Virginia High-Wing Pick Play
We like this little play we've seen Virginia run a few times this season. It's simple enough you can do it with your youth and high school players.
With new Head Coach Lars Tiffany, Virginia seems to be playing a lot faster and looser this season than they have in the previous few years. We've seen them score goals several different ways off this play, including this little Game-Winner Highlight-Reel Assist from Zed Williams:
Get your Attackmen free to go to the goal! Attackmen are often your best dodgers, so you can use this play to give them some space in front of the goal and help get their hands free!
There's nothing fancy going on here. Like many college plays we see each season, coaches are simply borrowing elements of something else, and tweaking the timing or location of the play on the field to provide good options. College players are just executing them faster, and move the ball smarter when the Defense has to "Slide!" and "Rotate!" in response.
HERE'S THE PLAY:
Virginia has been using this play on both Wings. We are running this play mosty on the right side of the field (when looking out from the Goal or Goalie), since most of our players are right-handed, and most of the passes, catches and shot opportunities are also right-handed.
Figure 1.) Midfielder Blue 1 pass to Wing Attackman Blue 4. Blue 4 will carry the ball to the high Wing, almost but not quite up to the Restraining Line at the top corner of the box.
RELATED PLAYS AND DRILLS:
- 2-3-1 "Pass Down, Pick Down" Offense:This is actually a Box Lacrosse Offense we've seen adapted for Field Lacrosse, using some of the elements of the Pick & Roll "Two-Man Game".
- Duke 3-1-2 "Inside-Out" Pick & Roll Offense: This is the Offense Duke used when they won the 2013 NCAA national Championship game.
- 3-1-2 Alley Dodge:We like dodging out of the 3-1-2 or "3-3" Formation because it can remove some of the complex rotations of the 2-3-1 Motion Offense that are difficult for beginning players.
- 2-3-1 Alley Dodge with a "Crease Pop": This is a simple variation on the normal 2-3-1 Midfield Triangle rotation that we see college, pro and even Team USA using!
