LACROSSE BASICS: SOME FUNDAMENTALS OF PLAY

1
LACROSSE BASICSSOME FUNDAMENTALS OF PLAY

• collected by
• Mike Bailey
• mikebaileyvienna_at_earthlink.net
• The photographs in this presentation were
  harvested from the internet without permission
  from the artists. This presentation may not be
  used for any purpose other than education.

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OFFENSE-SPECIFIC FUNDAMENTALS
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AXIOM POSSESSION OF THE BALL IS NUMBER ONE

• The crease attackman runs immediately to EVERY
  ground ball, no matter where it is.
• All attackmen converge, recover the ball, and
  reset.

4
YOUR STICK

• Attend to your stick before every practice or
  game
• Pocket depth balances...
• possession (deep)
• snappy feeds (shallow)
• Pocket should be molded so you can easily carry
  the ball with one hand

5
YOUR OFF HANDYou MUST have a Left!

• Learn skills in this order
• Carry
• Scoop
• Catch
• Shoot
• Throwing a ball into a 6x6 square HARD
• Throw
• Feed

6
GETTING OPEN WITH A V-CUT

• When adjacent to the ball, use a V-cut to get
  open.

M
M
M
A
A
A
7
BASIC AFTER PASSING THE BALL, GO SOMEWHERE
GOODEvery pass should cause a shift of the whole
offense.
M
M
M
option 1
A
A
A
M
M
M
option 2
A
A
M
M
A
M
A
M
M
M
A
option 3
A
A
A
A
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THE NO-DODGE ZONE

• Dodge, changing speeds and (usually) changing
  hands.
• Run in a straight line to a spot inside the
  Scoring Zone.
• Shoot and score.
• ATTACKMEN You cannot run in a straight line from
  the no-dodge zone to the scoring zone, SO DONT
  TRY!

M
boom
THE SCORING ZONE
THE SCORING ZONE
A
THE NO-DODGE ZONE
THE NO-DODGE ZONE
boom
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FOLLOW YOUR SLIDING D-MAN

• Middie beats his man on a dodge
• Your D-man slides
• You slide behind him, showing your stick to the
  outside
• Receive the pass
• Cut straight for the scoring zone

M
bang
M
M
D
D
A
A
D
A
3
1
2
10
DRIVE AND DISH

• Attackman dodges D1 (outside the no-dodge zone)
• ...forcing defensive middie D2 to slide.
• M follows his sliding D-man showing his stick to
  the outside
• Attackman feeds M, who cuts straight for the
  scoring zone.

M
D2
M
M
D2
D2
A
A
D1
D1
D1
A
bang
3
1
2
11
FAST BREAK

• Form a box, the middie is the missing corner
• the box needs to spread out with every A-man in
  the scoring zone
• Middie passes the ball to the point early
  (before entering the restraining box)
• Once the point has the ball, all attackmen cut
• Point man has 3 assist options and a shot

M
M
the point man
the box
the box
A
A
D
D
D
A
A
A
D
D
A
D
2
1
12
BALL ON THE DEFENSIVE END

• Always wait at the midfield line
• When the ball pops out and is rolling toward the
  attack
• First priority is to keep that ball rolling
• If your D-man tries to scoop, lift his stick or
  hit him HARD
• Gain possession
• Beat your D-man to the scoop

rolling ball
Run to the ball, win with decisive scoop
smack
A
A
A
D
D
D
Lift his stick or body check
13
RIDING

• All upfield players must be SHUT DOWN, including
  any upfield D-men
• Attackmen stack
• On the first pass, attack the ball
• Make the defense pass the ball across the field
• KEEP CHASING

D
D
A
A
A
A
A
A
G
G
D
D
D
D
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...more RIDING

• Keep chasing the ball
• If the D-man attempts to run with the ball
• gang up on the ball
• force him to the sideline

