter winner, ACC

champion in 1995, Final Four appearance in 1997.

Connecticut Class S coach of the year in 2006.

Connecticut Post Coach of the year in 2007. Class S State Champions in 2007.

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Why We Are Here Lacrosse in New Canaan, as in every area of the

country, is growing at an incredible rate. Enrollment in the sport has grown 364% over the

last 10 years nationwide. The sport is a complicated one to understand. Lacrosse will only be able to expand as long as

there is adequate infrastructure that can support the growth properly.

This program is intended to strengthen that infrastructure here in New Canaan.

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Streamlining the Process Continuity in our programs will produce results

year after year. In order to maintain success in our program, we

want to teach our players the same skills at all levels.

The purpose of this program is to express what my beliefs and practices are when I teach the game.

My coaching style and techniques are basic and require players to abide by simple rules that, when followed, have proven results.

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Topics to Cover Coaching Basics Face Offs Transition Offense and Defense Settled Offense and Defense Individual Offensive and Defensive skills Offensive and Defensive Theory Coaching Theory

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Why I Coach It is not wins and losses or even the competitive environment that I love about

coaching. I teach young men a sport that is challenging and requires commitment and

dedication to excel. The part of coaching that I love the most is when I see my players EXECUTE! Execution happens only when a player has dedicated himself to the pursuit of

improvement and has put forth the necessary and required effort to make it happen.

When players execute during contests, they make plays and when they make plays, they learn that their efforts can and will produce a positive outcome.

It is all about What We are Teaching These Guys. This is the theory I try to incorporate into every thing I do while on the field.

As a head coach, I want to express to every coach in our program my philosophies and techniques to help streamline the whole coaching process.

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Eliminate “Why” and “Should” When we use the the words “why” or “should,” we are placing judgment on the

action of our players. These words will make our players defend their actions on the field in a way that

they might not be able to do otherwise. Instead of “Should” we need to use the word “Could.” Instead of “Why” we need to use “When, What, Where, How or Who.” This change in language will allow our players to come up with their own

answers instead of having a coach tell them what to do every time. 2 years ago my team was not efficient at clearing because I would see the open

man from the sideline and would call out that player to the clearing player. This made my players dependent on me to find the open man instead of finding it themselves.

We want our players to be able to make decisions quickly, and we as coaches, want to teach our players to become this way.

Let’s enable them to answer questions for themselves in a positive manner. If we eliminate “Why” and “Should,” we become better teachers and

communicators.

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The Need To Move On This is a part of coaching I work on everyday. Once a play is over, we need to move on to the next one, positive or negative. We can do nothing about what has just happened in a game or practice so we need

to move to the next play or event in order to control the present play or moment. “The next play is more important than the last mistake.” My college coach would spend an entire timeout talking about what we just didn’t

get done rather than what we needed to do next. Good or bad, we need to keep these kids from dwelling on past failures OR

successes. Once the game is done, we want to go back and reflect on positive and negative

plays and illustrate those things to players so they learn. This can even be done between quarters or at halftime, but spend the majority of your time during breaks in games focusing on what to do next to help the team.

There is nothing we can do about the past. If we have coached our kids properly and they are willing to work, they can overcome any or all deficits they might confront.

“What is the next thing I need to do in order to execute?”

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There Are No Mistakes I tell players that there are no such things as mistakes… …except if there is an action repeated that simply doesn’t work. There is no right or wrong in sports or in life when we talk of action to produce an

end. We need to simply ask our players whether the play they just made worked or not. What might work one time might not in another instance. What didn’t work one time might work in another. We want our players to try new things and be creative, but we want them to be able

to recognize patterns that are productive and ones that are not. I give my varsity players all the opportunity in the world to make mistakes and try new

things with a full expectation that at some point in time what hasn’t work in the past might at some point in the future be very effective.

A player will know in his heart that the play he just made was effective or not. We can reinforce this by complimenting when it works but also asking what else he

might have been able to do if it didn’t. No Judgments.

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Endorse Creativity Athletic creativity is a must in lacrosse. This is exactly why we want to get great athletes playing this sport. Athletic creativity is difficult to cover and play against. This makes the sport fun to play and is ultimately the way the game

was intended to play. Athletic creativity comes from habit. Habit comes from repetition. Repetition comes through effective practice. Effective practice creates solid fundamentals. Solid fundamentals allow for development in other skill areas. Other skill areas open the window for a player to use his athleticism to

further his game. Furthering one’s game allows for individuality and overall player and

team development.

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Decision Making Ability We want to create an environment of decisiveness in our players. Good decision-making comes out of situational recognition. We want our players to say to themselves, “I have been here before or seen this

before, and I recognize what to do in this instance”. Being decisive and knowing what to do eliminates panic situations or situations

we do not have control over. Knowing what to do, how to do it, and when to do it is crucial for our players to

develop individually and as teammates. We want our players going into game situations with the confidence that they

know what to do. This is ATTITUDE not COCKINESS!!! At the varsity level, we practice game type situations almost all the time which is

what allows our players to recognize many different situations and events. Make a move with confidence that you will succeed, and whether you do or not,

you live with the result. If we work with players at an individual level, this will create decisiveness

through the whole program.

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Mental vs. Physical In sport, as in life, the majority of mistakes that are made are mental not

physical. Mental mistakes happen for various reasons. If we can eliminate mental errors, we will be more successful as a

program. Physical mistakes are often caused because a player does not make

the right mental decision (i.e. Deciding not run full-speed, deciding not to get low on the groundball, deciding to throw the ball at the net instead of really shooting the ball).

Everything we do physically starts with a mental intention. If our players know what is mentally expected of them, their actions

physically will produce positive results. We need to reduce our mental mistakes in order to increase our

physical output.

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Mental Toughness Mental Toughness is hard to coach but can be done. We do not want to foster a false sense of bravado in our players, but

we do want them to step on the field and have confidence in their ability.

A player that has mental toughness will have determination and will be able to handle multiple situations that can arise during a contest.

That player will have based confidence, will be able to take criticism of his game when needed, and will not need to be praised after every play that was successful.

These players are also your Field Generals and typically are your best on field leaders.

Again, “What are we teaching these guys?” Mental toughness requires confidence. Confidence will make these guys winners.

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Coaching The Group It is my belief that a coach must create and establish his own coaching

style. Establish with your team your coaching philosophies and beliefs before

the season starts so that your players know what to expect from you. All players must be able to adapt to their coach’s style and beliefs, but

this cannot be an ultimatum. A great coach is able to adapt his style to each player on his team. Certain players need certain reinforcement and reassurance. It is a coach’s responsibility to get to know his players and how they will

react to their coaching style. Different players react differently to all things. If our coaches can adapt to all of our players while at the same time

maintaining their personal coaching philosophies, our teams will be extremely efficient.

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Lacrosse is About Speed There is a reason lacrosse is considered the Fastest Game on Two

Feet!!! IT REQUIRES SPEED!!! It is not just about physical ability. Players must be able to move quickly, think quickly, and be able to

react quickly. Being physically and mentally fast is required to be able to play this

game at the highest level. We need athletes that are willing to work hard to learn how the game is

played, practice to ensure solid fundamental ability, and willing to develop themselves athletically and personally to become the best they can be.

If we require this of all of our players, we will find more success in our program.

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What it Takes To Play Almost every athlete can play lacrosse in some capacity. You do not have to be the biggest, fastest, toughest, or smartest. There are compensating factors to all athletes. A player must realize his strengths and weaknesses in order to play to his strong

points and work to improve upon the parts of his game that need work. A player must be willing to work. Gone are the days of a player saying, “I want to play attack because I don’t like

to run.” This illustrates a weak work ethic and that type of mentality will simply not work

anymore in a program that expects greatness. If you are not the greatest athlete, you can still be a great player. If you are not willing to be great, failure is an acceptable outcome for you. We want to strive for greatness!!!

