Fundamentals of Goalie Play

Essential to every team is a good goalie. A goalie needs to be a leader with very good knowledge of the game, its rules and understanding of the needs of the team. The following covers the fundamental technique of playing lacrosse goalie.

Fundamentals

• Simple Concept: intercept the ball in its path with your stick or body before it goes in the goal.
• Musts: Cup, Helmet, Goalie Stick, Chest protector, throat guard, and gloves. Anything else is up to you.
•  Goalie Positioning
• Fingers should hold the stick, but not choke it. Handle should be in fingers not palms.
• Hands should be about 12” apart in a comfortable relaxed position.
• Arms should be away from your body, but you should not have flying wings, far enough so you can easily maneuver the stick in a clock and counter clock- wise fashion (like a baseball player). Far enough away from your head so you don’t hit your mask when you move it from stick side high to off stick side high.
• Feet should be shoulder distance apart and weight should be forward. Not necessarily on your toes but definitely not back on your heals.
• Body position should be similar to a linebacker, a tennis player: an athlete.
• Goalie Stick should be positioned just off your shoulder covering the “Box Area”. If you are right handed, you hold the top of the stick (toward the stick head) with your right hand and the bottom hand (left hand for righties) should be about 12” away. Arms bend at elbows and away from your body. Head of stick should be slightly forward and you should be ready to step toward the ball in an easy fluid motion.

• Step to the ball – Legs come together
• Attack the ball. Get your whole body in the path of the ball. Your stick gets there first while starting to step to the path of the ball.
• You should step to the ball beginning with the foot and leg from the side the ball came from. The step should be at about a 45 degree angle towards the ball.  If the ball (bounce, high, or low) came toward you from the right of your body, you should step with your right foot and leg followed by your left foot and leg coming together with your right foot and leg. If the ball came from toward you from the left side of your body, you should step to the path with your left foot and leg followed by your right foot and leg coming together with your left foot and leg.  Always follow your stick with your body.  If you happen to miss with your stick, your body will be in position to stop the shot then.  Don't play "matador."
• If the ball is a bounce shot position your chin at the point of the bounce while stepping to get in the path of the ball. Your stick gets to the ball first with your whole body following.
• This is true for any shot. Every time. Practice, Practice, Practice! Attack, attack, attack

• Goalie Position in the Goal

• When the ball is in front of the opening of the Goal, you should be in the goalie position on the imaginary “half moon” between the pipes and move as the ball moves. As the ball moves from pipes, side, front (top) right and left, you should be moving on the half moon to be in position to attack any shot that comes near the goal.
• When the ball is behind at X (directly behind the goal) or off pipes right and left, you should be positioned at the center of the moon, waiting in goalie position except with your bottom hand at the end of the handle so that you are in position to “steal the ball”. Only make the attempt if you can be successful. Do not be over anxious so as to be out of position for the next opportunity to make a save.
• When the ball is thrown from back to front, you move with the side the ball went to first. If I am standing at the x of the moon, and the ball is thrown from back right to side left, I turn (clockwise) with my right side moving first to get my stick to the ball side as fast as I can the rest of my body follows my head. If the ball is thrown from back right to side right I move (counter clockwise) my right side to the ball first followed by stepping with my right foot to the right side of the goal.

• Catch the ball
• Don’t pop at it. Cradle it into your stick like other players do. Don’t stab or pop it. Catch it.
• Make sure your pocket is broken in.
• Make sure your stick is in good repair. Fixing any loose or broken strings prior to game.

• Throw the ball
• You must be able to cradle and throw just like any of your teammates. They must be able to rely on you to control the ball, catch the ball, cradle the ball, and throw the ball with consistency and accuracy. Half field accurate and consistent throws at a minimum.
• To throw the ball you position your hands in a throwing position. Bottom hand at the end of the handle and top hand about 12 to 18 inches away as to allow the “levered” throwing of the ball. Always step toward your target and lead the runner just like a quarter back would lead a wide receiver. Don’t throw buddy passes.
• After you pass the ball, look to get back in the cage.

• Crease

• The crease is yours; it is your domain; it is your protection. Your sole responsibility is to keep the ball from going into the goal. You can use the crease to help you do that.
• Remember to always clamp on the ball with your stick when it is near the crease. Rake it back to you but be careful not to allow it to pop out. Get your defensemen to know what “clear the crease” means.
• After you have possession of the ball, you have three seconds to get the ball out of your crease (pass it or walk/run it out).
• Look for the attack man standing in front of your crease while you are attempting to make a clear.
• If there is no fast break or out let pass, take the ball behind.
• You cannot go back into the crease after you have left it with the ball. You can enter the crease at anytime without the ball. Remember the ball in the back of the net trick.

• Communicate
• Talk to your coach about the proper calls he wants you to make. You need to use an authoritative voice without yelling. Know everyone’s name, nick name. Talk to provide information not to talk.
• Some of the calls that might be made by a goalie:
• Stick side high, med. Low, off stick high, med. low
• Check sticks
• Square right or left
• Stick on Stick
• Front (top) left, center right
• Side left, Red Zone, Side right
• Pipe (post) side left, Pipe (post) side right
• Back left, X (back Center) and Back right
• Clear the crease
• Clear
• Redirect
• Who’s got man, Numbers?
• The hole and who has got the hole?
• Fast Break
• Who’s backing up
• Ball, ball down
• Watch the pick, who has his back

• Have Fun!

