1-on-1 Ground Ball to 3-on-2 Drill
This is a great drill combining two unsettled situations into one drill! Plus it works on ground balls, stick skills, and scoring! Youth, high school, even college players will love it.
We got this simple drill from Mike Brand, Head Coach at Reagan High School in San Antonio and Assistant Coach at Texas State University (MCLA DI, #1 in the Lone Star Conference). He runs it with his players twice a week, and they never get tired of it!
This is a great drill for creating scoring situations out of unsettled situations. Unsettled situations happen dozens of times per game, especially with youth and beginning players.
The drill starts with a Ground Ball then turns into a numbers-advantage scoring situation. Teach your players how to get the ball up off the ground and attack the goal quickly to make the most out of these extra scoring opportunities!
COACH'S TIPS:
- "Scoop it and move it!" Coach Brand and other top college coaches say you should always move the ball to an open teammate after a ground ball. Loose balls attract extra players. Get the ball up and away from trouble. You probably have an open teammate somewhere on the field.
- Play Defense "from Inside-Out"! In situations where it doesn't look like your guys are going to win the ground ball, get back in the "Hole" and be ready to play Defense from a good position in the middle of the field, in between the ball and the goal.
HERE'S THE DRILL:
Figure 1.) Start with two Attackers- one at "X" and one up top. Put one Defender on the Crease. Coach will start the rest of the players in two lines on either side of the field.
PRACTICE TIPS:
- Keep the drill moving quickly! These unsettled situations don't last very long in games!
- Make sure your players are getting the chance to play both sides of the ball- Offense and Defense. Developing well-rounded athletes is one of the most important things you do as a Coach!
- Time all your drills and games! Keep time for your players' age and attention span.
- Keep Score! Make your practices fun and competitive by keeping score in all your games and drills.
RELATED PRACTICE DRILLS:
- 3-on-2 from the Sideline: We got this great drill from working summer camp for one of the top DI College teams. (Hint- they're the defending NCAA National Champions!)
- 3-on-2 Funnel Drill: We love this great fast-scoring drill that teaches your players to get to good shooting positions in the "Funnel", right in front of the goal.
- 4-on-3 Fast Break Drill: If your players understand 3-on-2 situations, make sure they understand this very common game situation that happens multiple times every game.
- 5-on-4 Slow Break Ground Ball Drill: Another great ground ball unsettled situation drill. We saw one of the top NCAA teams run this drill on their first day of practice!
A huge thanks to Coach Mike Brand for sharing this drill with us. Let us know if you use this drill with your team!