D
D
A
A
A
A
A
D
A
G
G
D
D
D
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FACE-OFF RESPONSIBILITIESOur guys are the Rs
G
R
G
MIDFIELD
R
R
G
LEFT
RIGHT

• Left wing R attempts to line up inside the
  opponent on the defensive side
• Runs into the red triangle and fights for the
  ball
• Covers the fast break if green wins the ball
• Right wing R attempts to line up inside the
  opponent on the offensive end
• Fights for the ball if it rolls to the Green
  triangle
• Breaks for the goal if Red wins the ball
• Center R either...
• Draws the ball (into the red triangle)
• Scoops it himself, or the left R gets to it
• Wins the ball himself and passes to the Right R
• Attackmen look for the rolling ball, and apply
  the rules

16
SHOOTING

• Know your range, and use it all.
• Beyond 10 feet from the crease, think BOUNCE
• Inside, think EDGE/CORNER
• ALWAYS shoot the far side of the goal

17
SHOOTING ANGLE

• The goalie slides back and forth to cut your
  angle.
• Outside the Scoring Zone, he can reduce the open
  net to a very small space, which he knows you
  need to shoot into.
• You cannot score outside the Scoring Zone, SO
  DONT TRY!

THE SCORING ZONE
A
G
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SHOOTING OVERHEAD

• Shooting overhead has three advantages
• More of the goal is reachable by with an
  unbounced shot
• Very little power in an ascending shot
• Bounce shots hit closer to the goalie and bounce
  up at a sharper angle
• Prior to shooting the upright stick is easier to
  protect

OVERHEAD
OVERHEAD BOX
SIDEARM
SIDEARM BOX
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EXTRA MAN OFFENSE (EMO) ONE-FOUR-ONE
M
M
M
M
A
A
M
M
A
A
A
Collapse for Top Shot
A
M
ONE-FOUR-ONE BASIC
M
M
A
A

• All but the behind-the-goal attackman are in the
  scoring zone.
• Rotate the ball until the defense cannot keep up
• OPTION 1 When the break occurs, follow the
  rules for drive-and-dish.
• OPTION 2 Collapse one side to set up the back
  door or shot from the top

A
Collapse for Back Door
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EXTRA MAN OFFENSE (EMO) TWO-TWO-TWO
M
M
A
M
M
M
A
M
A
A
A
Collapse for Top Shot
A
TWO-TWO-TWO BASIC
M
M
M
A

• Crease pair continuously pick and re-pick
• Rotate the ball LOOKING TO FEED THE CREASE, until
  the defense cannot keep up
• OPTION 1 When the break occurs, follow the
  rules for drive-and-dish.
• OPTION 2 Collapse one side to set up the back
  door or shot from the top
• Back door is fed to second attackman though

A
A
Collapse for Back Door
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DEFENSE-SPECIFIC FUNDAMENTALS
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DEFENSIVE POSITION

• KEEP YOUR NAVEL BETWEEN YOUR MAN AND THE GOAL,
  HIPS SQUARE
• POKE CHECK HIS HANDS AND ELBOWS
• PUSH THE MAN OUT OF THE SCORING ZONE

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GOALIE TALK

• CALL THE BALL
• Left-front
• Right-front
• Center-front
• Left-behind
• Right-behind
• X
• SHOT WARNING
• CHECK CHECK CHECK

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THE HOLE

• If you get beat during a clear...
• If it looks like a fast break is starting...
• If you lose your man...
• ...RUN TO THE HOLE

M
M
M
D
D
D
THE HOLE
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SLIDE INSIDE-OUT

• Decide to slide
• Run into the HOLE
• Slide out to the attacker
• UNDER CONTROL
• STICK-ON-STICK
• NODE-ON-NOSE
• Finish the Hit