Instructional Video of the Week: Lacrosse Catching Fundamentals

Great video from Tier Lacrosse on basic lacrosse catching fundamentals which supports the previous post about deep bag pockets creating bad habits in young lacrosse players.  This is one of the most basic of fundamentals, but is often where many bad habits can start and can have a very negative effect as the player grows.  This is especially important for Northern lacrosse players, many of whom I see snatching and twisting the ball out of the air when they catch.  This video emphasizes the importance of catching the ball with soft hands.  Just watching the first few minutes is very educational for young players.

Offensive Tips for the Midfielder

A couple of weeks ago we offered some defensive tips for midfielders. This week, we have some offensive tips for midfielders.

Midfield Offense Tips

1. Endurance.  Endurance is a midfielders best friend.  As a middie you need to be the most well conditioned player on the field.  How else are you going to make a big stop on D and than go to the O side and stick a corner?

In the off season, you should be running both long-distance and sprints every day.

Even if you aren't that great of a ball handler, if you have speed, then you have much of what you need.

2. Get GREAT at ground balls. The team that controls the ground ball game, wins the actual game.  No matter what level of lacrosse you play in, there will always be ground balls to pick up.

Just remember to get low and scoop through the ball.  Pound it into your head to NEVER rake the ball, and always scoop through the ball.

One more thing to remember with ground balls. Use two hands. One-hand ground balls are for showoffs that never get the job done. Use two hands, and be a reliable ground ball man.

Kyle Harrison after a successful split dodge

3. Become a GREAT dodger.  Don't dodge with the intention of always blowing by your defender.  To score goals, midfielders only need to be able to execute a dodge that will enable them to get their hands free for a quality shot or pass.  Getting your hands free for a shot (away from your defender and his stick) while in shooting range of the goal is the key to scoring goals.

When dodging from up top, midfielders can anticipate having to take a shot from a distance no closer than 8 yards away from the goal.  This is because there is often a defender standing right in front of the goal, on the crease area, who is ready to slide and double team if the offensive player gets close to the goal. Offensive midfielders that get too close to the goal before shooting the ball will often find themselves in this double-team and unable to shoot or pass effectively (a common mistake with young players).   As a result, midfielders should learn to shoot the ball relatively quickly out of their dodge.  A midfielder that has the ball and is within 13 yards of the goal with his hands free should shoot the ball if he has a quality shot, rather than trying to run in for a closer shot (if there are other defenders blocking his path to the goal).

Execute all of your moves in a game at FULL SPEED (Practice your moves this way too). Learn to play lefty and righty equally as well.   It does not matter how good you are at a dodge. If you make the move the same way every time, your defenseman will recognize this and you'll never get your hands free.

A player has a big advantage dodging from up top rather than behind the goal because they start their dodge while facing the goal, and therefore already have a shooting angle on the goal.  For midfielders, a basic split dodge is the dodge that will most often help you get your hands free for a shot, because when done correctly, it creates the most space between you and your defender than other dodges.  Midfielders should practice dodging and shooting drills designed to create separation from a defender within scoring range of the goal.

At the intermediate level, the split dodge is the primary dodge a midfielder should use.  It is actually better to have midfielders concentrate on this dodge because it makes them go north-south. Too often at the youth level, midfielders try to go back and forth across the field as they slowly back their way to the goal.  They either use a million face dodges or a million roll dodges and if they are lucky they get to the goal in a one-on-one situation. This is not an effective way to get to the goal in a game and it is not a dodge that any player would use at a more advanced level because he would get crushed.

Midfielders should be encouraged to make one hard move (a split dodge) and go to the goal.  Midfielders should attack their defenders “top” or “outside” foot, make them change direction, and then go to the goal. Midfielders will make split dodges from up top or from the wing but should never dodge east-west.  Getting to the goal or drawing a slide and passing is the main job for the midfielder on offense.  It is that easy.  A midfielder that understands this concept at an intermediate level will make them much better than their competition.

4. Become GREAT at shooting on the run.  Since they are learning to make one hard move and go to the goal, midfielders must also learn to shoot on the run. This is something that takes a great deal of practice and repetition. During practice, focus about 90% of the time shooting on the run. That is really the shot you will use most of the time in a game. The ability to shoot well on the run rests on the skills of snapping the wrists over and twisting the upper body.

Try to be deceptive. Try to hide your stick behind your body until the last second. And, make sure to shoot with the proper technique. Remember to:

• Get your hands away from your body - Hands and elbows high and away from your body, hands 12 inches apart close to the bottom of your handle
• Snap your stick over the top with your wrists
• Turn your shoulders and hips and uncork like a golfer
• Drive with your front shoulder toward the goal

Some players find it more effective to bring their hands closer together when shooting on the run because it gives them more torque on their shot.  Some players also find that jumping while shooting on the run gives them more power as it allows them to twist their body more as they are in the air.  This is a very difficult skill to learn and is more suitable for stronger, more advanced players.  If you are fading away from the goal or shooting off your back foot or not turning and shooting in stride, you’ll want to practice to break these bad habits right away.  A young midfielder who can learn to shoot on the run effectively will have a very bright future as a lacrosse player.

