14 Tips for Lacrosse Defense: Dominate the Field

ByReid

In my opinion, defense is one of the toughest positions in the game, requiring immense skill and practice. Here are some tips I’ve gathered over the years to help you improve your defense:

On the Field Tips

1. Talk

You can be the best defender on the field, but if you can’t work together with your teammates, skill is as good as nothing. 

Let your teammates know EVERYTHING. Call out:

  • When you’re sliding to pick up a man
  • When you’re on ball
  • When you’re guarding the guy adjacent to the ball
  • When you’re next in line if your teammate gets beat
  • Ground balls
  • Attackers cutting
  • Screens
  • Everything and anything that may help

2. Stick up in the passing lane

I can’t emphasize how important this is when it seems like such a minuscule thing. When an attacker sees sticks up covering the lane, it makes the field look so much smaller, and makes moving the ball around much more difficult.

3. Footwork

How you position yourself on the field can make a big difference. This video is a great example of defensive footwork, just pick a player and watch how he moves depending on the situation. Try to replicate this in your game.

4. Poke checks

When I was starting out, I never threw poke checks unless I got the perfect opportunity to (which never happens). Now I swear by them. If your man has the ball you should be constantly throwing poke checks towards him.

5. Ground balls

A lot of guys are afraid to overcommit on ground balls, so they sit there and rake at them in the middle of the pile. If there’s a group going after a ground ball, all out sprint through them and push them out. If you miss the ball, no big deal, usually you can get back before the ball is picked up.

Off the Field Tips

You can’t always be on the field, but you can still improve your game outside of it. Here are some tips to get better at home:

6. Jump rope

Jumping rope is a great way to condition yourself and keep you light on your feet. If professional boxers swear by it, there must be something good about it!

7. Lift weights/Get bigger

Gaining weight and getting stronger will give you a huge advantage on your opponent and reduce the risk of injury to yourself. Make sure to eat healthy foods in a caloric surplus, lift weights and include a lot of protein in your diet in order to gain good weight.

8. Stretch

Stretching out your muscles will keep you loose and quick. I usually do dynamic stretching before any physical activity and static stretching afterwards for recovery. Foam rolling is also great for recovery after a tough day.

9. Sprints

If both sides of the field have equal stick and game skills, it all comes down to just being the faster/fitter guy. I recommend doing interval sprints which keep you conditioned and are similar to the game in that you stop and start constantly.

10. Wall ball

I guarantee your coach has told you to do this before, and for good reason. Being on defense doesn’t give you an excuse to have bad stick skills. Find a wall and go practice! Having good stick skills can really separate you from others.

11. Hydrate

This seems like a simple one, but I know a lot of guys who ignore this and complain that they don’t have enough energy. Your body needs water to perform. Period. So drink up. I usually shoot for a gallon a day, but experiment with what amount makes you feel the best.

12. Sleep

Lacrosse is very taxing on the body, and you need to give it time to recover. I recommend getting 8 hours of sleep as a bare minimum and aiming for 9-10 hours every night.

13. Talk to your coach

Your coach knows you more than I do, and will most likely have infinitely better advice for you than I. Before or after practice, go up to him or her and ask what you need to improve on the most and something you did today that you should replicate next practice.

14. Watch film

If your school or club gives you film of your games, watch every minute of it. Be overly critical of yourself and takes notes on everything you did wrong during the game. Afterwards go out and practice what you messed up on.

If you don’t get film or you want something extra to help, watch college lacrosse games. Pick a specific defender and see what he does is different situations. The amount you can learn by just watching is amazing.

Thats all! Implement everything on this list, and I guarantee you will be the best defender on your team with enough time.