BEATS HIS MAN
M
M
D
M
M
D
D
D
THE HOLE
THE HOLE
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SLIDINGKEY TALK AND HUSTLE
BEATS HIS MAN
M
M
M
D
M
M
D
M
D
D
D
D
THE HOLE
D
A
D
A
D
D
D
D
A
A
A
A
BEATS HIS MAN
M
M
M
D
M
M
D
M
D
D
D
D
THE HOLE
D
A
D
A
D
D
D
D
A
A
A
A
GO TOO EARLY THE COACHS FAULT ------- GO TOO
LATE YOUR FAULT
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CLEARING

• All downfield players MUST actively try to get
  open
• Ball passed away from upfield D-man (D3)
• D1 has passing options to D2 or D3, or can
  attempt to run the ball out
• If nothing works, return the ball to the goalie
  and start over

D3
A
D3
A
A
D2
A
A
A
G
G
D2
D1
D1
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DEFENDING THE FAST BREAK

• Meet the ball carrier and force him to pass
• Slide
• Once, twice, keep sliding

M
M
A
D
A
D
D
D
A
A
A
D
A
D
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BALL ROLLING FROM THE OFFENSIVE END

• Always wait TIGHT on your attackman
• Use your stick length and strength/size to push
  the ball back to your offense
• Protecting the HOLE is more important than
  scooping the ball
• Dont let your attackman get behind you

rolling ball
Run to the ball, win with decisive scoop
smack
A
A
A
D
D
D
Lift his stick or body check
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GENERAL FUNDAMENTALS
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BASIC KEEP YOUR BODY BETWEEN THE DEFENDER AND
YOUR BALL
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DONT HANG YOUR STICK
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BASIC CUT IN A STRAIGHT LINE

• x1 where you start the cut
• x2 where you are when the middie releases the
  ball
• x3 where you are when the ball arrives

M
M
x2
x3
x3
x2
x1
x1
A
A
34
PASS RECEPTION

• Hold your stick up in the box
• Call for the ball Heres your help!
• Move (straight line) to the passer
• Catch the ball on the move and keep moving

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WEIGHT TRAINING PRIORITIES

• WRISTS AND GRIP
• BUTT AND CORE
• SHOULDERS, CHEST, LATS
• CALFS

If you train hard, youll not only be hard,
youll be hard to beat.
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BE A STUDENT OF THE GAME

• Tips For Attackmen
• Make your defense man play you and you alone
  every second you are in the game. Keep moving all
  the time so that he must center his attention on
  you an not be in position to help out his fellow
  defense men.
• In moving the ball around the circle, make all
  passes sharp, short, and to the outside, away
  from the defense man.
• Make feed passes hard.
• When you have the ball, never stand still - keep
  moving all the time - if necessary run backwards
  and forwards - but keep moving. When you are
  ready to make a pass, take one step back quickly
  and move.
• All feed passes must be thrown directly overhand
  or directly underhand - not sidearm.
• Always move to meet every pass, and circle away
  from your defense man.
• When you have the ball, be constantly faking
  passes - keep your defense man's stick moving.
• When in possession of ball, make the defense man
  play your stick - watch his stick - the position
  of it will determine the direction of your feed
  and the type of dodge you might try.
• Take pains to make every pass good.
• Never make a pass to a man who is covered just to
  get rid of the ball.
• If an attack man is being ridden hard and can't
  dodge or get away - the nearest man on each side
  goes to help him.
• On all long shots, a man must be on the crease.
• On every screen shot the crease man should
  check-up on the defense man's stick, and
  immediately face the goalie, so that he is ready
  to bat in a rebound.
• After receiving a pass, as the ball moves around
  the outside, look first at the man who threw you
  the ball to see what he is doing, then at the
  crease.
• If you receive a pass after cutting and haven't
  got a good shot, hold onto the ball.
• Place all shots, usually for a far corner, and
  shoot hard. When within five yards of the goal,
  the shot should be for a top corner.
• After picking up a loose ball, turn and face the
  crease immediately. If nobody is open, move in
  fast until you are picked up.
• Don't dodge if there is an open man. Don't hold
  the ball long unless you are planning a dodge.
  Keep it moving with quick, short passes.

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