Stick skills, ground balls, transition, and team-defense drills for every level.
Lacrosse practices reward repetition — the players who touch the ball the most and repeat the fundamentals the most (wall ball, ground balls, passing) improve the fastest. These drills scale from a player's first season learning to cradle and catch through advanced tactical work on riding, clearing, and man-up situations for high-school and club teams.
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See Lacrosse practice plansWall ball is the single most important habit a young lacrosse player can build — a few minutes a day of throwing and catching against a wall builds…
This drill pairs a controlled cradle with a game-realistic cut to open space, training young players to protect the ball while moving rather than…
Ground balls decide games at every level of lacrosse. This drill builds the low, wide-base technique and the competitive instinct to win a loose ball…
This progression builds a quick, accurate release on both the catch and the throw, the foundation every other passing and dodging skill in lacrosse…
Four players and a passing box build the give-and-go habit that unlocks a settled offense — pass, cut, and fill the space a teammate just vacated, on…
Adapted from the classic weave concept, this drill builds passing accuracy on the run and the habit of advancing the ball up the field with pace…
An advanced, game-situation drill that trains a team's extra-man offense and penalty-kill defense together — the possessions that swing close…
A full-field numbers-up drill that trains a team to recognize and finish a fast-break advantage — 4-on-3 or 3-on-2 — before the defense can recover…
An advanced 1-on-1 dodging drill that adds a live team-defense slide package, training attackers to read help defense in real time and make the extra…
The very first stick skill every young lacrosse player learns — rocking the stick gently to keep the ball secure in the pocket — taught slowly before…
The basic catch-and-throw motion, practiced slowly and up close, builds the hand-eye coordination and stick control every other lacrosse skill is…
Scooping a ground ball with a low, wide stance is a foundational skill this drill introduces slowly and without any competitive pressure.
Quick, coordinated footwork underlies every dodge and defensive slide in lacrosse — this simple ladder pattern builds that base before a stick is…
The listening game gives young players a fun reason to practice a variety of stick positions and simple moves while cradling, without the pressure of…
Cradling with two hands and the body positioned between the stick and a defender is the foundation of protecting possession under real pressure.
The face dodge — pulling the stick across the front of the body to change direction — is often the first real dodge young players learn, building the…
Passing in a zigzag line down the field builds passing accuracy on the move and gets players comfortable receiving from different angles.
Shooting while running at full speed is a different skill than a stationary shot — this drill builds the timing and mechanics needed to shoot…
The split dodge switches the ball from one hand to the other in a tight, quick motion, letting an attacker change direction sharply while keeping the…
A well-set pick can free a teammate from a tight defender in an instant — this drill teaches both the legal, stationary pick and the cutting…
Advanced dodgers chain two or three moves together — a face dodge into a roll, a split into a change of speed — rather than relying on any single…
A motion offense relies on players reading each other's cuts and picks continuously rather than running a fixed, scripted play — an advanced…
A man-up situation is one of the highest-percentage scoring opportunities in lacrosse, but only if the extra-man offense runs a structured, practiced…
Winning a face-off requires a mix of hand speed, leverage, and anticipation — a specialized skill that deserves its own dedicated technical practice…
Advanced shooters refine specific mechanical details — top-hand snap, hip rotation, release point variation — that separate a hard, accurate shot…
Clearing — moving the ball out of the defensive end under pressure — is one of the most game-deciding team skills in lacrosse, and one of the least…
Riding is the mirror image of clearing — applying coordinated pressure to force a turnover before the other team gets the ball across midfield — and…
Staying low and shuffling to mirror an attacker's movement, without crossing the feet, is the footwork foundation every lacrosse defender needs…
When one defender gets beaten, a teammate has to slide over to help — this drill introduces that team-defense concept in a simple, controlled setting.
A simplified introduction to riding and clearing, teaching the basic idea of pressuring a clear (riding) versus moving the ball out under pressure…
A structured team ride assigns each rider a specific role — first pressure, passing-lane coverage, and a designated "outlet denial" player…
When a fast break develops against a scrambled defense, recovering defenders need to communicate and prioritize the most dangerous threats rather…
Teaches the low, balanced defensive stance and shuffle every other defensive skill in lacrosse is built on.
A controlled, low-speed introduction to approaching a ball carrier and throwing a safe, legal check.
Teaches defenders to use body positioning to deny an opponent a loose ball rather than simply racing straight to it.
Live 1v1 defending work that combines stance, footwork, and stick checks against a real dodging attacker.
An introduction to team help defense, teaching the nearest off-ball defender to slide and support a beaten teammate.
Advanced low-defense work around the crease, training footwork, stick checks, and constant communication against off-ball cutters and inside feeds.