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Physical Conditioning Both of these are crucial for the development of our players. I do not like to use physical conditioning as a punishment. I say to my players that I am running them as part of practice to get them into

shape for when we play against an opponent. If physical training is viewed as being a necessary part of the game, kids will not

look at it as punishment. If my team has a lack of focus, I will use physical conditioning as a means of

making a point. Make this really tough the first time and you will hopefully not have to do it again.

I also do not like to end practice with sprints. I like to run sprints several times during practice right before group play drills so

that players get used to practicing while tired. Players need to be in shape to play lacrosse and it is important for players to

understand that they need gas in the tank at the end of the game.

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Fundamentals These are the basics of the game. As the sport has evolved into the game it is today, the basic

fundamentals have not changed. Too often young players focus on the parts of the game that do not

allow them to develop fully as players. We as coaches must make sure that the foundation of skills we provide

for our players is the strongest it possibly can be. You need basic fundamental skill in lacrosse, as in any other pursuit in

life, in order to pursue the next level. We need a greater focus on the fundamental of lacrosse in our

programs. As a program, you cannot make the next step, at any level, if we cannot

master the basics.

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Attitude Attitude is basis for all we do in life. Our players must realize that anything worth doing is worth doing well. It is not okay to be mediocre. It is not okay to just get by. We want players that want to be the best player on the field. Imagine what a team could accomplish if every player on the team

wanted to the be the best one out there. This will happen only if our players have the proper attitude. The proper attitude is to not allow yourself to accomplish one thing less

than you are able to. Take advantage of EVERY opportunity, EVERY play, and EVERY

moment to improve yourself. Work harder and smarter and the results you desire will happen.

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The Metaphor “Sports is a metaphor for life!” What we teach on the field can and will

carry over to all that a player will do in life.

Buy into this belief and our players will find success!!!

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Where Does it All Start This all starts with all of the program’s

coaches being on the same page. The we WAY teach is equally, if not

more important, than WHAT we teach. This starts with US as Coaches.

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Durability A player must be physically able to withstand the rigors of a season. Lacrosse is a collision sport. There will be bumps and bruises. There will be injuries. We need our guys to understand the difference between a boo-boo and an

injury. Does it hurt or are you hurt? There is a BIG difference. A player cannot continuously contribute to the success of a team if he is sitting

out every week with a new ailment. We need to get these guys to understand that there are certain things they can

play through and there are certain things that need to be treated. We as coaches must take full responsibility for understanding and knowing our

players and what each of them can handle and what is the proper action to take when a player is not being honest with us.

Simply put you need to be tough to play this game. A players durability will allow him greater practice and playing time and will be

basis for his dependability.

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Coachability Coachability is crucial for the development of individual players and the

efficiency of running a team. Simply put, a player needs to hear what his coach is saying, understand what

the coach is expressing, and be able to athletically apply what has been learned to his game.

If we need to constantly go over the same thing again and again, we will stall in development and reduce our efficiency as a program.

How many times do I, as a coach, need to tell you, as a player, how to do something until you apply that to your game.

After a while, I will sit a player because he refuses, for whatever reason, to not do what I am asking him to do.

There is a great difference between hearing what I am telling you and learning from what I am telling you.

If you cannot or will not apply what I am teaching you, you will not find a place in my system.

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Knowledge Is Power We have all heard this!!! Hopefully we will teach our players all that we

can. It is our responsibility to teach and coach our

players to the best of our ability. It is our players responsibility to listen and

absorb what their coach is telling them. This is will expand their knowledge base, but

does this give them further power for on the field execution?

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Applied Knowledge Is my knowledge powerful simply because I have it? If I know everything there is to in this world is this power? Only applied knowledge will bring about a result. We want our players to have the greatest knowledge base and

know how to apply that knowledge to the sport. Players need to pay attention to their coaches, learn what their

coaches are telling them, and then apply what they have learned to their game.

This is Coachability. Players that refuse to learn the system eventually will not be a

part of the system. We must also realize that all players learn in different ways.

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Audio and Visual Learning Some players learn orally and can be told something

once and are able to understand exactly what their coach is telling them.

Other players learn visually and must see things drawn out before they can really understand something.

For this reason, it is effective to use a play board during coaching moments when you are trying to explain to your team what you want.

We need to ensure that all of our players truly know what we are talking about before we move forward.

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Does Anyone Not Understand? Sometimes a player will have no idea of what a coach is saying. That player will often times go without raising the issue because he is afraid of

ridicule or looking “stupid” in front of other teammates. As coaches, we must foster an environment where players are not afraid to raise

their hand and say that they are not sure of what a coach is telling them. Ask the team “Does anyone NOT understand what I am saying here? It is okay if

you don’t. I would rather you raise your hand now than to have to go over it later. So, everyone here gets what I am talking about, so if we mess this up and I get upset, everyone will be on the same page?”

Almost every time you ask this someone will raise their hand. Applaud this if it happens, “Great, Johnny what part of my explanation did you

not understand?” Create an environment where players are not afraid to raise their voice and ask

questions of their coaches, after all this is why we are here.

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Learning Allows Progress Great coaching or teaching is easily

processed by players or students. This means that the information we are

conveying is easily understood and can be applied through simple action.

We want to be able to break down what we are coaching in a manner that is easily absorbed.

If we can do this from the start, we will be able to move to the next step on the ladder.

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Learn It Right The First Time One of the biggest problems I see in lacrosse right now is that young

players are not being coached properly when they start playing the game.

These coaching flaws create terrible habits that are very difficult correct.

Once a habit becomes practice, it is very challenging to get players to change their ways.

It is not impossible. It just takes more time during practice to make the adjustments needed to correct the problem.

If we know the basic fundamentals as a coaching staff, we will be able to properly instruct our players.

If we instill the proper attitude in our players, we will be able to get them to work hard and focus on their development.

This is the reason we are here.

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The Stick The head The shaft 40 inches vs. 72 inches The pocket Depth Ideal pocket location Legal vs. Illegal

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Illegal Sticks Pocket that is too deep Pocket that does not allow the ball to dislodge

by the force of gravity Head that has been pinched or baked Shaft that is too short Shaft that has been bent No butt end on the shaft No screw connecting the head to the shaft

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Results of Illegal Stick Stick checks occur after the 1st and 3rd period of the game. A coach can request a stick check at any time during the game, if the check does not

find an infringement that coach is assessed 1 timeout. A stick that is illegal by having too large of a pocket is a one minute non-releasable

penalty. This stick can be adjusted and used again in the same game. A stick that has been intentionally manipulated will result in a 3 minute non-

releasable penalty. The stick in question is also not allowed to be used again during the course of that

game. The stick must remain on the scorers table for the remainder of the game. If it is

removed for any reason, it will be an additional 30 second non-releasable game misconduct penalty added to the stick penalty.

Any stick penalty can change the outcome or tempo of a game, therefore we want to periodically check our players’ sticks.

A great way to do this is during stretching have coaches grab 10 sticks from players on the team and reward or punish with team sprints for all sticks that are illegal or legal.

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The Pocket Ideal pocket location is centered in the pocket of the head and shows

5/6th - 7/8ths of the ball. We want to avoid players having pockets that are far too big or far too

shallow. A pocket that is in the far front of the head will typically whip or throw

down. A pocket that is in the far back of the pocket is often very hard to throw

with because it takes a great amount of force while throwing to distribute the ball.

A well placed pocket will allow for greater ball control and easy of distribution once a player is ready to throw the ball.

