Defense

How is your defensive game? Do attackers with quick feet blow by you? Are you losing time on the field because you just can not seem to be effective enough in the back? Defense is tremendously hard. It seems like in any sport you play, whether it’s lacrosse or not, playing defense is a grind.

Make feed passes hard. No rainbow balls or hospital passes, please.

Always move to meet every pass, and circle away from your defenseman.

Never make a pass to a man who is covered just to get rid of the ball. In lacrosse, passing the ball to a covered player can be a costly mistake that can result in a turnover or a missed opportunity. When a player is covered, it means that they are being closely guarded by […]

Don’t rush an attack man after he has caught the ball. If he is receiving a rather long pass and you are sure you can reach him before the ball, go after him, checking his stick and hitting him with your body.

As a pass is made to the man you are playing, move out to cover him as the ball is moving to him, so that you are in position as he catches it. Don’t wait until he has caught the ball, and then move out on him.

Never take a step into a man while playing him on defense.

Once the attack man has the ball, worry him plenty by poke checking, etc., don’t give him much chance to look over his field, and make him worry about you. Don’t force or rush him, however. There is a big difference between worrying a man and forcing or rushing him. Make the attack make the […]

When not poking at the man with ball, keep your stick around the height of your attack man’s shoulder. Don’t ever carry it at your side, KEEP IT UP!

When your man hasn’t got the ball, always play slightly to the ball side of him, so that you gain a step as he cuts toward the ball. If he cuts away from the ball, the pass must go over your head which leaves you in good position to intercept or check.

When your man hasn’t got the ball, stand sideways (135deg) to the man and ball. You must use split vision watching both your man and the ball.

There must be plenty of talk on defense, this is important. The following are the most important examples: a) The man adjacent to the ball must let the man on the ball know if he is backed up. b) If a man leaves to back up he must let the defense know he is leaving, […]