What is the difference between offense and defense in lacrosse

They must work with the midfield to run an effective offense. An attackman should be quick, alert, and confident in one-on-one situations and be able to withstand physical punishment by the opposing defensemen.

The attack use dodging, picks and passing to generate a good shot. Similar to basketball, the object is to move the ball around until the defense breaks and someone is left with an open shot.

One way to do this is by letting an attackman go one-on-one with a defender. The attackman tries to beat his defender by dodging, causing another defenseman to slide, creating an unbalanced situation in which he can either shoot or pass to someone else who is wide open. The attackman can move in any direction with any amount of force, as there are no charging rules. The attackman, however, like all players cannot clamp the ball in his stick with his thumb, chest, or helmet.

He is also not allowed to push or hit the defenseman's stick with his arms or hands. This is called warding. The midfielder is considered by many to be the backbone of the lacrosse team. Good midfielders need speed, stamina, hustle and determination. They are required to play both defense and offense. However, the middies are largely responsible for a key aspect of the game - transition. Transition is by far the most important part of the game and helped create the nickname, 'The Fastest Game on Two Feet.

If a team can get the ball and have an extra man advantage on the offensive end of the field, even for a split second, they have a good opportunity to score. When this advantage occurs in transition it is called a fast break. A midfielder should be able to shift quickly from offense to defense. Midfielders do not have to be proficient scorers, but should be able to "read" what is about to happen next. Then we can recognize where potential scoring threats could arise and be prepared to stop them.

Like the sport of basketball, offenses in lacrosse can run a number of different formations each coming with its set of pros and cons.

Quick note for those unfamiliar with lacrosse, the set names count the number of players starting from behind the goal and moving towards the midfield line. So a has 2 players behind the goal and 1 up top. Out of each offensive formation, teams can run any number of plays so this is just a high-level post outlining each formation and their pros and cons.

While some of these formations may apply to the female game, this post really concentrates on the formations in the male game. The formation gives the middie up top a lot of room to dodge and initiate. The is often used against the zone defense as it tends to overload specific zones and also spread out the defense to create dodging and scoring opportunities for the wing players. Since the set puts two players on the crease, this can open up space on the perimeter as the defense must sluff in on the backside to help guard this crease overload.

Since the is an ideal set for a lacrosse offense with a strong dodger up top, the contrary is also true. If the defense owns that matchup, the presents problems. First, if a takeaway check happens there is nobody there to stop the fastbreak. Second, it is pretty easy for the defense to shut off the wings of the leaving the top middie with no outlet, or maybe a very long outlet pass.

Since the puts two offensive players on the crease, if the O does not execute good movement it makes sliding and recovering very easy. The middle stays clogged and defenses will have no trouble sliding to a driving attackman.

The set opens up teams to potential fast breaks after a save because there is only a single middie up top. The gives the middie dodgers from up top room to sweep towards the goal or dodge down the alley. With four players on the outside and two in the crease, it can open up passing lanes that lead to more shots on goal.

Instead of working with 5 other players on offense, a player can focus on working with a single teammate to get open and create opportunity. For these reasons the is a common formation used in the youth game. Getting 6 players on the same page is a tougher challenge with youth. With the middle crease players close to the goal, the offense may have trouble passing the ball around the perimeter as the other 4 players form a square that results in long passes.

Like the set, if the middle crease players are not active, they simply clog up the middle. This makes it difficult for dodgers to get to the goal. The ball carriers on the outer square of the can get isolated pretty easily by a strong defense who takes away adjacent passes. By putting 2 players behind the goal this set only puts 4 players in a position to score. It is very hard to get beaten one-on-one in lacrosse if you play good fundamental defense.

If you are an average player, and a superstar happens to be significantly faster than you and gets around you, chase on the stick side and wait for the pass or shot.

If the slide comes from the defense, be in position for when the offensive player turns back into you. Be patient and wait until he tries to pass or shoot.

Even though you seem to be beaten, a Defenseman is never beaten unless someone can beat him by six feet, or the length of his stick. If a Defensemen has not learned how to play defense, gets excited or just loses his mind and reaches behind an attackman to chase his stick, he will be beaten at first. Cat and Mouse. Good Attackmen and good Defensemen play cat and mouse with their opponent. An attackman will cradle and show something to the defender hoping he will chase it, then he will roll or cut on the check and beat the defender.

A good Defenseman should force an Attackman to his weak hand, then time his check to disrupt a pass or a shot, or to take the ball away. A timed check will always work better against an attackmans weak hand — so force him that way. One well timed check will crush an Attackman and have him constantly worried about when that one check is coming. Constant checking is loved by attackmen.

They can time the wild defensive checks, cradle to them, shoot and pass to them, set you up and use you by them. Think, be smart, out think your opponent. One check is all that is needed. Taking the Ball Away. As a Defenseman, if you are a good athlete and you are lacrosse smart, taking the ball away from your opponent is fun, exciting, and gives your team the ability to dominate other teams.

The most important thing about taking a ball away from your opponent is forcing him to do what you want, not what he wants. Recognize weaknesses in your opponent. Is he right handed, left handed or is he outstanding going both ways?

Does he always shoot high or low? Does he always roll one way or the other? Does he dodge, dip than hang his stick? Does he wind up to shoot or does he shoot from his chest?

Is he fast or slow? A great stick handler or a poor one? What happens when you fake a check Defensemen should fake checks to see what their opponent does? A single poke check or slap check will take the ball away from more attackmen than any other check. Wrap checks and over the head checks are great ways to get penalties. They can be effective if you have outstanding footwork and are under control, but they take lots and lots of practice.

Footwork is key. If you are out of position after a check, it is not a good check. If you can go over the head under control, set the check up with a fake wrap check then quickly go over the head and recover. This takes lots of practice — do it before and after practice with teammates.

Always practice against the best attackman on the team. Learn what he does to try and beat you, then learn to beat him. Over the head and wrap check drills are good for off-days as a fun minute drill. However the danger is — if you teach it, all will want to do it in the game and many kids will get beaten because they are out of position or do not yet have the skills to make these checks work. Team Defenses. There are many defenses in lacrosse that all work if utilized against the right team under the right conditions.

A strong man-to-man defense is the foundation on which team defense is built. When playing man-to-man, slides can come from adjacent or the crease, but the entire team must slide. Zone defenses are great against a stronger opponent initially, but it makes it very hard to come back if our team is behind in goals. Sliding from the crease is good, but the entire team must slide with the crease slide. Constant communications is needed to ensure the crease is never left open. Man-down Defense.

Too many defenses to cover right now. Communicating with the defense so they know where the ball is at all times. The goalie has the best view and can call picks or doubles if needed. Also, after a shot is stopped, pass the ball quick or run up even quicker. A field goalie out of crease is headhunted by everyone on the field. Join Our Newsletter Email Address. Lacrosse Positions — Box Five players and a goalie for each team on the floor at all times. Defensemen Crush some bones in a zone or man to man fashion Transition Players that play O and D, this has sped the pace up of lacrosse of the years.

Creasemen Ninjas that are in the crease area. Shooters Sniping position. Pointman Player is almost always a threat to score and usually a strong long shooter.

Goaltender Final line of defense, no pressure. Lacrosse Positions — Field In Field Lacrosse there are four different lacrosse positions, here is a brief description of each: Attackmen Best known for their superior stick skills, shooting abilities and speed.

Midfielders Middies as they are called transition the game from offense to defense. Goaltender Pretty obvious, stop the ball from going in the net!