Box Lacrosse “Open the Gate” Man-Up Play
We've seen this Man-Up Double Pick & Roll Play used by multiple teams in lots of Box Lacrosse tournaments this season. Try it with your youth and high school players!
Box Lacrosse is the best way for beginning players to develop stick skills and athleticism as young athletes. Box Lacrosse is similar to Basketball and Hockey because they are all 5-on-5 games, and the playing surface is roughly the same size. Sometimes an outdoor Lacrosse field with 10 players on each team is just too big for young players.
This play is very similar to a classic Box Lacrosse Man-Up Double Pick Play that we saw the Iroquois Nationals use at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships last year. Except, this play uses Off-Ball Picks to "Open the Gate", instead of picking for the man with the ball.
When your team has an Extra-Man Advantage because of a penalty, there is an open man somewhere on the floor. In Box/Indoor Lacrosse, there are usually five (5) men on Offense against only four (4) on Defense.
- Plus, by using the "Two-Man Game" Pick & Roll during a penalty situation, you give the Man-Down Defense a little something extra to worry about.
HERE'S THE PLAY:
Set up your Offense in a "House" shape- three players up top, with two down low on each side of the goal.
Most teams will set up in a 4-Man Box for their Man-Down Defense.
Figure 1.) The teams we saw moved the ball to the left side of the field, (when looking out from the Goal or Goalie), so that they can finish the play on the right side of the field, since most players are right-handed.
From top center, move the ball two passes to the bottom left corner (Blue 5 here).
PRACTICE & GAME TIPS:
- Try this play with three (3) Attackers against two (2) Defenders on one side of the floor, and one player feeding the pass before you try it in the full 5-on-4 format.
- You can also "Open the Gate" Up Top- Run this same play with the three Attackers (Blue 2, 3 and 4) up top against the two Defenders at the top corners of the Man-Down Box (Red 2 and 3).
RELATED PLAYS & DRILLS:
- Simple Box/Field Man-Up 3-on-2 Up Top: College, pro and international teams use this easy Man-Up Play in both Indoor Box Lacrosse and Outdoor Field Lacrosse. It's so easy you could score in as few as one or two passes!
- Box Lacrosse Man-Up Pick & Roll: We saw Canada use this great Man-Up Play in the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships this year.
- Outdoor Man-Up Pick & Roll Up Top: Use the same Box Lacrosse Man-Up Play with your Outdoor team!
- Box Lacrosse Man-Up Double Pick Play: The Commentators at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships said this was a "Classic Box Lacrosse Play," so we thought we'd better cover it!
