Indoor Man-Up Double Pick Play
This is a great Man-Up Play we saw during the Iroquois vs USA game at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. The commentators said it was a "classic Box Lacrosse play," so we thought we better cover it.
Box Lacrosse is the best way for younger 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 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!
The Iroquois team 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 their Lefty shooters. Most teams will want to run this play on the right side, since most of your players are probably right handed.
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.) Set up the Offense in a "House" formation. Most teams set up with 3 attackers across the top and 2 on the wings. Keep all five players in front of the goal in scoring position. There's no reason to keep a man behind the goal in Box Lacrosse
Most teams will play Man-Down Defense in a "Box" or "Diamond" formation.
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!
- Run this play on the Right Side (when looking out from the Goal or Goalie) to give your Righty shooters the ball.
- Use Pass and Shot Fakes to move the Defenders. Some of the top elite club teams in the country work on shot and pass fakes with their youngest players.
RELATED PLAYS & DRILLS:
- 2-on-1 Cross-Over Drill: This is a great drill for drawing the defense and moving the ball to the open man that we saw at NLL tryouts last year.
- Man-Up 3-on-2 Pick & Roll Up Top: This is a simple Man-Up play you can use with your Indoor and Outdoor teams.
- 5-on-4 Slow Break Drill: Use this 5-on-4 Drill with your outdoor team and see if your players can run the Double Pick Play!
Make sure you tell us if you score some good Man-Up goals with your Indoor or Outdoor Lacrosse teams using this Classic Box Lacrosse Play!