5. Perfect your quick stick. Quick sticking can be the most lethal attribute that a middie can have.  It is so difficult for the defender and the goalie to stop it, or to even see it coming.

It doesn't require a lot of power (or skill) to do. Just get out to a brick wall, and play wall ball.

It is very important that you learn how to quick stick with both hands. Doing this might make you the MVP of your team (at least for scoring and finishing).

6. Practice Time and Room shooting as well (midfielders have to be well-rounded). To learn to shoot with time and room from the outside, young midfielders should first try to catch the ball behind them.  If the midfielder can learn to catch the ball with his arms extended, his hands away from his body, and his stick behind him, then this will set him up for a great outside shot.

As he catches the ball, the midfielder wants to push off his back foot and step with his front foot, take a small cradle, and let the ball go.   Just having a quick shot at this level will catch goalies off guard.

Much like shooting on the run, catching and shooting with time and room is learned from a great deal of repetition. The more it is practiced, the greater the level of muscle-memory will come into play. Things to watch out for and avoid when practicing time and room shots are letting your hands get to close to your body, letting the head of your stick drop, using your arms instead of your wrists, stepping with the wrong foot, and attacking the ball when catching instead of receiving it behind you.

7. Learn how to play off the ball. Off ball play is an overlooked and important part of the midfielder's game. 60-70% of the goals scored are assisted by a teammate. To get these scoring opportunities however, you must know how to move without the ball.

Here are four tips to better off ball play:

• After throwing a pass, immediately cut to the goal for a return pass (give and go), Most defenseman relax after you give up the ball...make em pay.
• If the defenseman covering you goes to double or help a teammate, follow behind him and get in a passing lane.
• Always cut to the ball as hard and fast as you do when you dodge. You'll be surprised how open you get just by cutting 100%.
• Watch top level lacrosse and see how the middies and attackmen cut. Also watch and play basketball.

8. Perfect your Passing game. The key to being great at midfield is learning when and how to pass.   Of course every player wants to be the one who scores the goal, but a player who can pass when necessary is worth more to the team.  Make sure that your passes have purpose. You don’t want to move the ball just for the sake of passing.  If the recipient is no better off to make a move or shot on goal, then the pass loses its value.  After a pass, however, the midfielder should hustle down to the goal to grab a return pass if necessary. A midfielder should always be on the move to keep the defense on their toes.

For young midfielders, it's important to pass before you run into trouble, find one or two or three opposing players collapsing on you and then can't make a good pass or shoot.  Midfielders need to see the field and pass to the open man before they draw the double or triple team.  It's painful to watch young midfielders dodge to the goal directly into trouble while one or two of their teammates wait open for a pass.  Learning to see the field and find the open man comes with experience.  

9. Practice your face-off technique. Don't rely on the other guy all the time. Learn some moves and practice! Young midfielders should all practice face-offs. You may be called upon to face-off in a game and you should know how to do it and practice. If not practiced, it might be hard to discover who might be good at it as well. Face-off tips coming soon.

Defensive Tips for Midfielders

The following are some tips for playing defense from the midfield position. Defense from the midfield position, particularly for short stick midfielders, is a critical aspect of overall team defense.

1.  Play defense with your feet.  Good footwork is a critical skill for defensive players. Good footwork means speed, agility, and quickness.   Not every player naturally possesses great speed, agility, or quickness, but every player can gain it. You can do this by jumping rope, wind sprints, shuttles runs, and playing pick-up basketball.

Play basketball a lot to help learn to play with your feet. Get your hands up in front of you.  Find pick-up games at gyms, playgrounds, schools, etc.  Play against people taller and faster than you.  The principles are exactly the same, and it's a lot easier to get a pick-up game of basketball going than a pick-up game of lacrosse.

2.  Look at your opponents waist.  What are you looking at when your opponent starts to dodge at you? (His eyes? His stick?) These are common mistakes. You'll probably get faked out. You should be looking at his waist. Wherever his waist goes, he is going.  If you ever played football this is where you are taught to look when trying to tackle someone. You can still see what he wants to do with the ball out of the corner of your eye.

3.  The main goal of a midfielder playing defense from up top is to keep his man down the side or going down the alleys.  An important concept when playing defense against an offensive midfielder is the position of your stick, more specifically the head of your stick. The proper way to hold your stick as you are covering a dodger from up top is to have the head of your stick in an “UPFIELD” position.  Upfield means that you have the head of your stick towards the midfield line and your butt end towards the goalie.   For example, if you are covering a dodger going down the field’s left hand side, the head of your stick should be to your right (hence pointing to the midfield line). If the dodger is going down the right hand side of the field your stick should be to your left (hence pointing to the midfield line).   

By having the head of your stick in the UPFIELD position you accomplish a major defensive goal – preventing a dodger from rolling back or getting to the middle of the field.  The middle of the field is sacred for a defense and needs to be protected at all costs because it is where offensive players have the best angle to shoot and greatest chance to score. When you can keep an offensive player down the sides and not the middle of the field you decrease your opponent’s shooting angle and make the job of your goalie and fellow defensemen easier.

