3-on-2 to 4-on-3 “True North” Drill
This great drill creates continuous numbers-advantage game situations to teach your players to move the ball to the open man to score. Plus all your players work on offense and defense in each rep!
We got this great drill from Michigan State Head Coach Cam Holding. Coach Holding is a professional player with the Denver Outlaws, Colorado Mammoth, and he won a Gold Medal with Canada in the 2014 World Lacrosse Championships. Good luck to him and all the guys at Michigan State this season.
Coach Holding told us he got this drill from the great Brodie Merrill, also a World Champion with Team Canada and one of the best players of all time. Oh yeah, and he's a Defender.
Use this drill any day at practice to work on continuous 3-on-2's and 4-on-3's, just like your players will see in games any time there is a 4-on-3 Fast Break. Plus your players get work on stick skills, defensive communication, and scoring in game situations.
HERE'S THE DRILL:
Figure 1.) Set up 3 lines of attackers behind the goal with two lines of Defenders up top. Defenders Blue 1 and Blue 2 will start in the "Hole" in front of the goal.
PRACTICE TIPS:
- Use this drill with your Box Lacrosse team too!
- Attack from up top or from a sidline: Start your 3-on-2 with three lines up top instead of behind the cage.
- Keep the drill moving quickly! Play out each 3-on-2 or 4-on-3 to a goal, save, or a turnover, then blow the whistle and get the next ball in.
- Make sure all your players get the chance to play both sides of the ball! Rotate your players through the lines so they get time on offense and defense, in 3-on-2's and 4-on-3's.
- Keep Time and Keep Score in all your drills! Keep your practice on schedule and inject some competitiveness into all your games and drills.
RELATED PRACTICE DRILLS:
- 2-on-1 Build-Up Drill: Start with the easiest numbers-advantage stuation, then work your way up to 6-on-5 Man-Up/Man-Down in this simple practice drill.
- Mason-Dixon Man-Up/Man-Down Drill: This classic practice drill has numbers advantage situations coming at you from both ends of the field.
- 3-on-2 "West Gennies" Full-Field Transition Drill: This is another true lacrosse classic. Your players will love running sprints in this fast-paced numbers-advantage game.
