Basic Skills for Learning to Play Lacrosse Session 1: Ground Balls

Duration: 90 minutes

When learning to play lacrosse, it’s very common for the ball to fall to the ground. Since it’s not allowed to pick it up with your hand, the first skill beginners should learn is how to pick up the ball with the stick.

Goal: Learn and perfect ground ball techniques, focusing on stance, stick control, and reactivity.

1. Introduction (15 min)

• Explanation of the basics of ground ball technique.

• Key points: low stance, stick angle, tracking the ball.
  Ground Balls: Essential Tips for Beginner Lacrosse Players
  7 Ground ball teaching tips

2. Activity Development

Individual Technique (20 min)

• Goal: Practice stance and stick control without pressure.

• Drill: Players place their stick near the ball and repeatedly practice ground ball pickups in a stable, low stance. This drill can be adapted to focus solely on ground balls.
  Basic line drill

Ground Balls in Motion (20 min)
Goal: Increase speed in approaching ground balls.

• Drill: Players move in a straight line, picking up balls placed at intervals. Once they start mastering this basic drill, you can explore these games, which meet the same objective and add dynamism, making training much more fun.
  Steal the Bacon, Boys lacrosse game
  Messy Yard Boys Lacrosse Drill

Ground Ball Competition (20 min)

• Goal: Introduce pressure and competition in ground ball situations.

• Drill: In pairs or groups, players compete to scoop a ball from the center and return to their starting line.
  3 Man Ground Ball Elimination
  Hungry Hungry Hippos
  Hungry Thieving Hippos

3. Closure (10 min)

Quick evaluation of progress and discussion on the importance of quick ground ball retrieval in games.

Ground balls are a fundamental skill in lacrosse, as they represent one of the most common situations players face during a game. The ability to quickly and effectively scoop the ball off the ground can make the difference between maintaining possession or losing it to the opposing team. Furthermore, mastering this skill is crucial, as many offensive and defensive plays rely on the ability to recover the ball. As the first skill to learn, it helps players build a solid foundation in ball handling and gives them confidence on the field. Without good ground ball technique, other skills like passing and catching can be compromised, as many plays start with a ground ball.