4.  You want to dictate where your man goes, not the opposite.  Force him to his weak hand or toward a diminishing shooting angle.  Do this by slightly turning your hips and shoulders and mostly by actually being on one side of him. The key to good team defense is tricking your opponent into taking poor shots. So play your individual defense accordingly.  Once he makes a move, close the distance between you, and take a good angle so you'll meet him at a point where he becomes dangerous.

The d-middie wants to guide his man down the side of the field for three reasons.  The first reason is that the further the offensive midfielder goes down the side, the less of an angle that he will have for a shot. Secondly, the further he goes down the side, the fewer options he will have for a feed.  Finally, the defender that is sliding to the ball carrier will know exactly where he needs to slide if the d-middie gets beat by a few steps. The defensive midfielder keeps the ball carrier going down the side by using a cross check (which is gently pushing the ball carrier out with the shaft of his stick and his hands about six inches apart on the stick (if his hands are two wide or he jolts the ball carrier with his stick, then a penalty will be called).

If an intermediate level midfielder can learn to keep his man down the side, then he/she is way ahead of the game.  This does take some time to learn.  When teaching this Coach Bill Tierney always tells his midfielders, “All I want you to do is get beat. Just make sure you get beat down the side of the field and not towards the middle of the field.” As simple as it sounds, it takes a great deal of practice for youth players to grasp. Once they learn though, it makes them a great defensive player as a midfielder.

5.  Don't throw stick checks until you have perfected footwork and body position.  A check thrown when not in good foot position will almost always result in a whiff or a foul.  If you are in good position and your man is getting ready to pass or shoot, the most effective check is a lift check. Get under his bottom elbow with your stick (or glove on your stick) and lift up and toward yourself (to avoid nipping his facemask on the way up).

Never lunge at the offensive player.  As you attempt to make a stick check, you need to keep your feet moving the whole time.  Active feet are essential when you attempt to throw stick checks.  Many defensive players make the mistake of stopping their feet as they throw a check.  Doing so allows an offensive player to run right by the defenseman if they miss the check.  Keeping your feet moving allows you to recover from a missed check and not give up an easy angle to score.  Players should work on developing the ability to time their checks perfectly by going for the stick at the exact moment it may be left open.

After your check is made, it is extremely important to come up with the groundball pickup and keep possession of the ball for your team. If you are going to go for the check, then go for it hard and come up with the ball.

6.  Short stick middies job is basically one of containment - you're not there to take the ball away, thats the long stick's job. As has been said, keep him to the channels, don't get beat inside, don't rely on throwing stick checks, and don't go one-handed to throw a check.  If you do, you're already beat and 90% of the time the best you can hope for is to not draw a flag.   Nothing good ever comes from defending with one hand on your stick.

7.  Never chase after the ball carriers stick to try and take the ball away. Whenever this happens, the defensive midfielder gets beat towards the top side.

It is very important for young midfielders to learn the importance of getting back “in the hole”.  This means that when the other team gets the ball, the midfielder’s first objective should be to get back to the defensive side, within the restraining box and let the offense come to them.  Too many young lacrosse players consistently slide up field. For example, say the Tigers take the ball away from the Bears. A Tiger player has the ball in the defensive end and starts running up field towards the Bears’ goal.  At most beginner levels, the Bears’ midfielders will run at the Tiger player and try to take the ball.  This is called sliding up field and is the biggest mistake that an uneducated lacrosse player makes.   The Bears’ midfielders should just run back to their goal, break down and get ready to defend.  With the way lacrosse is played now, sliding up field rarely gets the ball back from the other team, and usually ends up in transition situations and scoring for the other team.  A great lesson for young middies to learn is as soon as the other team gets the ball, get back on defense.  It will help your team, and it will give your midfielders a good foundation for playing solid defense.

8.   If you're a D-Middie accept your role on the team. You aren't going to score a lot of points, but if you are good at defense you will have a lot of fast break opportunities that offensive middies won't.  Most lacrosse players don't get a lot of PT. You have maybe 40 guys on a team and 18 play a lot. That's just the way it is.

If you're middle of the road in stick skills as a middie, you can get more playing time if you're a good groundballer, hustle, play D-Mid, wing on face-offs and man-down defense.

9.  Communicate!  Communicating with your fellow defensemen is vital to a defense’s success. Creative and effective offenses excel at two things – picking and moving without the ball.  It is important to communicate with other defensemen during a pick play so you know whether to switch players or maintain your match-ups.  If your man is going to set a pick on your fellow defenseman, let them know that a pick is coming and from what direction, and then tell them to either “SWITCH” or “STAY ON MAN”.  YOU CAN NEVER TALK TOO MUCH OR TALK TOO LOUDLY ON THE LACROSSE FIELD.  A loud and talkative defense is an effective one. 

10.  Be the toughest son-of-a-gun you can. Never lose a 50-50 ground ball. Always run as hard as you can when out there. You'll be off soon to rest. Part of your job is to set the tone, pace and volume of the game. You want to instill fear and self-doubt in your opponent. This hurts their confidence and makes them less aggressive, which makes you more effective.

When off the ball:

There are six players on the offense, so your man will only have the ball about 17% of the time.  That means 83% of your defensive game is played when your man doesn't have the ball. So you better be good off-ball because that's most of your D game.

