Box Man-Up Pick & Roll Up Top
We got this simple Man-Up play from watching players in the NLL and the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. You can use this same play with your youth or high school outdoor team.
Box Lacrosse is the best way for younger players to develop stick skills and athleticism as young athletes. Box Lacrosse is similar to Basketball, Ice Hockey and Indoor Soccer because they are all 5-on-5 games, and the playing surface is roughly the same size. Sometimes an outdoor lacrosse field is just too big for young players.
Top coaches like Bill Tierney (Denver) and more recently John Desko (Syracuse) have said that all kids should play more Box Lacrosse. The ball almost never goes out of bounds, so kids get more playing time. A bad pass leads to more chances for ground balls and unsettled situations, and the smaller floor and smaller teams give kids more chances with the ball. Plus the games are never cancelled by bad weather!
Canada ran this Man-Up play on the left side of the field (when looking out from the Goal or Goalie) to give the ball to Mark Matthews to shoot from up top. We usually run this play on the right side of the floor, since most of our players are right-handed.
Plus, by using the 2-Man Game Pick & Roll during a penalty situation, you give the Defense something extra to worry about.
HERE'S THE PLAY:
With five (5) men on Offense, and only four (4) on Defense, there is a 2-on-1 and an open man somewhere on the field.
Figure 1.) Work the 3-on-2 up top. You might not have to go any further than this. Blue 1, 2 and 3 can work against Defenders Red 1 and 2 at the top of the typical "Box" Man Down Defense. One of these three should be able to get open from a good shooting position up top.
PRACTICE AND GAME TIPS:
- Practice this same play with your outdoor team as a 5 on 4 drill to get them used to setting Picks and moving the ball!
- Use Pass and Shot Fakes to move the Defenders! Top club team coaches all over the country work on shot and pass fakes with their youngest players.
