Whether you are new to coaching or are an experienced veteran, you can always benefit from having a few more lacrosse practice drills in your bag of tricks. These five lax exercises are an excellent way to help players improve in a fun atmosphere.
5 Lacrosse Practice Drills Every Coach must Try
Box Out Drill
The art of scooping is crucial to winning lacrosse games. Every lost ground ball is one less offensive opportunity for your midfielders and attackmen.
Although proper technique is important, loose balls are usually contested. In addition to traditional line drills, you can add the box out drill to help simulate a live situation.
The Set Up
- Pair up players according to size and ability
- Have them stand back to back
- Place a ball in between the players
On the whistle, players should try to box each other out to recover the loose ball.
Scrapper Drill
The second of our lacrosse practice drills is a fast way to practice a common lacrosse match-up, the three-on-two. The Scrapper Drill helps players improve ball recognition, passing and defensive communication.
The Set Up
- Place cones in a 16-yard arc around the front of the cage
- Position defenders side-by-side on the back side of the arc
- Line up offensive players facing opposing defenders on the opposite side of the arc
The Rules
- Three offensive players and two defenders enter the area inside the arc from the top center of the line
- They sprint to the crease and touch the line to begin the drill
- The coach rolls out a lacrosse ball
- The three-on-two goes until a goal, a save or if the defense gains possession and clears the ball past the arc
- The offense receives a point for every goal scored, while saves or clears result in defensive points
- After three repetitions, rotate in another group of players
Ultimate Lacrosse
Ultimate Lacrosse isn’t very different from the popular game Ultimate Frisbee. If you use it as one of your lacrosse practice drills, it will force your players to focus on passing skills and learning how to find open space on the field.
The Set Up
- Create a 60-yard by 40-yard area with two football-like end zones
- Split your squad into two teams of six or two groups of seven
The Rules
- Players must advance the ball by passing only
- No running with the ball
- Goals are scored by catching the ball in the end zone area
Keep-a-Way
Lacrosse Keep-a-Way is a fast-paced drill that forces the offense to play at a man-disadvantage.
The Rules
- Break your team into two groups (seven on defense and six on offense)
- Include attackmen, middies, defensemen and goalies in each group
- Define an area between the top of the restraining box and the midfield line
- Place a cone about five yards inside each sideline
Once the ball is live, play continues until possession is lost. Defenders can use the man-advantage to work on double teaming.
After a turnover, the defense transitions to offense after the amount of players on each side is readjusted. Let the drill run for about 45 seconds before bringing in fresh players. In this game, the winners get to rest and the losers keep playing until they win.
The Belly Drill
The Belly Drill can be used for conditioning at the end of practice.
The Set Up
- Split the entire team evenly
- Make sure long poles and short sticks are in each group
- Instruct players to sprint on to the field and lay on their bellies
- Throw the ball in their general direction
- Players must locate the ball, get up and chase after it
- If the offense recovers the ball, they must try to score
- If the defense gains possession, they must try to clear it
These are a few popular lacrosse practice drills, but it seems that every coach has their own favorites. Are there any drills you would like to share with your fellow coaches?