1. Spend most of your time looking at your man and the other players without the ball.

2. Use all your senses: FEEL AROUND, LISTEN AND TALK. Your goalie should be telling you where the ball is and what defense you are in and what formation the offense is in. This way you don't have to take your eyes off your man.

3. See the ball 10 percent of the time, just to get more info. Do this with a quick turn of the head, and then see your man again.

4. KEEP YOUR HIPS TURNED TOWARD YOUR MAN AT ALL TIMES! You won't have time to turn and find him if he is receiving a feed. If you think another opponent is behind you, reach your hand out to try to touch him without taking your eyes of your man. Be big in there, push people around.

5. If you're going to look at the ball as it's being passed around the horn, ALWAYS TURN THROUGH YOUR MAN! This means if you are playing defense against the top left middie and he passes the ball to the leftwing attackman, who throws it to the attackman at X, who throws it to the rightwing attackman, you need to move your body in a certain way. DO NOT TURN YOUR BODY COUNTERCLOCKWISE in this situation and follow the ball. You should see the pass to the leftwing attackman and then LOOK OVER YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER to see the ball at X and the right wing, without turning your feet or hips. Thus you have turned THROUGH YOUR MAN to see the ball.

6. Cover the offensive players, not spots, even when in zone. (i.e. adapt the shape of your zone to their formation).

7. As for playing team defense, when in doubt slide early, help and double often.

Tips for Shooting on the Run

Shooting on the Run
tips from Mark Millon, Jay Jalbert and others

Mechanics

"I remember when I first started to force myself to do it lefty, it was just a really awkward thing. You're running, and you have to keep your whole upper body still, and still have torque," Jalbert says. "And I remember just fighting through that. It was a really difficult thing."

Remember the two Ts: torso and torque.

Paul Rabil - one of the best ever shooting on the run

As opposed to a stationary shot, in which you can plant your feet and release it head-on, shooting on the run requires less of your legs to generate shot power. Most of it will come from your arms and midsection. Your legs, however, do generate the momentum, which is then converted by your upper body into shot power.

Approaching the cage as a righty, you should line up your shot four steps in advance. Jalbert calls it, simply, a run dodge. Draw your defender on your left hip while sweeping right. Take your first three steps down the alley -- left, right, left -- to get him there.

Then, on your fourth step, your right foot steps over your release point.

Allow your feet about a millisecond delay for your upper body to initiate shooting motion. Then whip your torso in a right-to-left motion toward the cage, and follow through with your arms and wrists as you would naturally.

(Approaching as a lefty, use the reverse footwork.)

Hand Position and Arm Angle

Before that fourth step, your hands should already be in a position to shoot.

As with any shot, your top hand should not be too close to the throat of the stick, because you will wind up pushing the ball.

But more so with shooting on the run, your top hand should not be too low, either. A lot of the whip is already generated by the torso-torque mechanic. Positioning your hands too low on the stick not only leaves you susceptible to a trail check, but it also decreases accuracy. A shot on the run is already less accurate than a stationary shot.

When you step over the release point with that fourth step, your hands should extend away from your body, elbows up, and ready to follow through on the torque created by your upper body.

Also, keep the stick "light in your hands," Jalbert advises. "A lot of real young players, they have that kung-fu grip," he says. "It should be tender."

As for arm angles, shooting on the run lends itself best to sidearm and overhand approaches. Choose the angle according to your position on the field.  Overhand shooting is more accurate on the run and many top players recommend an overhand shot when shooting on the run to improve accuracy.

However, if you're dodging across the goal, go ahead and shoot sidearm. This gives you a better angle and widens your options of where to shoot on the cage.

If you're coming down either alley, an overhand shot works best.

'Get Small'

Think of a spring-loaded gun. "My body gets small before I shoot," Jalbert says.

The more tightly wound your torso is upon your release, the more power you'll get on your shot. It means tightening up your abdomen by contorting your upper body and hips, and releasing that energy through your arms and wrists.

Lean into the goal when shooting to generate this effect.

Step over your release point with your outside foot, delay, and whip your torso around for the greatest strength on your running shot.  You can think of it like a golfers swing or leading with your hips in a baseball swing.

Drills and Workouts

Your body wants to stop. It wants to stop and shoot. So practice everything in motion, without a ball, even.

Jalbert had an apple orchard in his backyard growing up. There were six trees in a row. To get used to shooting on the run, when he was younger, he would dodge each tree in succession, and practice getting his hands out into shooting position after each tree.

The same effect could be achieved with any row of obstacles. The important thing is that you never stop moving your feet.

As for developing muscles used while shooting on the run, use workouts for strengthening your rotational core.

More tips for shooting on the run:

Shooting on the run may be the hardest skill to learn in lacrosse and will require tons of practice. You are going to be shooting on the run a lot. When you are practicing, spend as much time as you can focusing on shooting on the run. Any time your on a goal practicing your shot (hopefully all the time) spend 85%-90% of the time running full speed and shooting.  Don't worry if you miss the goal badly the first few hundred times. 

There are a few keys to scoring from outside.

Try to be deceptive. Try to hide your stick behind your body until the last second.  You are going to have the defensive players from the opposing team all over you when you have the ball, so you need to learn to be deceptive.

