men’s lacrosse - basic rules and tactics

7/31/2019 Mens Lacrosse - Basic Rules and Tactics

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MENS LACROSSE

BASIC RULESAND TACTICS


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SECTION 1FIELD LAYOUTAND POSITIONING


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end

line

restrainer

centrel

ine

substitution area

and penalty box

wing area

wing area

crease

goal

bench bench

side line

FIELD LAYOUT

goallinee

xtended


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10 players per team (plus substitutes)

1 goalkeeper and 3 defensemen (with long sticks), who

generally stay in their own half

3 attackmen, who generally stay in the opposition's half

3 midfield players, who transition the ball from one end of

the field to the other and subsequently aid in the defensive or

offensive effort. (One long-stick middie (LSM) is permitted per

team)

Rolling substitutions can be made at any time, generally for

the middies, who are the work-horses of the team and thus

require frequent rests

FIELD POSITIONS


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At least 4 players must remain in the defensive half of the field

(typically the goalkeeper and 3 defensemen)

At least 3 players must remain in the offensive half of the field(typically the 3 attackmen)

During a re-start, middies not participating in the face-off mustremain in the wing areas until the whistle is blown. They mustnot interfere with the face-off until the ball comes loose.Attackmen and defensemen must remain behind theirrespective restrainers until the referee calls possession (i.e.

somebody has the ball in their stick)

All substitutions must take place through the marked-outsubstitution box (or gate). The oncoming player must not steponto the field until the outgoing player has stepped off

OFFSIDE RULES


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The crease is a 3m radius circle around the goal

Players are allowed in their own crease but not in theoppositions

Players can retrieve a loose ball from the oppositions crease,

as long as their feet are not in the crease Mid-air diving shots over the crease are permitted

The goalkeeper cannot be tackled if he has the ball while inhis crease

If he has the ball, the goalkeeper must not remain in hiscrease for more than 4 seconds. Once he leaves the creasewith the ball he must not return to it until passing the ball on

THE CREASE


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SECTION 2

FIELD FORMATIONS


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Typically, very little playing time is spent in the midfield, withquick transitions from defence to offense made as soon as theball is turned over

This, along with the offside rules, leads to a 6 on 6 situation

around one goal area, whereby the 3 offensive middies and 3attackmen attempt to penetrate the goal area and scoreagainst the opposing 3 defensive middies and 3 defensemen(see next slide)

On the opposite half of the field, the three attackmen willtypically set up in an L-shape formation in preparation for apotential fast break, once possession is regained (see nextslide)

6 ON6


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A

A

A

A

A

A

M

M

M

DD

D

D

D

D

M

M

M

6 on 6 with offensive playersset up in a 2-3-1 formation

crease man

X man

bench bench

ball

Attackmen set up in an L-shapedformation in preparation for a fast break

(Defensive middie stays

ball-side of crease man)

Defensive players generally stay goal-

side of their offensive counterpartsATTACK FORMATIONS


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The 2-3-1 (as illustrated on the previous slide) is a commonattacking formation

Dodges, cuts and picks (AKA screens) can be employed by theattacking players to develop a goal-scoring opportunity

The three attacking middies occupy upfield positions to enablethem to quickly retreat into their defensive formation if possessionis turned over. This helps to eliminate fast break opportunities forthe opposition

As illustrated in the previous slide, defensive players may operateon a man-to-man marking basis, staying goal-side of their offensivecounterparts (or ball-side of the crease man)

Alternatively, a zone defense is used

2-3-1 ATTACK FORMATION


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SECTION 3DEFENCE


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Both body and stick checks can be used when engaging the ball

carrier or anyone within 3m of a loose ball (i.e. when the ball is onthe ground or in mid-air)

Stick checks must be controlled and aimed at the oppositions stick,hands or lower arms. Wild stick checks or those aimed elsewhere

on a players body will be called as a slash

Slashes, holds, cross-checks and trips are illegal

You must not check/push someone in the back, above the neck orbelow the waist

You must not lead with the head when body checking (i.e. no head-butting). This will be called as spearing

Obstructing a player who is not in possession of the ball or within3m of a loose ball is illegal and will be called as interference

RULESOF ENGAGEMENT


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When the ball is lost to the opposition, the 3 defending middies should

immediately sprint back into a defensive formation

Along with the three long-pole defensemen, the middies will set up in a zone

formation or man-to-man marking system, resulting in a 6 on 6

Defending players should generally stay goal-side of their offensive counterparts

(or ball-side of the opposing teams crease man)

Defensive positioning is a compromise between keeping attacking players beyond

shooting range and minimising open space around the goal area, which cutters

and dodgers would otherwise exploit

Maintaining some separation between you and your offensive counterpart will

give you a head start if he attempts to cut or dodge

Communication is crucial. It alerts your teammates to any offensive picks, cuts or

dodges; lets them know where you are and what youre doing; and helps to keep

track of the ball. It can also be used to intimidate the opposition

DEFENSIVE POSITIONING


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Stick checks are generally considered to be high-risk and should be limited to

skilled long-pole defensemen. Low, two-handed body checks delivered on the

hips of the offensive player are the most effective means of keeping them out

of the goal area and channelling them towards the sides of the cage, where

the shooting angle becomes more difficult

Aggression and discipline are equally important. You must not let the

offensive ball-carrier gain any ground, but charging out to them and over-

committing will give them an easy dodging opportunity

Penalties usually result in a 30 second or 60 second send-off (for technical andpersonal fouls, respectively). This places your team in a man-down situation

