2-2-2 Man-Up Pick & Roll Play
We saw a youth team from Texas run this same Man-Up Play four or five times successfully in one game at a tournament in California last weekend. Try this simple play in practice and games to get easy looks right in front of the goal.
Every lacrosse team is going to be Man-Up and Man-Down as a result of a penalty at least a few times in every game. Make sure your team can cash in on these easy goals by understanding how to find the open man in Extra Man Offense (EMO) situations.
By using the 2-2-2 Man-Up Pick & Roll Play with your team, you can give your players a simple and effective way to find the open Extra Man and get easy inside shot-opportunities.This is a great play to teach youth and high school players to keep their eyes on the Crease, and to pass the ball quickly and accurately.
Plus, by turning this play into a 6-on-5 drill during practice, you can teach your Defenders to communicate, keep their sticks and eyes up, and to help cover the middle of the field when they aren't guarding the ball.
Here's THE PLAY:
Figure 1. Start with 6 Attackers and 5 Defenders on the field like you would in a normal Man-Up/Man-Down situation in a game. The Attackers should form a box around the outside of the Goal Area, with 2 Midfielders up top, 2 Attackmen on Goal Line Extended (GLE), and 2 Crease players in the middle, or "Slot." This is the 2-2-2 Formation, or you could call it a "2-4" if you want. Start in a typical 2-3-1 Formation and simply move your X Attackman to the Crease with the Midfielder.
At the same time, most teams will set up in the typical "Box-and-One [in the Middle]" for Man-Down Defense.
PRACTICE TIPS:
- Pick away from the ball so the other player can cut towards the ball!
- Sticks up at all times. Defenders need to have their sticks up in the passing lanes to block shots and passes, while Attackers should keep their sticks up ready to catch and shoot.
RELATED PLAYS & DRILLS:
- 5-on-4 Spider Drill. This highly effective drill for Defense will teach players to get back in and help cover the middle.
- The Star Drill: No matter what variation of this classic you run, players will improve the speed and accuracy of their passes and catches.
- 2-on-1 5-Pass Drill: Straight from the pros in the NLL, this drill will put all your players through stick skills and 2-on-1 situations.
- 3-on-2 West Genessee Drill: This fun and competitive drill gives players plenty of reps in man-up situations.