Paul Rabil shooting on the run

Shoot with the proper technique. Hands and elbows high and away from your body, hands 12 inches apart close to the bottom of your handle, turn your shoulders and hips and uncork like a golfer.  Your power will come from a big hip and shoulder turn while cradling your stick behind your body.  Just as your ready to release your shot uncork your body in the direction of the target.

Don’t be afraid to take bounce shots.  They can provide an additional aspect of deception with unpredictable bounces and often find the back of the cage.

Learn to do it with both hands.

This description is for a right handed shot, a left handed shot will be reversed.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE GOAL. Start by moving across the face of the goal from the right side to the left and have your shoulders parallel with the sidelines but as you begin to plant your left foot "show your numbers" to the goal. Begin the shooting motion by planting your left foot so it will face at about the 10 o'clock position, bring your right foot around slightly after so it will end up pointing at the goal. Be sure to have your right foot come around slightly before the stick, this will force you to "coil" your body so you will have more torque in your body which translates to more velocity in your shot. YOU MUST TAKE A WIDE STEP WITH YOUR RIGHT FOOT SO YOU CAN GET ALL OF THE VELOCITY FROM THE TORQUE IN YOU BODY INTO THE SHOT.  Remember, you are moving through the entire process, do not stop to shoot.  If you bring your right foot around properly with all of your body power behind the shot, the follow through should almost spin you completely around. Keep the stick behind your body so the goalie cannot see it, be careful not to "hang the stick". YOU SHOULD HAVE A SORE LOWER BACK AFTER WORKING ON THIS OR YOU ARE NOT DOING IT RIGHT. You can practice shooting on the run from any angle on the field. It does not have to be across the face of the goal only.

Again, this is a tough skill even for top players.  It is going to take a considerable amount of practice to master.  Watch some high level lacrosse to see it in action!!

Instructional Video of the Week: Shooting on the Run

Shooting on the run is critical in lacrosse as the majority of a midfielders or attackmans shots will come off the run.  Midfielders especially have to be adept at shooting on the run as they come off a dodge heading towards the goal.  The following videos do a pretty good job showing good technique for shooting on the run.

Instructional Video of the Week: Good Shooting Form - Time and Room

The following video does a great job describing and showing good shooting form. It nicely goes though a shot step-by-step and in slow motion describing and showing proper shooting technique and form. Another good thing for new players to watch is how softly Smith receives the pass. He doesn't keep the stick outstretched for long, but "gives" a little as the ball arrives in his stick and he's ready to shoot quickly. This is proper technique that is very clear in slow motion and many young players haven't yet mastered. It's well worth watching for both new players and those who've played the game for a while. We think it's one of the best shooting instructional videos out there. Check it out:

Tips for a New Lacrosse Goalie

Goalies might be the most important player on the lacrosse field.  It's important for coaches, especially youth lacrosse coaches, to cultivate goalies.  It has been said that good goaltending is worth more than a 6 goals per game attackman.

 

Goalie is also perhaps the most intense lacrosse position.  Goalies take both a mental and physical beating to ensure that your team wins.

Here are some goalie tips from Lacrosse-Information: 

TIP #1)  Get the most protection you can afford.  If you feel safe, you can focus better on the ball and not worry about getting hurt.  Don't try to copy what your favorite college lacrosse goalie wears.  A young goalie will be getting shot on by players who don't have the accuracy Division I and professional lacrosse players have.  There will be a lot of balls coming directly at your body, not at the corners or the holes.  If you're protected adequately and feel safer, you'll play better.

TIP #2)  Know your "ready position". A proper ready position means that your top hand thumb is at eye level, and the top of the stick is level with the cross bar.  Your knees should be bent, and your feet should be shoulder width apart. Finally, in order to have extra give when you stop a shot, your hands should be about 1 1/2 feet out in front of you.

TIP #3)  Always know where the ball is at on the playing field. When the ball is in the other end of the field practice focusing on the ball at all times. Watch it go from player to player. Don't take your eyes off it at all. If you catch yourself seeing more than just the ball just try an refocus until you can stay on the ball for a length of time. At first you will notice all sorts of other things and that's o.k. Just work on trying to see only the ball moving from stick to stick. When the ball comes in your end of the field this drill will help you a ton. Also, use your good vision to look into the shooter's eyes. Nine times out of ten, the person shooting the ball is looking directly where he is going to shoot it. Use this to your advantage, and become a better goalie. 

TIP #4)  Become a good passer. If you make a good save, make a good pass to your teammate.  Don't throw the ball right back to the opposition.  You can save every single shot, but if you can't pass the ball, then you won't be a good goalie. 

TIP #5)  ALWAYS step to the ball.  Stepping to the ball allows you to cut off the angle a little bit more, which gives you a slight edge.  It also allows the goalie to go out and attack the bounce shots.  Rather than just waiting for a hard-to-get bounce shot to come to you, you should go to it. By attacking the shot, you are putting yourself in a better position to save a goal.

TIP #6)  BE LOUD! Let your defenders know who is cutting, where the ball is, who is passing.  Let them know everything.  During a game, talking will help out your defense.  As the goalie, you are the captain of the defense. So let them know what you see, every second of that game. Talking not only helps out your defense, but it allows you to be better prepared for the shot. Goalies who don't talk get lazy (not seeing the cutters, or even the shot!).