We can monitor this and make adjustments to players sticks during sessions this spring.

When players learn to play with the proper pocket they will be learning how to play correctly.

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What is Most Important? As lacrosse has grown and developed into the sport it is today

unfortunately the sport has been driven by companies that market towards the “Cool Lifestyle” of the sport.

The equipment is better, the athletes are bigger and faster the game has become faster.

The sport has evolved and will continue to do so. However, the one part of the game that has not changed is the need for

a solid base of fundamental skills that every player must have in order to develop their game.

The basics in lacrosse are crucial for development of players and for the teams they play on.

Learning the basics correctly right in the beginning will pay huge dividends later in the careers of every player.

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Holding the Stick This may sound very basic but players must

hold this stick with “loose” hands. We do not want kids to be holding onto the

stick with a death grip having white knuckles. This will allow a player to get a feel for the

stick and ball will be very helpful in getting him comfortable with all parts of his game.

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Passing Passing the ball properly is biggest obstacle facing the sport today. With the “offset” heads and with incorrect pocket placement the ball takes more

force to get out of a players stick. With kids learning to play at earlier ages they do not have the necessary

strength and motor skills to learn to throw properly. This creates bad habits at early ages and is very debilitating for their

development. The majority of players push the ball and do not throw it. A player that pushes the ball will start with their hands in front of their body and

will have their entire body square to the target. If a player’s arms are less than 90 degrees at the elbow most likely they will be

pushing the ball. Everything in lacrosse will be dependent on how our kids can distribute the ball. If we teach these guys anything individually this is #1!!!

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Passing Correctly There are 2 components to throwing the ball correctly. Twist and Wrist All power in throwing comes from torque created in the spine. A player must quarter or twist his body 90 degrees in the direction in

which he is holding the stick. This twisting action is crucial to create the power necessary to throw

the ball effectively. Almost 90% of the stick motion will come from a player “breaking” his

wrists while throwing. This will create a snapping action with the stick. If the stick is properly set up, there should be no passes that end up

low.

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How To Know This Is Working When players push the ball and don’t throw it, the majority of passes

come out low. The problem is that the ball does not reach the recipient in an area that

is effective once he receives the pass. When you watch your players ,notice where they are receiving the ball

when they are passing and catching. If the ball continuously reaches the catching player below his chest, we

need to make corrections. You will know that the adjustments to passing technique are working

when the ball starts being thrown over the head of the recipient. We would rather have the ball 3 feet over the head of the receiving

player than 3 feet below his head. The ball will come down as players learn control with this new

technique.

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Why This Happens The catapult theory. When the stick is held away from the body and thrown correctly, the

head of the stick will travel a greater distance. As in golf, this technique will generate greater head speed. Greater head speed will allow the ball to come out of the head of the

stick faster. It will leave the head sooner. Therefore the pass will go higher than it did before. THIS IS A GOOD THING!!! We want our players to throw the ball harder and faster and this cannot

happen unless we teach them the correct throwing technique and repeatedly stress the importance of being able to properly throw the ball.

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Catching Obviously this is as important as throwing. Players must be able catch all of the easy passes that

come to them, but the great ones can catch the tougher passes.

A player must start with his arms almost fully extended in front of him with the stick held vertically.

This will allow a player to maintain eye contact with the ball and cushion the ball as it enters the head of his stick.

His top hand must also be as close to the plastic as possible which will give him as much control of the stick as possible.

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No Secret There is no secret to the formula. The more you practice the better you

will be. But we need to practice properly in

order to create the proper behavior. Guitar Analogy Repetition leads to ability.

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Groundballs Any coach will tell you that the team that gets the most

groundballs will most likely win the game. This is a crucial part of lacrosse. Every groundball we can get is another possession. The more possessions we get as a team the more opportunities

we have to score. Groundballs are all about heart and attitude. The player that wants it can (and often times does) get it. Proper technique when picking the ball up and knowing what to

do after we get it is extremely important to increase effectiveness on groundballs.

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Picking Up The Ball Again a player must have his top hand as close to the plastic as

possible to maintain as much control on the stick as possible. With his top hand on the plastic his bottom hand must be on the butt of

the stick and his back arm must be straight. This will get the stick parallel to the ground and make it easier to scoop

up the ball. The players head needs to be over the head of his stick. This will also make his stick a smaller target and will force him to get

low on the groundball. He needs to place the head of his stick 6 inches behind the ball and

accelerate through the ball as he picks it up. The harder he goes through the ball the more often he will pick it up. It is physically easier to do this incorrectly but will not result in more

groundballs.

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Once We Pick It Up Once the ball is in the players stick he must continue to work by bringing the

head of the stick right up to his own face. Once the ball is to his face he needs to SPRINT to open space. Once he is in that open space he needs to get his head up and move the ball to

a teammate as soon as he possibly can. When the ball is on the ground, everyone in the immediate area will move

towards it, therefore when a player picks up the ball and runs to open space there is a HUGE opportunity to move the ball to the open man and start an unsettled opportunity.

If we can scoop the ball and move to open space effectively and move the ball immediately, we will not only be able to increase our number of possessions but we will also be able to increase the number of unsettled situations we create.

We want to be a GREAT groundball team and that will only happen when our players decide they want to work their butts off, have technique and know what to do with the ball once they pick it up.

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Footwork As we have already discussed, lacrosse requires speed on the field. Footwork is a crucial part of how well a player is able to move. In this part, we want to talk about how often a player needs to use his

footwork. ALWAYS!!! Players always need to be moving their feet. This is not an exception. When a player is throwing the ball, they need to be moving their feet

and covering ground. When they are catching the ball, they need to move towards it. When they are off-ball, they need to be moving their feet. An offense that is always on the move is an effective offense. Every player in the offense needs to be on the same page. This requires WORK!!! If a player is unwilling or unable to consistently

be moving his feet he CANNOT play in our system.

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Communication Effective communication is crucial to the success of our teams. Relaying information to teammates that might not see all that is happening

around them adds to the effectiveness of our game. Defensive communication is particularly important and MUST be done by every

player on the field. If a player fails to communicate to his teammates on defense, there can be a

breakdown in the understanding of who has certain responsibilities. In transition, communication will help get the ball up and out which will generate

greater offense opportunities. Offensive communication will enable the ball handler to be aware of all that is

happening around him when he gets into a high traffic area. The team that is able to effectively communicate with one another (verbally or

non-verbally) is often the team that has a greater understanding of the game and is the team that is going to see the most success.

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Work Ethic OUR PLAYERS NEED TO WORK HARDER!!! It isn’t enough to just WANT to be good!!! If our players aren’t the biggest, strongest, or fastest then they need to

work on the things they have control over. They need to be in the best possible shape. They need to have the best possible stickwork they can. They need to push one another. Being the best takes work!!! We need to foster an attitude in our program where our players are willing

to push one another and make each other better. A competitive attitude in practice and amongst our own players where

they hold each other accountable is what will make them better. It is not okay for our players to accept mediocrity from ANYONE on their

team or in their program. But it all starts with them individually.

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Fundamentals & Attitude What does all this mean? Everything in lacrosse and in life comes down

to Fundamentals & Attitude. Be the best you can be at things you have

control over and continuously work on those things as hard as you possibly can and you will find success in anything you do.

Our players have complete control of everything that happens to them if they focus on Fundamentals and Attitude.

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Pyramid of Success

Work Ethic, Desire, Become a Student of the Game, Love for the Game

Fundamentals: GBs, Passing, Catching, Moving Your Feet, Face-offs, Rules

Solid Positional Fundamentals

Creativity, Adaptability, Improvisation

Understanding Team Concepts and Goals

Mastery of Skills and Knowledge

Understanding Specific Game Scenarios/Situations

Confidence & Composure

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The Faceoff Crucial part of the game. Control the Face-off X and you control the

game. Every face-off is a chance to gain possession

and take the ball on the offensive side. There is strategy and individual skills that

need to happen in order to make our team as effective as possible at this part of the game.

