Title: Fundamentals of Lacrosse
1Fundamentals of Lacrosse
- Presented by Alex Whitten
- Head Boys Lacrosse Coach
- Western Albemarle High School
2Personal 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.
- FCIAC Champions 2012.
- 3 Time Class M State Finalist 2008, 2011, 2012
- 2012 MSG CT Coach of the Year.
3Why We Are Here
- Lacrosse in every area of the country, is growing
at an incredible rate. - Enrollment in the sport has grown 364 over the
last 15 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.
4Streamlining 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.
5Topics 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
6Why 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.
7Eliminate 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. - Lets enable them to answer questions for
themselves in a positive manner. - If we eliminate Why and Should, we become
better teachers and communicators.
8The 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 didnt 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?
9There Are No Mistakes
- I tell players that there are no such things as
mistakes - except if there is an action repeated that
simply doesnt 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 didnt 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 hasnt 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 didnt. - No Judgments.
10Endorse 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 ones game allows for individuality
and overall player and team development.
11Decision 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.
12Mental 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.
13Mental 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.
14Coaching 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
coachs 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 coachs 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.
15Lacrosse 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.
16What 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 dont 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!!!
17Physical 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.
18Fundamentals
- 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.
19Attitude
- 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.
20The 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!!!
21Where Does it All Start
- This all starts with all of the programs 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.
22Durability
- 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.
23Coachability
- 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.
24Knowledge 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?
25Applied 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.
26Audio 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.
27Does 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 dont. 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.
28Learning 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.
29Learn 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.
30The Stick
- The head
- The shaft
- 40 inches vs. 72 inches
- The pocket
- Depth
- Ideal pocket location
- Legal vs. Illegal
31Illegal 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
32Results 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.
33The 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.
34What 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.
35Holding 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.
36Passing
- 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 players 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!!!
37Passing 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.
38How To Know This Is Working
- When players push the ball and dont 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.
39Why 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.
40Catching
- 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.
41No 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.
42Groundballs
- 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.
43Picking 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.
44Once 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.
45Footwork
- 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.
46Communication
- 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.
47Work Ethic
- OUR PLAYERS NEED TO WORK HARDER!!!
- It isnt enough to just WANT to be good!!!
- If our players arent 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.
48Fundamentals 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.
49Pyramid of Success
Creativity, Adaptability, Improvisation
Mastery of Skills and Knowledge
Confidence Composure
Understanding Specific Game
Scenarios/Situations
Understanding Team Concepts and Goals
Solid Positional Fundamentals
Fundamentals GBs, Passing, Catching, Moving
Your Feet, Face-offs, Rules
Work Ethic, Desire, Become a Student of the Game,
Love for the Game
50The 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.
51Body 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.
52Using 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 doesnt get it. - Hand and foot speed are crucial as is footwork
and body position.
53The 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.
54The 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 doesnt, 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.
55The 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.
56The 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.
57The 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.
58The Unspoken Rule
- Simply put If you arent cheating, you arent
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.
59Reading Your Opponent
- Reading your opponents 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.
60Win 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!
61Lose 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 cant pick it up, make sure the man you
are playing cannot either.
62Wing 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.
63Player 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.
64Crucial 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
dont 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.
65The 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.
66Other 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!!!
67The 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 Xs and attack the backside. - All of this will make sense as we work through
this presentation.
68Offensive 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.
69Spacing 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 defenses job a lot easier. - If you know where you need to be, get there, and
follow the rules, we will be in good shape.
70Fight 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.
71Offensive 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.
72A 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.
73First 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.
74Second 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
dont want this. - If the defensive player moves towards the ball
carrier, you have done enough.
75Third 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.
76Buy 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 its most basic
form and it will work. - IT WILL WORK!!!
77Defending 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!!!
78Setting 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 its form is equally
important. - Communication and knowing what to do by every
member of our team is a MUST!!!
79The 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.
80Defensive 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!!!
81First 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.
82Second 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.
83Over 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.
84Defending 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.
85Dont 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.
86The 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.
87Recognition 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.
88The Fish Ho