This article is excerpted from the USA Lacrosse Coach Development Program Platinum Certification series. Enroll today at usalacrosse.com/coach-certification.
Lacrosse is a game in which it is easier to possess the ball than to take away possession because of the ability to carry the ball in the stick without limitations on how many steps you can take, where you can go and the limitations in the amount of contact allowed.
It often requires two or more defenders to prevent one attacker from getting off an effective shot. The ability to pass the ball quickly over distances makes it easy to gain space advantages for 1V1 dodging and 1V1 cutting.
Without team defense, this space and time makes it likely the attack will have an effective shooting opportunity. Develop players who can think and make decisions.
VISION
Everything players do on the field relates to what they see (or don't see) and the decision to move (or not to move). Teaching players how to use their vision (skill) and where to look (IQ) will allow them to make good decisions relative to the game, their own physical abilities, their teammates' abilities and the opponent’s abilities. What to teach:
- Peripheral vision versus central vision.
- Head positioning, head movement and eye movement.
- Tracking multiple things: ball, marked attacker, teammates, opponents and area of the field.
- Focus cues.
Title
SPOKE WHEEL
This drill works on closing to on-ball, recovering to off-ball, footwork, stickwork, body positioning, vision, jumping to the ball, hedging/showing and letting go.
• Attackers pass around perimeter of 8-meter and behind.
• Defenders move while ball is in the air.
• Jump ball side first, even when attackers move away. Adjust.
• Practice vision. (You can add a designated cutter.)
• Practice sending help, getting backdoored and recovering.
• Change the speed of ball movement. Add skip passes.
• Add dodging and cutting.
BODY POSITION/ANGLES
Defenders must learn how to keep their body in the path of an attacker to guide them into a space or limit them from going into a space. What to teach:
- Stance: open V, open back to player, neutral and closed.
- Ball/player orientation: ball side, goal side, topside and backside.
- Path: to ball, to goal, to teammate and to space.
- Help space.
- Approach angles: off-ball to on-ball, off-ball to off-ball, cuts away from the ball or goal and denying cuts.
- Field locations: crease, arm, elbow and arc.
- Using feel to free up vision, with or without contact.
FOOTWORK
Defenders must move quickly and efficiently in all directions. What to teach:
- Feet that fire: quick, small, fast steps; scissor, ladder patterns.
- Slide, shuffle and crossover steps.
- Backward movement.
- Skips, hops and jumps.
- Breakdown steps.
STICKWORK
Stick control and stick-to-ball skills are important. What to teach:
- Hand positioning and grip.
- Sliding hands on stick.
- Control of stick in space (planes, length and hand positioning).
- Strong but flexible arms that take away space and give space for feet.
- Moving hands/arms to lead cuts.
- Blocking, checking and intercepting.
- Off-ball to on-ball, on-ball to off-ball and denying cuts.
- Ground balls and cradling.
COMMUNICATION
Communication helps the defense be proactive and prepared to react. It’s the greatest feeling when defenders feel like they are one step ahead of the attack. What to teach:
- Connect with conversational language.
- Inform about game scenario like time on clock, player formation, matchups, tendencies and ball location..
- Use direct/action verbs (stay, step up, step out, crash, double, reset).
- Nonverbal communication.