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Body Balance & Placement A player wants to have good balance when he sets up for a

face-off. Weight too far forward on your hands allows for your feet to

move but not your upper body. Weight too far back on your heels allows your hands to move

quickly but not your feet. A player wants to have the majority of his weight on the balls of

his feet this will allow him to move his hands freely as well as his feet.

A players body position can also give away the move he is about to make and this can be used against him.

Great body balance and positioning will allow a player to use his hands and his feet effectively at the same time.

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Using Your Hands & Feet Facing off is all about hand strength and hand quickness. A players ability to react to the whistle quickly and powerfully will

allow him to control the ball in his stick. Getting control of the ball immediately is really only part of the

battle. He must also be able to move his feet and body at the same

time depending on the move he is trying to make. Keeping your feet while facing off allows a player to be

aggressive with the ball once he has gained control of it, but also allows him to be able to play defense if he doesn’t get it.

Hand and foot speed are crucial as is footwork and body position.

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The Clamp The most basic of all face-off moves. Requires strong, quick hands. This move is when you force your stick down

immediately over the top of the ball and trap the ball in the back side of your pocket.

Once a player has control of the ball in a clamp, he can easily distribute the ball to different areas of the field.

Typically not an offensive-minded move, but can be very effective in gaining control of the ball.

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The Quick Rake This is strictly a speed move. Very offensive minded and works very well for players with

quick feet. The ball is pulled quickly to the left side of a player before the

opposing player can react. Once the ball is out, the raking player chases down the ball

quickly and can often times result in a fast break. The main problem with this move is that it is all-or-nothing. If a

player gets it, he will get it cleanly but if he doesn’t, often times it results in an easy fastbreak for the other team.

Great move to make once in a while but not all the time. The element of surprise is high with this move.

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The Jump or Reverse Clamp This is a popular move for a lot of players. Takes very fast hands and strength to pull this one off. A player raises part of his stick off of the ground and traps the

ball in the front part of his head. Once a player controls the ball, he can distribute the ball either

to his left or directly behind him. This is a great move for a fast player because he can still use a

speed move while at the same time remain active in the face off area and not run the risk of losing the ball quickly.

Very technical move and requires a lot of practice to be good, but once it is mastered it is a very effective move.

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The Punch This is a reactive move but can be very effective. If a player notices that his opponent is either jumping or

quick-raking often, the punch can be extremely effective. By just punching his top hand down and forward, he will in

effect punch the ball forward with little or no resistance. This again is a big surprise move and should be used to

combat against a jumper or quick-raker that we cannot beat. This move keeps opponents honest and makes them change

up what they are doing more often than not.

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The Plunger This is a difficult move to master and requires the proper head to be

really effective. A player makes a 1/2 clamp on the ball and lifts the handle of their stick

while at the same time forcing the head into the ground. This creates a bend in the head of the stick and the ball is held in the

back of the head of the stick and a player can then simply pick it up. This is a great fastbreak move and very difficult to defend against if

done well. Takes a ton of practice to be very good at this move. A new rule has been introduced to combat against it when done

illegally. If the ball gets stuck in the backside of a players stick, that should result

in a turnover.

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The Unspoken Rule Simply put: If you aren’t cheating, you aren’t

trying. Action happens so fast and if it is blocked by

body movement, it is very difficult for a referee to notice any illegal activity that is happening.

Therefore being a cagey player and knowing when to take advantage of certain opportunities can result in higher success rates.

Players always need to be testing the boundaries.

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Reading Your Opponent Reading your opponent’s body language will help you

understand what move he is going to make. Weight forward means he is going to clamp or make some kind

of power move like the punch. Weight back means he is going to make some kind of speed

rake or jump out to the left side. Pressing the side wall of this head flat to the ground means he

is going to plunge the ball. You can get a competitive advantage on your opponent by

reading his body language before the whistle blows. There is a counter to every move therefore players must know

several moves and be efficient so they can compete and combat good face-off men.

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Win The Draw When we win the draw, we want to take full advantage of pushing the

ball up field if we get the opportunity. We need to recognize the time to do this and the time not to. Once we gain control of the ball, we do not want to give it right back

because we have made a bad decision. We want to be aggressive but at the same time we want to be smart. Remember: we will have a pole on the wing so we will be at a

disadvantage if he is subbing out and we push the ball at the wrong time.

It is also important at this time to understand the value of a long pole who can run the field and has the stickwork to be an offensive threat.

If we win the draw, we control the ball and the tempo of the game. Simple equation: The more times we have it, the more often we can

score!

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Lose The Draw If we lose a draw, and we will, we ultimately want to control the situation as best

as possible. The worst case scenario will be to give up an uncontested fastbreak. If the draw is los,t we can still fight for the loose ball. Often you will go up against a face-off (or FOGO) that is very hard to beat on the

draw. If this is the case, we need to change our philosophy and work to get the ball once it is out in the open.

We need to make this situation 3, 1 on 1, groundballs with each player on the face-off line taking responsibility for his man not being able to pick up the ball.

If we can scrap for the ball and fight to gain possession out of the draw, we can still be successful on the face-off.

Losing the draw is not the worst thing to happen. Just because we lose the draw does not mean we have lost the face-off. Keep working until the whistle blows and very often we will be able to come up

with the ball. If you can’t pick it up, make sure the man you are playing cannot either.

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Wing Play Players must have speed and be able to crash to the center of the field

when the whistle blows. They MUST sprint off of the wing. If there is a stalemate on the draw, we do not want our guys to be right

next to the players taking the draw. Players are not allowed to make contact with the 2 center players if

they are still engaged in the draw. The ball will come out, so we do not want our guys to be overly

committed to the center of the field. We want to have our players located so that they can pounce on the

ball once it comes out. Our wingmen need to be able to try their best to see who has control of

the ball and determine where the draw winner might try to put the ball.

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Player Placement on Wings Depending on who we play against this will vary. Since the winner of the draw will most likely pull the ball to their left, we

want to assume that we will win that, so we want our best groundball man to the left of the draw man.

This will most likely be a short stick but could be a long pole. If the opposing face off man is beating us consistently, we want to place

the pole to his left and along the restraining line according to wear he is putting the ball out of the draw.

Placement of each player on the wings is dependent on how effectiveness of our draw man, our speed on the wing, our ability to pick up the groundball, and our aggressiveness.

This will likely change between games but also between face-offs depending on what lineup the other team puts on the field.

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Crucial Part of the Game Needless to say the Face-off is a crucial part of the game. If it is a high scoring game, say 12-10, there will be 25 face off

opportunities. If we can win 65% of those face-offs, we will have an additional 16 possessions.

This is a part of the game we need to focus on. It requires a lot of practice to master the face off draw. It requires that kids go HARD off the wing in order to gain possession of

the ball. It can be a huge momentum swinger if you need the ball and get it, or if

you need the ball and you don’t get it. It also requires that kids know what they are doing every time even

though the scenario changes so that they can react to every change in the game.

The team that controls the face-off usually controls the game.

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The Fastbreak This is the best chance for offensive production. A fastbreak can happen at any time during a game but most often happens

coming out of our defensive end after a save. This requires speed and players that have the ability to transfer the ball over

long distances accurately and on the move. We want to play this style of game. It will keep the tempo of the game high and

will force teams to run with us and the give us the opportunity to score a lot of goals in a short time is a distinct possibility.

