Pros & Cons of Pressure Defense
Many teams, especially less experienced or skilled teams, can not handle pressure. When I coached games where both teams are less skilled I found a lot of success in forcing the offense to make quick decisions. Typically I found that they would go to the goal and run into the defensive help. Obviously putting pressure can work in other situations as well.
Double pole the inbound
This is a daring defensive move that can catch teams off guard. You may also want to practice it because with under two minutes left if you need the ball this is a tactic you will need to try.
Backer Zone Defense
The backer zone is a great way to let your long sticks pressure the ball while always having the support of a floating defender behind them.
Lacrosse 101 - Clears
After the defense makes a stop and regains possession of the ball it is time to run the clear. Let's go over the basics of clearing
Lock 2 Defense
The idea of a Lock 2 Defense is simple: your two short sticks shut off and the long sticks play defense. This works fantastically against teams that are not well balanced on offense -- short sticks shut off the best two offensive players to let the long poles play!
60 defense
I would use this if the other team has strong crease play, if they do not use a crease man such as in a circle offense I would not use it.
3 1 3 settled clear
This is a great clear to utilize a talented midfielder who can leg it up the field.
5 Characteristics We Want from Our Starting Goalie
Here is the solution to create a complete goaltender. Divide the position in to five specific segments, each to be focused on daily and throughout the season. The order and frequency is based on how many practices you have, and how much time you can allocate.
Triangle zone with a top string
Feeling creative? This can be an interesting wrinkle to try in your defense that is not commonly used but easy to teach.
Adjacent Slide on Defense
When using an Adjacent Slide defense the goal is to lock off the crease, denying the ball to the man in front of the goal.
Zone defense basics in Lacrosse
Zone Defense is often effective in stopping penetration and 1v1 moves because as a ball carrier dodges he makes his way into more zones and encounters more defenders. Let’s go over this in more detail…
4 man rotation with a shut off
This strategy is worth exploring because it disrupts a team’s offensive rhythm by neutralizing their primary playmaker, forcing less experienced players into decision-making roles. By combining a disciplined shutoff with a compact four-man box rotation, it limits high-quality chances while maintaining defensive structure, making it an effective counter against teams that rely heavily on one key player.
Coma Slide
A Coma Slide is a great technique when the player is driving from X and you do not want to slide from the crease
Gilman the ball with a purpose
What are you hoping for when you launch the ball down the field? It is not the ideal way to clear the ball, but we all have to play to our strength on the lacrosse field. Therefore if for whatever reason you need to chuck it down the field, have a plan.
When to slide adjacent?
Who has the best angle to turn away the dodger? It is not always the man in the crease. Many teams will want to introduce the adjacent slide in these situations.
5 keys to Disciplined Defense
5 key points in the critical areas of coaching Checks vs. Position, Recovery, Angles, and coaching how to react to picks even with ‘match-ups’ in mind.
43 Apple Clear
The 43 Apple Clear is a simple clear that can be utilized in order to beat a 42 Lacrosse Ride. We will go over how to utilize this clear by making simple passes and eventually attack the opposing attackman that is covering a defender at the midfield line.
Alley Pick Clear
Sometimes we need to be creative to create an outlet for the midfielder clearing the ball up field. I think this solution can create many options to help you clear the ball when facing an aggressive ride.
2 Off 2 On 2 Over man down clear
If you want to convert a man down situation into a fast break this is a great clear to have in your lacrosse playbook. This can also be modified to use for 6v6.
Draw and Dump Youth Lacrosse Clear
The Draw and Dump clear is great for when you do not have a lot of time to practice or if you are playing with a very young group or a group who is new to the sport.