Here is a list of things that a goalie can say to help communicate with the defense. It is important that the defense know this list as well.

1. "Ball Side Right, Top Right, X" - Tells defense-men where the ball is on the field.
2. "Cutter" - Offensive player is cutting to the net looking for a pass.
3. "Ball down" - Any time the ball is on the ground. (Everyone should say this)
4. "Slide" - Bring an extra man to the person with the ball.
5. "Clear" - The goalie has the ball, so break out and look for a pass.
6. "Mark up" or "Number up" - Find the player you are guarding.
7. "Check" - Check sticks because there is a dangerous pass coming.

TIP #7)  Be on the lookout for cocky, loud mouthed players. These guys almost always shoot high.  When you spot a player who looks and acts better than everyone else, then odds are he is shooting up high. (take this one with a grain of salt...)

 

TIP #8)  Know how to handle the lacrosse ball. Whether you like it or not, sooner or later, you are going to have to come out of the net. So, when that happens, be prepared.  Make sure your cradle is good enough to resist a few stick checks.

TIP #9)  Do not be afraid of the ball!  Newer goalies often have a tendency to be afraid of the ball hitting them.  As a goalie, you want the ball to hit you, because that means that you made the save!  To get over this fear, just tell all of the players at practice to aim at the goalie and not the goal.  Eventually, and many bruises later, he will be so accustomed to lacrosse balls hitting him, that he won't be afraid any longer.  This also goes back to Tip #1 - Wear enough protection!

TIP #10)  Always keep a good, positive attitude!  If you give up a goal do not get down on yourself or your defense.  You can't take the goal off the scoreboard but you can recognize what you did wrong, practice that step or specific movement, and get the next one!  Have confidence in your abilities to stop the ball.  If you lose your confidence, your defense will soon follow.  Always believe you can save every shot.

HowToPlayLax.com - For the Beginner and More Advanced Player

Josh Sims

We recently stumbled across a new website called HowToPlayLax.com powered by Icon Lacrosse.  This website has a lot of great information and instruction for players new to lacrosse and also has an advanced section that most players who've already played the game could benefit from.  Instruction is provided by Josh Sims and Trevor Tierney, two of the games biggest stars.  On the website you'll find a Beginner section with video and text instruction on throwing, catching, scooping, cradling, shooting, positional concepts, drills and games.  The Advanced section covers all of the above concepts from a more advanced perspective and also adds specific ideas for attack, midfield, defense, goalie, stickwork drills, positional drills, training and recruiting tips.  It's a very comprehensive site that also includes a good section on Team Concepts.  For northern Minnesota lacrosse players just getting started, this is a good site to check out.

Practice! Drills to Do on Your Own or With a Parent or Friend

More from Coach B

To improve, it's essential that players practice their game on their own.  High school lacrosse players may only practice 6-8 hours per week.  On non practice days, players should work cradling, scooping and throwing/catching/shooting on their own.

Whether a player teams up with some other teammates, practices with a parent or just works on his own, the benefits of working fundamentals outside practice will pay dividends as the season progresses.  Self practice can be nothing more than standing and cradling a ball in the stick (on both sides) for a few minutes.  It can be nothing more than tossing a ball on the grass, running and scooping it up over and over.  Any little thing helps.  Below are a bunch of different drills that a player can do on his/her own and with the participation of a parent, sibling, or friend.


Drills For Player To Do On His/Her Own
  
1. Wall Ball Drill
             
Stage 1 – Quick Stick/Rapid Fire: Line up 3-5 yds from a concrete wall or LAX WALL.  First, throw 50 right side throws and catches without cradling.  After completing 50 right side throws and catches, do the same with the left side.  Notice that I didn’t say start with your strong or dominant hand.  With “wall ball” anything you do right side, you follow up with left side.  This Stage allows the player to work on quick sticks, hand-eye coordination and timing.  The player will become better about getting rid of the ball in a timely fashion without even noticing it by practicing this Stage.
              
Stage 2 – 10-12 Yard Passing: Line up 10-12 yds from the wall.  Start with 30 right hand throws, which will come back to you on one bounce.  When player retrieves ball from the one bounce, cradle one, then follow up with the next throw to the wall.  After completing 30 right hand throws, do 30 on the left.  (Depending on the player’s age, you should adjust the distance from the wall accordingly)
             
Stage 3 – Throwing and Catching On The Run: This drill can’t be performed on the LAX WALL you buy at the store.  This drill requires a long concrete wall, such as the side of a school building.  First, line up 5-7 yds from the wall on the far left side of the wall.  Typically I begin this drill with the stick in my right hand and while I run along side the wall (towards the other end), I throw the ball and catch it on the run.  The important aspect is to throw the ball on the run and not always catch it on the stick side.  During practices and games, the player does not always receive a pass on the stick side so when training with this drill, the player should throw the ball against the wall and catch it cross hand (or across the face).  After running one length of the wall, run back to the other end throwing left handed (doing the same thing as you did with the right hand).  Keep going back and forth for about 5 minutes.  (see last page for a typical Wall Ball workout)
              
Stage 4 – Shooting:  line up approximately 12-15 yds from the wall.  Get into proper shooting formation (hands loose and high, three quarter/overhand motion, snapping hips, and following through) mark a few places on the wall with tape or chalk to aim at.  Shoot at about 80% effort, having the ball come back to you on one bounce.  Depending on where the player aims, the ball may take bounces that aren’t the same so the player will have to work a little bit to retrieve the balls.  Start with 25 right, and follow up with 25 left.
  