Our goalie and defensemen need to know that it starts with them. We must push the ball up field and attack quickly. This will result in a middie carrying the ball into our offensive half of the field

before the other team can get back on defense. Our attack must be set up and follow basic rules in order to ensure that we can

produce quickly. A fastbreak minded team can strike quickly at any point in the game and that

makes a team extremely dangerous.

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Other Unsettled Situations A fastbreak is simply an unsettled situation. An unsettled situation is when the offensive team finds an opportunity

when they outnumber the defense of the opposing team. These situation happen often in a game, and if capitalized on are very

important. They can happen during a fastbreak, face-off, loose ball situation,

substitution by the opposing team, fast restart situation, broken clear, or any other turnover situation.

Players must be able to recognize these situations and react accordingly to the pending play.

This takes aggressive attitudes and skills that allow for faster reaction times.

We want to dominate these situations!!!

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The Offensive Philosophy The offensive philosophy that we want to develop is one that is up-tempo and

pushes the game at a fast speed. Every person on the field can play a role in our offensive philosophy, therefore it

is important for everyone to be on the same page. We want to develop an offense that works the ball consistently on the perimeter

of the defense and that creates opportunities by dodging effectively and creating offensive production.

We want to dominate time of possession in our offensive half of the field and therefore break a defense down and take advantage of those mistakes.

We want players that are team-oriented; buying into what their coaches are telling them.

Our offense is simple to understand but difficult to execute if we cannot do the simple things well.

Keep the ball hot on the perimeter, move the ball through the X’s and attack the backside.

All of this will make sense as we work through this presentation.

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Offensive Fastbreak Player Positions When an unsettled situation is created, our players must get into

position as fast as possible. When setting up, players cannot turn their back to the play. They must

see the ball at all times as the play develops. We want to set up so that we can accommodate the fact that we are a

right-handed team. Our point man needs to be our best feeding and handling attackman. He needs to position himself by the restraining line which will give him

enough time to handle the ball and decide what to do with it. The two lower attackmen must be 5 yards above the GLE (Goal Line

Extended) and 8 yards outside of the pipe on their side. The attackman on the same side as the point man is your best finisher. The attackman on the opposite side is hopefully a lefty or the player

that can handle the ball with his left hand.

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Spacing on the Fastbreak It is crucial for these players to keep spacing on the field

during an unsettled situation. This will give them room and time. By staying spread out, players will lengthen defensive

slides giving them room once they catch the ball. That will result in more time to make a decision with the ball once they get it.

Crowding one another in this instance will make it more difficult to handle the ball and will make the defense’s job a lot easier.

If you know where you need to be, get there, and follow the rules, we will be in good shape.

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Fight Gravity Players have a tendency to gravitate towards the goal on

offense and especially during unsettled situations. This will KILL our chances of success during the unsettled

part of the game. Kids think that closer to the goal is better, this is just not

the case. By gravitating to the goal, they jam the center of the field

and that is the location of the field that defenses are taught to defend first.

We need to eliminate this action by our players. We simply cannot accept our players to allow this to happen.

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Offensive Unsettled Rules Unsettled situations DO NOT last for very long. Any unsettled situation will be over in 3 seconds, therefore we

must be able to execute effectively and quickly in order to take advantage of the opportunity.

There are a set of rules, that EVERY player on our team must know when we get into an unsettled situation.

When these rules are followed, our chances of being successful increase.

Follow the rules and good things will happen. We need to get our guys to buy into the rules. If they know what is expected of them and they can execute,

they will get the job done.

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A Quick Note About Rules There are few times in coaching where I put

rules into place. Ultimately, I believe that rules inhibit creativity

by athletes. However, at times there are certain odds

when we follow the rules that we will find a great amount of success.

We will cover some of these in this presentation and, as always, there are exceptions to the rule.

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First Priority The first priority for any player that is initiating

an unsettled play is to SCORE!!! By doing this, he forces the defense to react

and therefore initiates the rules of the offense.

If a player carries the ball to the goal, his first priority will force the defenses hand.

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Second Priority If a player drives to the goal and gets stopped by a second

defenseman, it is because he has fulfilled his second priority. Draw the man. If a defense plays this correctly, they will slide to the player with

the ball. Once this has happened, the ball carrier has done the next part

of his job. What is important to know about this is that you do not need to

have the defenseman to be all the way out in order to have drawn him, in fact we don’t want this.

If the defensive player moves towards the ball carrier, you have done enough.

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Third Priority The third priority is to move the ball to the

open man. Typically this is to the man that the slide just

came from. This pass needs to be accurate and made

quickly. A bad pass from the first man (or any man for that matter) will kill our opportunity and that is unacceptable.

Moving the ball to the right man at the right time is all you need to do.

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Buy Into The Rules The unsettled situation will not last long. We need to understand our responsibilities

on the field and get them done. If we can drive to the goal and try to score,

we will, unless we draw the slide which means we need to move the ball to the open man.

This is offensive strategy at it’s most basic form and it will work.

IT WILL WORK!!!

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Defending the Fastbreak The key to defending the fastbreak starts with communication. All members of the defensive unit must know what all of the

responsibilities of the unit are. Depending on our defensive match-ups, different players will need to

play different positions every time. The goalie must be the most vocal player in the group. We must also realize that the fastbreak is not going to last for more

than 3 seconds and this comes into play in how to defend the play. We want to slow down the overall play as much as possible without

getting pulled out of position and wait for the cavalry. Our midfielders must always have the mentality that they need to get

back on defense faster than they head out to the offensive end. WE CANNOT LET THE FASTBREAK BEAT US!!!

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Setting Up The Defense If it is a true fastbreak and there is time to set up our defense, we want to set up

in “the triangle”. This will consist of there being a “point man” and “help left” and “help right”. The triangle needs to be compact enough so that we protect the “hole”. Playing the point is like playing chicken, we do not want to slide to early or too

late. We do not want to slide too early to a player who is not a scoring threat, nor do

we want to slide too late once a player is in scoring position. We want our point players to know when this is, often once the player crosses

the restraining line, our goalie must also make this call. Our other 2 defenders must also be able to rotate into the ball movement and

therefore cannot be too far out of place. Setting up the fastbreak defense is crucial and being able to maintain it’s form is

equally important. Communication and knowing what to do by every member of our team is a

MUST!!!

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The Defensive Philosophy We know that the fastbreak will not last more than 3 seconds. Slowing the play down and forcing the offense to beat us is our

best defense. We do not want to be concerned with getting the ball down. We are man down in this situation so we want to slow the

offense down and wait for help. Our other field players must crash to the hole and try to jam the

offense up. The offense has more players than we do and therefore they

have the advantage so the “should” win the play. If we defend the play correctly, the offense will HAVE to beat us.

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Defensive Unsettled Rules Just like we discussed for the offense, there

are a set of rules defensively in the unsettled situation, if when followed, will give us a great chance at preventing a goal.

WE NEED ALL OF OUR DEFENSIVE PLAYERS TO KNOW THESE RULES!!! NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

KNOW THE RULES AND FOLLOW THEM AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WE WILL BE OKAY!!!

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First Priority Once the defense is set up properly and we have

designated a point man his first priority is to stop the ball.

He needs to keep the man with the ball from fulfilling his first priority.

He needs to slide to this man at the right time forcing him to give up the ball.

By stopping the ball, we force the offense to execute their play.

If we can do this, we force the offense to beat us.

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Second Priority Once a player stops the man with the ball and forces him to move the

ball to the open man, he must fulfill his second priority. The second priority is rotate into the direction of the ball and assist on

the backside by splitting the 2 backside offensive players. Once the offensive player throws the ball he must open his hips to the

play. WE CAN NEVER TURN OUR BACK TO THE BALL OR PLAY!!! He then must recover back and “split” the distance between the man

who just threw the ball and player on the back side. This rotation is against the direction of the ball. He is now responsible for the backside 2 attackmen. This process will happen as long as the offense continues to move the

ball.