(e.g. 6 on 5). A zone formation is typically used to defend against this

powerplay, until the penalised player returns to the field

DEFENSIVE POSITIONING (2)


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Slides are one of the most difficult defensive concepts to master, but also one

of the most important

They are used when an attacking player successfully dodges a defender and

subsequently threatens the goal

A second defensive player must slide from his current position to take out

the dodger

This is where the biggest hits in lacrosse take place

Defenders must therefore keep there heads on a swivel, meaning they must

constantly be looking around and maintaining a good awareness of the player

they are marking and the ball-carrier at the time. This allows them to quickly

react to a dodge and perform a slide if necessary

A set configuration of slides (or slide package) is usually decided upon

before the game and must be learned by all the players

SLIDES


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If the defending team successfully cause a turn over, they

must clear the ball upfield into their attacking half

Occasionally, this will result in a fast break, but usually the ball

is passed to the goalkeeper, who is protected by the crease for

up to four seconds

As soon as the goalkeeper has it, all the other players are

encouraged to break by cutting out to the side lines, thus

creating space for the goalie

The goalkeeper will then walk the ball upfield until an open

man becomes available for a pass. That player will then clear

the ball over the centre line and towards the oppositions goal

area

CLEARING


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SECTION 4OFFENSE


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Generally, middies and attackmen will set up in a 2-3-1 or similarformation. Spinning the ball quickly around the outside, cutting,

dodging and setting picks will present goal-scoring opportunities.

The X-man operates on and around the X spot, behind the goal.

He acts as the quarterback, feeding and dodging from behind thecage. He is also responsible for recycling the ball after a shot (if a

shot misses and goes off the end line, possession goes to the team

with the closest player to the end linethis should be the X man)

Set plays, which vary in complexity, can be agreed upon before

games and must be learned by all the players. One common and

effective set play is a motion offense:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9FT1G78zyQ&feature=channel&list=UL

GENERAL OFFENSIVE TACTICS & SET PLAYS


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V-cuts towards and then quickly away from the goal willcreate some separation between you and your defendingcounterpart. They can be used to create space, enabling youto receive a pass from a teammate without fear ofinterception

Well-timed cuts into the goal area, combined with a fast,accurate feed can create goal-scoring opportunities(particularly with quick-stick shots). The best time to cut iswhen your defender is watching the ball instead of you

Picks, like screens in basketball, can be used to blockdefenders, thus freeing up one of your teammates. You mustremain completely stationary whilst setting a pick or you willbe called for a moving pick

CUTTINGAND PICKING


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Common dodges include the split dodge, roll dodge, face dodge and bulldodge

Dodging should be done at speed, with a sudden change of direction andrapid acceleration out of the dodge

Stick protection (from the defending player) is achieved using a verticalcradle, whilst shielding the stick with your body. A one-handed cradle canbe used (usually against long-pole defensemen), though it limits yourability to pass and shoot, and any movement of the free arm (known aswarding) will be penalised (i.e. no hand-offs)

You should always keep your head up whilst dodging, in order to seepassing opportunities or oncoming slides from other defensive players

Players should be able to pass, catch, cradle and shoot with both hands toenable them to always keep their stick away from the defending player,whether they move left or right

DODGING


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SECTION 5

MIDFIELD


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TRANSITIONINGAND SUBSTITUTIONS Middies are the work-horses of the team and are required to transition the ball

back and forth as possession changes sides

If the ball is lost to the opposition, the middies (and attackmen) should mark the

opposing players to make it hard for them to clear the ball. If a successful clear is

made by the opposition, middies should immediately sprint back into the hole, in

their own goal area, ready to defend. Once there, they must quickly pick up on an

opposing player to mark (or they must assume their positions in the zone

formation). This strategy eliminates the chance of a fast break for the opposition

Middies are expected to work at 100% whilst on the field (i.e. at full sprint)

They must therefore substitute off for a short rest every 2-3 minutes and are

encouraged to do so only when their team has possession of the ball in the

offensive half of the field

Middies are also responsible for facing-off at a re-start

Beyond that, they act in both offensive and defensive capacities (refer to sections

3 and 4)


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THE END


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Tufts are a Division 3 college team in the US. Their 2010 documentary is

one of the best lacrosse videos you can watch. Put it on high quality andcrank up the volume: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvi5og1jdw0

Middies and attackmen: watch or download MarkMillons OffensiveWizardryits incredible! (Defensemen might want to watch it too to seewhat moves youll be up against)

The Kudavideo library for boys lacrosse has tons of good, shortinstructional videos. Check them out here:http://video.kudda.com/sports/boys+lacrosse

Lax.com is a pretty good source too (use the links near the top to toggle

between instructionals, college highlights, MLL highlights etc.):http://www.lax.com/tv/

Also use youtube to search for specific tutorials or highlight reels. This oneis a decent series of 10 short tutorial videos:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LgRbOvLe30

LINKS

men’s lacrosse - basic rules and tactics

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