2. Throwing

            Proper form is to throw over the top.  Drills to help reinforce this:

• Throw against a wall on one knee (if right-handed, kneel on right knee).  When throwing side-arm, the ball will automatically spin, making it difficult to catch on the return.  The player will also hit himself on the left thigh with the butt of the stick.  This is how to reinforce proper over the top throwing.
• Kneel 2 feet from a wall and practice throwing motion.  This will force the overhand throw.

 3. Scooping (ground balls) [Ground Balls Win Games!]

• Scatter some balls on the grass and run and scoop.  Emphasis should be on stick position being almost parallel to ground and head should scoop through the ball. 
• Roll balls out against wall and scoop them up on the return (bring stick up to protected position)
• Practice both right and left handed scoops

 4.  Dodging

• Player uses natural surroundings such as a tree to practice various dodges.

 5.  Cradling

• Player very simply practices cradling on both right and left, switching hands every 2-3 minutes
• Set up cones or markers on a field or in back yard and practice running around each cone with cradling ball in stick.  Player should try and switch hands as player rounds each cone.  After getting comfortable with this, players should do this at full speed (game-like situation)

 Drills That You (Parent) Participate In With Your Player

 1.  Basic Catching and Throwing

• Stand 15 feet apart and have a catch.  If parent is not skilled with a lacrosse stick, he/she can use a baseball mitt.  Player should practice catching and throwing on both right and left sides.  Be sure throwing is over the shoulder and not side arm.

 2.  Scooping (ground balls)

• Parent rolls balls out to player, player scoops with proper technique and tosses ball back to parent.  This drill can be performed with parent standing at different angles to player (such as the 3:00 and 9:00 positions (left and right sides)).
• Parent places ball on ground, stands with a stick over the ball and has player scoop through.  This allows player to develop skill of scooping throw crowded or tight situations.

 3.  Shooting Drills

• If you have a goal or net in your back yard, or you go to a school that leaves a goal out on the field, have the player catch a pass from various spots (thrown by the parent) and shoot on the goal. 
• Stand about 5 yds from the side of the goal, have player cut around a cone placed at different points near the goal crease, player should catch and shoot on the turn.
• Have player start behind goal.  Parent in front.  Yell “go” or “break” and have player come around from the back.  Feed player a pass as player is parallel with goal line and then shoot.  Do this with player coming both from right and left sides of goal.
• Have player stand about 5-7 yds in front of goal with back turned to goal.  Parent should be positioned on side of goal.  Parent yells “turn” and immediately feeds a pass to the player who turns catches and shoots.  This allows the young player to develop skills for finding the ball in flight, catching and shooting.  (be sure player wears a helmet for this drill).

A note on conditioning:  Lacrosse is a game requiring frequent quick bursts of speed.  Thus, distance running/jogging, while good for conditioning and stamina, does not really help the lacrosse player to build his “game” skills.  Better yet is to run full sprints of 30-40 yards at a time up and down a field.

Wall Ball Routine
25-30 minutes (the immediately below drills can be done on a Lax Wall or actual wall such as at a school)
50 quick stick R hand
50 quick stick L hand
50 quick stick alt. hands
50 1 handed R
50 1 handed L
50 catch, cradle R hand
50 catch, cradle L hand
50 forehands to cross hand R to L
50 forehands to cross hand L to R
50 throw R catch L, throw L catch R
2 xs (this drill is typically done on an actual wall such as at a school)
Run along wall throw R catch R
Run back throw L catch L
2 xs (this drill is typically done on an actual wall such as at a school)
Run along wall throw L catch cross hand
Run back throw R catch cross hand
All drills to be done with gloves and helmet

Instructional Video of the Week: Ground Balls

Paul Rabil on Ground Balls

The Importance of Ground Balls

Coach B talks about the importance of ground balls.

Attacking a ground ball

"From the moment I started playing lacrosse many years ago, every single coach I have had has endlessly communicated how important it is to master the art of picking up ground balls.  At the early youth level, the ball undoubtedly spends a great deal more time on the ground then in the air and so getting an early start on becoming adept at picking up ground balls (GBs) is a skill that will pay dividends as a lacrosse players career continues.
Even though they may seem like just a small part of the game, ground balls are crucial to both team and individual success in lacrosse. The ability to pick up a ground ball quickly and fluidly is right up there in importance with throwing, catching, and cradling. From the team standpoint, control of ground balls means more possession time and more scoring chances, as well as keeping the ball away from the opponent’s offense."

Coach B continues, "At the higher levels of lacrosse, the number of GBs a player or a team picks up is a very important statistic.  No coach will ever pass up the opportunity to play a player who is skilled at picking up the GBs.  Controlling the ground ball wars is a great way to give your team the best chance to win the game. The more possessions your team gets, the more likely your chances for victory."

Instructional Video of the Week: Wall Ball

NOTE: Always wear your gloves when practicing wall ball

Instructional Video of the Week: Power Shooting

Instructional Video of the Week: Shot Fakes

Instructional Video of the Week: Wing Play on Face Offs