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Over Committing We DO NOT want to over commit to the player with the ball. We only want to cover the man once he is a scoring threat. By sliding too early, we not only do not defend against a shooter who is

not a threat but it takes our defenders out of position to help in our team defensive scheme.

The farther we slide to the ball means that our recovery slide is that much longer.

Stopping the ball is one thing. Taking yourself out of the play by being overly aggressive will

eventually hurt us in the long run against a good team that can handle the ball.

Remember: we want to slow the play down and make the offense beat us by forcing them to execute.

Jumping the gun or being too aggressive will play right into their game plan.

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Defending The Backside Since we are man down in this situation, the 2 players that are not

covering the ball must be able to play a zone on the backside and defend more players than we have.

Once the point man slides, this will leave 3 offensive players to be covered by 2 defenders with their sticks held vertically in the passing lanes.

These 2 defenders must be equidistant from the 2 attackmen that they are covering.

This will allow them to seem as if they are covering the 2 players. It will also allow them to cover passing lanes and react to whichever

player the ball is thrown to. By staying in their triangle formation, they can react to whatever the

offense does quickly and effectively.

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Don’t Let The Fastbreak Beat Us The one factor that we have not talked about

when defending against the fastbreak is how HARD we play it.

We need to be aggressive and react quickly and hard to the play which will put more pressure on the offense.

If we know our rules, follow them, and press hard, we will not let the fastbreak beat us.

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The Slow Break The slow break can be just as effective as the fast break. This is a situation where we do not have a breakaway but

we are in transition and can push the play and aggressively work the ball on offense before the defense is completely set up.

Typically a team will try to sub off its offensive middies and get their defensive unit onto the field.

We can take advantage of this if we push the ball quickly up the field.

If this does happen, we need to effectively move the ball up the field and execute with great ball movement.

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Recognition and Set Up We need to be able to push this play

when we are clearing the ball. We need to recognize the fact that we

do not have a clean break but we are in greater numbers.

If we can move the ball and our people up the field, we will be able to take advantage of this situation.

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The Fish Hook We want to envision this set-up and be able to move the ball

through it in order to take advantage of the situation. We want the ball to move down the side of the field. Swing the ball through X behind the goal. Push the ball back up field on the backside and get the ball

to the point of the hook. Once the ball hits the point of the hook, we attack. The defensive team usually will follow the movement of the

ball and leave the backside of the play exposed. This is our point of attack, from the point of the hook.

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Why Push The Slow Break If we push the slow break, we will have great

dodging opportunities on the backside. This will also increase the tempo of the game

during times which usually are slowed down. Just because we don’t get a clean fastbreak

does not mean we can’t push the tempo and force the pace of the game.

Once we get the ball to the point of the hook, our offensive player will have a lot of time and room to make an effective dodge.

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The Birth Of Offense Offense is created the second our team gains possession of the

ball. This can be off of a Face-off, turnover, or save. As soon as we get possession of the ball, our mentality must

change instantly. If we react quickly, we can greatly increase our offensive

productivity. Quick reaction from defense to offense can and will result in

quick, easy fastbreak goals. The transfer from defense to offense is as much mental as it is

physical.

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Making The Switch As soon as our team gets the ball our mentality MUST BE “get it up and

out.” This will get players to break out into open space on the field and we

must get the ball “up and out.” As we talked about with groundballs, once the ball is in our stick we

NEED to move it quickly to the next person. Get the ball moving in the air because it will move faster in the air than

it does while in a players stick. We need to remember our groundball rules and if we follow them we

will be in good shape. If our players are able to make the mental switch quickly from defense

to offense, they will react quickly physically and we will be a more productive team.

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What To Do When the ball is turned over, we want our to get up field and we want to push

the ball up the field. Most opportunities for this to happen will start with our goalie. Once a save is made, our players must spread the defensive side of the field as

we would want our offense to do as well. This will give our goalie a varied number of options to distribute the ball quickly

to other players and to push the ball into a potential unsettled situation. We can take advantage of this for many reasons. Typically teams will substitute midfielders from offense to defense and this

means we can create fastbreak situations. As soon as a player shoots the ball, we need to realize there are 3 possible

outcomes. The shot will either go in the goal, miss and go out of bounds, or be saved.

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Result Of These Outcomes The first 2 options (goal or missed shot) will result in a stoppage of play. If the player defending the shooter breaks out of the defensive end as

the shot is happening, there is no negative repercussion. The ball will either go in the goal or miss the goal and result in a

stoppage of play. If this happens, a player will be able to quickly recover after the whistle

and reset his defensive position. However, if the ball is saved by the goalie the breaking defender will get

a step on the shooter heading in the other direction. This breakout motion will give us an advantage to get the ball quickly

out of our defensive end. This will result in a greater amount of unsettled opportunities. We want to push this style of up-tempo play and high speed game.

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Offensive Terminology Sets X Perimeter Crease GLE Wings The Alley Drive/Dodge

Feeding Shooting Backing Up The

Shot THE BACKSIDE!

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When Are We On Offense Our intention on offense is to be as deliberate as we possibly can. We are in control of the tempo of the game, therefore we can dictate

how the game can be played. We want to take our time. PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE!!! We want to be able to possess the ball for long periods of time and

attack the defense when we are ready and when we are ready to go. Ball control is essential to running a productive offensive set. Therefore our ability to pass, catch and move our feet is of paramount

importance. Solid fundamentals will allow for effective offensive play. Control the offense and you control the game.

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Push The Issue At all times, we want our athletes to be able to push the issue or make

a play happen. All players on the offensive side of the field must be a threat to make a

play. THE TRIPLE THREAT We need players that can play within themselves but that also can play

within the system that we have determined best suited for our team for that particular series, game, or season.

Certain match-ups work against certain teams and a coach must determine the best possible group of athletes to place on the field at particular times as the game develops.

We at all times want to have multiple players in our program at all levels that can play within themselves, but at the same time can make a play happen when the time calls for it.

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Offensive Sets These are some of the basic offensive sets that teams will use

depending on their game strategy or depending on the personnel they have on their roster.

Each team will have it’s strengths and weaknesses and these sets will play into those when used appropriately.

Players need to be able to understand the set their coach is calling out to them as sets might change through the course of a game.

Several sets can be used for several reasons and because of that players must know each position in each set in case they are called upon to play any given position.

All sets start by being called out from behind the goal.

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Circle Offense A circle offense is a perimeter offensive set that is

best used when a team has tremendous speed. There is no crease player and therefore forces a

team to slide from the adjacent player. Requires teams to move the ball effectively on the

perimeter and players must be able to make quick decisions when handling the ball.

This can be a very difficult offensive set to cover.

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1-3-2 Probably the most common set in lacrosse. Very effective for a team that has speed on the perimeter. One man always plays in the crease area which requires a defense to

communicate as a unit for fear of easy scoring. Allows for a great amount of perimeter and interior motion which

causes the defense to constantly react. This is a great offense for pick plays and set plays. Great ability for ball motion and time of possession in this offense.

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1-4-1 A very good offense for teams with a limited amount of speed but with

players that have good stickwork. You are able to “hide” a lack of speed in this offense. Players that move well off of picks can be very effective in this offense. This type of offense will typically generate a lot of scoring opportunities

if we follow our set offensive rules. This typically is an isolation dodging offense that forces a defense to

react and then the ball is moved and pushed to other players.

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2-2-2 Very similar to the 1-4-1 offensive set just slightly tilted. A very good offense for teams with a limited amount of speed but with

players that have good stickwork. You are able to “hide” a lack of speed in this offense. Players that move well off of picks can be very effective in this offense. This type of offense will typically generate a lot of scoring opportunities

if we follow our set offensive rules. This typically is an isolation dodging offense that forces a defense to

react and then the ball is moved and pushed to other players.

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3-3 Mostly an extra man set. Rarely used today but still important to

know.

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Offensive Player Positions Offensive players must play offense!!! It doesn’t matter if a player is a midfielder or attackman he must be able

to play OFFENSE. Player position is crucial to running an effective offense. Players must know where they need to be depending on what offensive

set they are in. Great players can play from anywhere on the field. There is no written rule that midfielders have to dodge from up top or

attackmen from behind. Remember the ideas of “athletic creativity.” We want our players to feel comfortable no matter where they are on

the offensive end of the field.

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Where/When Offense Starts All offense starts off of the dodge. It requires that a player can get by his man and create

movement by the defensive team. It all comes down to one player being able to get by another and

forcing the defense to react. Once this happens, we have created offensive production and

that production is the catalyst for what comes next. We need dynamic athletes that can dodge players and create

reactions from defense. The dodger is usually not the player that scores. THIS IS TEAM OFFENSE!!!

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Settled Offensive Rules There are 4 rules in my offense that enable

us to be consistently productive. Like the unsettled rules, if these are followed

and your athletes make plays, they will be able to see success.

Rule 1 Stay Spread Out Rule 2 Keep the Ball Hot Rule 3 Move the Ball Through X Rule 4 Attack the Backside

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Staying Spread Out This is crucial for the effectiveness of an offense. Spacing forces a defense to spread out. Spacing provides players the time they need to make solid and

effective decisions. Remember to fight “Gravity.” The older players are the fastest and can cover space. Younger players still need to keep their spacing. This requires longer passes to be made and forces players to move

their feet and move to the passer and move to the target as they prep to pass.

The farther apart players are on the field will result in a players ability to have the time and room to make the decisions that best benefit the team.

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Ball Movement KEEP THE BALL HOT ON THE PERIMETER!!! This means that players cannot hold onto the ball for long periods of

time. By this I mean no longer than 5 seconds. Players must move the ball between one another at a fast rate of speed

as this will force the defense to react more quickly and communicate more effectively.

As the ball moves fast around the perimeter, this will create more pressure for the defense to be able to react to a constantly changing offensive scenario.

DO NOT LET THE BALL STAY STAGNANT IN ONE PLAYERS STICK FOR TOO LONG.

In practice scenarios, make players pass the ball within 4 seconds.

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Through The X’s There are 2 X’s on the field, one behind and one up top. Once a player drives to the goal and creates the defense to react and

slide to him, he has created an unsettled situation. He then needs to revert back to his unsettled rules. Depending on the direction of a players dodge, he must get by his man,

draw the slide, and then move the ball through X either in front or behind the goal.

The defense will have adjusted to the ball side of the field and therefore moving the ball through X will allow for our offense to get the ball to the weakest point on the field defensively.

Getting players to buy into this idea is crucial as we move forward in their overall team offensive schemes.

Each offensive set allows us to do this.

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The Backside This is the crucial part of coaching offense. As a defensive unit moves toward the ball, the man farthest from the ball will

often times be the player that will most likely be able to score. It is not the first player to receive the ball from the dodger. It is the player that

occupies the backside that is most effective. The backside is the area on the field 180 degrees opposite of the ball when the

dodger initiates his move. The most important part of our offensive scheme is to get the ball to this player

as fast as possible. If a defense is well coached, this man will be open . It is the job of the offense to find this man. Believe in the fact that this man will be open and if we can get the ball to him he

will be able to create a lot of offense. This is a tremendously important part of teaching team offense.

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Feeding The Crease In my opinion, this is not the best place to feed the ball. This is the area the defense is taught to protect first. What might seem open at first will close very quickly against a well

coached defense. This is going to seem like the best option in the immediate. By feeding the crease, we are pushing the ball into the teeth of the

defense and this doesn’t give us the best rate of success. A player that is facing the ball will appear to be open but will most likely

be covered by a backside defender, which ultimately leaves the man on the backside open.

Players need to remember the settled offensive rules and adhere to them.

Feeding the crease player results in a goal about 15% of the time which is not a very good average.

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The Elbow Man The first person to catch the ball from the dodger is NOT the

guy we want to attack the goal. This is our transfer man and we need to have the player

adjacent to the dodger realize that we need him to make one more pass.

If this process happens, the movement of the ball will follow the shape of an “L” or look like an elbow.

Players that will buy into a team offensive concept will understand their role.

Placing your 2 best feeders next to your best dodger and keeping your best finisher on the backside can result in some great offensive productivity.

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Follow The Rules If our players stay spread out, move the ball

effectively on the perimeter through X and attack the backside they will be highly effective.

Team offense if very simply if we keep it that way.

Follow the simple rules and execute on the field and our players will find offensive success.

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Dodging The art of getting past your defender. There are several different aspects to becoming a great

dodger. Speed, vision, know-how, decision making, &

responsibility. Effective dodging incorporates a team’s agenda not just

one player’s goal scoring ability. Effective dodging will create opportunities for other

players and make your offensive structure more effective.

Dodge to Create Team Offense

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Dodges Face dodge Split dodge Roll dodge Question Mark dodge Bull dodge Mixing bowl

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Obtuse Angles Players that are fast must dodge on obtuse

angles. Angles greater than 90 degrees. This will allow a player to not have to slow

down while making their dodge. Players that dodge on open angles will simply

have to plant their foot and redirect their body.

This is a more effective method of dodging.

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Acute Angles For quicker players, sharper angles might work

better. Angles less than 90 degrees. Quick players that have fast change of direction

will be able effective dodge. The right match-up will dictate when this might

be an effective time to dodge.

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Tangent to the Crease Players want to come out of their dodge

running tangent to the crease. Tangent = a line that intersects a circle at one

point at a right angle to the radius of a circle. This will generate a players energy to be

focused at the target and allow that player to increase accuracy and velocity of their shot.

This will force the defense to react more quickly to defend the shot and will create more offense for our team.

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Dodging To Create Offense As a player gets by another defensively, he has forced the defense to

adjust and adapt to the changing landscape of the offense. If you dodge your man and draw the slide, you have done your job. Our players must realize that the best offenses are ones that are not

selfish and incorporate all other players on the field. DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR A PLAYER NOT TO TAKE

ADVANTAGE OF A SCORING OPPORTUNITY!!! Dodge hard at your man to get by him. Get by your man and force the defense to slide. Now decide what option will work best for our team’s best interest. Unselfish play by the dodger will result in a more effective offensive

unit.

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All Or Nothing Always have an escape plan. Never dodge to the goal without having

a plan to get out of trouble if need be. Dodging is an opportunity to create, not

an all-or-nothing situation. Set up your dodge so that you have

exercisable options once you come out. Spacing is crucial.

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Decisions While Dodging We want our players to be constantly making

decisions as they dodge. A player that can react to the ever changing

landscape of the environment around them will be the most effective player.

We want to develop athletes that can think quickly on their feet and react to whatever might happen on the field.

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What Happens Next? Once a player makes his move, gets by his

man, and draws the slide, he needs to realize that he has done his job.

His next responsibility is to move the ball to the next man on the perimeter.

He must do this before the slide gets to him so that he can make an effective pass to the adjacent player.

DON’T TRY TO DO TOO MUCH!!!

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Distributing The Ball Once a player comes out of his dodge, he

must have his hands and stick in a position to distribute the ball.

Either by a pass or a shot. Too many kids take too long coming out of

their dodge to get rid of the ball. This allows the slider to reach the ball carrier

and turnovers ensue. A player must have fast hands and have

great control on the stick.

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Knowing What To Do Our players must come out of their dodge and

place the bottom hand on their stick on their far hip.

This will create twist in their core. They must also keep their bottom arm against

their body to reduce movement of their arm. This will allow them to simply raise their arms

up and either shoot or pass the ball. Being able to quickly and effectively distribute

the ball will separate our team from competition.

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Back To The Unsettled Rules Remember: once a player beats his initial man in a

settled offensive environment, we have just created a 6 vs. 5 scenario.

We need to revert back to our unsettled priorities to take advantage of the situation.

Don’t try to do too much. Let your teammates get involved in what you have created.

We need to applaud a player that might create offensive opportunities but does not score or get the assist.

TEAM FIRST!!!

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Going Too Far Many players will create offense by dodging

past their man and forcing a slide. However, many times they try to dodge the

slider as well and then get themselves into trouble.

Once we get by the first defender, our players need to know that they must move the ball and not keep running towards the net unless no one comes.

Dodge. Draw. Move the ball.

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Moving The Ball The ball must be moved to the next man. However, the adjacent players must learn to

anticipate the direction of the dodge and put themselves in place to receive the pass.

Offensive players must continue to move off-ball to create passing lanes so that the player with the ball has options coming out of their dodge.

Adjacent players must communicate to the ball carrier when they are open.

Remember spacing.

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Shooting Tremendously important part of lacrosse. The best teams score on 30% of all shots. Our goal is to score 12 goals per game Which means we need to shoot the ball roughly 40 times

per game. In a 48 minute game, we have the ball roughly half the

time which means we need to get off 40 shots in 24 minutes.

Shooting efficiency is the best way to improve this outcome.

We proactively take into our hands our ability to score when we practice our shooting.

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Time and Room Shooting with time and space. Most practiced shot by players outside of practice. Seldom happens in a game situation. Do waste practice time on time and room shooting. Greater Velocity. Reduced accuracy. Players tend to over shoot in this situation. If players do get time and room, they need to be able to

step into their shot, pick their target, and fire the ball on net.

Don’t let the goalie off the hook by missing the cage.

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Shooting On The Run Players NEED to shoot on the run. Once you dodge your defender and you

can shoot, you need to keep your feet moving.

Defensive players do not disappear simply because they have been beaten.

Once you get past your player, you need to keep running.

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Keep the Goalie Moving Goalies are taught to play on an arc. When you stop moving so does the goalie. This allows the goalie to set for the shot and

ready himself. If you stop, he knows what’s coming. What you might lose in velocity on your shot

(and you won’t lose much), you gain in making your shot more difficult to save.

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Predictability When players warm up on their own how do they shoot? When on their own, most players shoot sidearm. Notice where players aim when they shoot sidearm. 90% of all sidearm shots are intended to go high. Therefore, as a smart goalie, if a player shoots the ball

sidearm I know, with a fairly high level of confidence that he will shoot high

Conversely, I know that if a player shoots high when shooting sidearm that when he shoots overhand he will most likely shoot the ball low.

Understanding where you shoot based on how you shoot is tremendously important.

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Knowing When to Shoot And When Not To A poor shot will most likely result in a turnover. “The first pass in a fastbreak going the other way.” Don’t just throw the ball at the net to get a shot off. Rather, retain possession of the ball and be able to take

another run at the goal. When we maintain possession of the ball, the other team

can’t score. This is unselfish play and will illustrate the maturity of a

player. Get your players to understand that by retaining the ball

for longer periods of time by not taking poor shots will ultimately result in better overall success of OUR team.

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Inside Play with “1 Down” on the Crease The player on the crease always has to be moving as

that is where the slide is most likely to come from. All off-ball players MUST keep their sticks in the

vertical position. Must be far and opposite of the ball. This maintains them as a threat, and therefore must

be respected. Use your feet and voice to occupy the covering

defender to potentially keep him from sliding.

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Inside Play with “2 Down” on the Crease Same rules apply as 1 on the crease. Players inside MUST work together. 2-man pick plays and rotations will help

keep defensemen from sliding quickly. The harder you work inside to get your

teammate open the more open you will get.

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Defensive Basics All defense HAS to start from the inside out. We cannot allow ourselves to get beaten on a goal because we

did not recover into the “hole.” Team defense is all about communication. Individual defense is all about playing smart and playing hard. The team that plays the best man-to-man defense and functions

well as a unit overall will win more often than not. Play hard and play SMART, and we will be successful.

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Midfield Defense 3 Rules: Jam Recover Run Take away the strong hand by using good

body position. Hips and Hands. Defense first as a midfielder is what

separates good from great players.

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Close Defense Take away the strong hand by using good body position. ALWAYS play the high side of the ball carrier. Keep your stick in front of the player you are defending. Keep the man on the end of your stick until he gets above GLE

and then you need to drive your man out using your legs. You don’t need to take the ball away all the time. Where is the slide coming from? Let the game come to you.

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Checks Most take away checks today do not really work. Slap checks down on the hands vs. lift check. Defensive checking responsibilities. Work to turn the ball over as opposed to taking the

ball away. Keep the head of your stick 1 foot from the offensive

players hands. Take away a player’s hands and he has nothing. Arrow analogy.

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Patience When we play man-to-man defense, we

will get beaten. We need to be patient and wait for the

offensive player to show us something that allow us to make a play.

Don’t allow yourself to get beaten twice. You can make up for a bad play by

being smart and playing patiently.

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Heart and Hustle There is no secret to it. Defense is about heart and hustle. Be tough and be smart and we will be

alright on the defensive end of the field.

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Play the “H’s” Hips Hands High Side With Heart And Hustle

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Team Defense

Communication Trust Understanding What to do Helping the team Positioning

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Communication All team defense starts with communication. Starts with our goalie telling our players where the ball is. Your goalie must be the most vocal player on the field. Communication starts as soon as we are dropping back on

defense. Any physical breakdown on defense can be resolved through

communication. Each player must realize what their position is on the field in

order to cover one another and to help the team. Communication is like cheating on an exam.

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Calls “Ball” “Help Left” “Help Right” “Hot” or “One” “Two” “Fire”

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Sliding Slide to collide. We need to fire to the ball and fire fast and

hard. Slide to the point on the field where the man

is going to be. Keep your head up and see the play. Stop the ball by playing the body first and

then the stick. No Purse Swinging.

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Recovering Off The Ball If you get beaten, you need to leave

your man and recover back inside. Don’t get caught on the perimeter

covering no one. When the slide comes, leave your man

and recover back into the hole. Find the open man.

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The 2 slide Extremely important for the teams success

defensively. This is covering for your teammates. Cover the 1 slide’s man. Don’t worry about your man as much as the team

concept. You need to continue to see your man. Man/Ball Stick must be UP. Defend the inside first.

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Head on a Swivel When off-ball, you need to see your

man twice for every time you see the ball.

Triangle position. Get back to the hole and see your man

and see the ball. Always continue to communicate. DO NOT BALL WATCH!!!

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Triangle Position Always keep your back to the Hole. Be in a position so that you can see

your man and the ball with a minimum amount of movement.

Do not allow yourself to get straight lined.

Keep the triangle position.

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Check Call Goalies must make the “CHECK” call

when the ball is fed to a position on the field where he cannot see where it is going.

Defensive players must have their sticks up to make this check.

“Check” means you!!!

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Trust Our players must trust in themselves and their

ability to play strong on-ball defense. Our players must trust that their teammates know

how to play off-ball. Our players must want to cover their teammates

back. Our defense must want to go hard on every play. If each player commits to these things, then we can

develop trust in each other that we will be a great team defensive unit.

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