7-10 Lacrosse Drills
136 drills for 7-10 lacrosse players. Browse by skill focus and add them directly to your practice plan.
Pick and Roll
Teach pick-and-roll mechanics in the offensive zone. Set up 4 cones — two up top, two on GLE about 10 yards out. Balls start low with X1, who drives up the lane toward a pick from X2. X2 stays still until X1 passes, then rolls to the goal looking for the feed. X1 keeps moving to create space for the pass. Both sides run simultaneously. Rotate players through each side. Variation: Change pick locations. Add limited defense to work on timing without disrupting flow.
Riding Drill after a shot on Goal
Improve riding after a shot on goal. Defense gets back and picks up clearing players as they set up. Lock defenders onto the attack, and get midfielders back before the clearing team to prevent the fast break. Variation: Strengthen the clear to practice forcing turnovers in live play.
Pitch and Pursuit
Practice riding long poles to the alley and forcing turnovers or long passes in transition. Defenders ride to the alley, forcing ball carriers into difficult long passes or turnovers. Variation: Send both defenders at once and allow long passes over the attack players. Great for teaching trap or adjusting rides.
Transition Drill 3v2 initiate from Behind after 2 Passes
Reinforce the X man's role in initiating offense from behind and forcing defensive slides. Coach rolls the ball above the box. Two offensive players stay above GLE, one goes to X. Players get the ball to X. The X man initiates, looking to draw a slide and create a 2v1 — either dodging to shoot or feeding the open crease player. Variation: Build up in stages — 1v1 behind, then 2v2, 3v3, up to 6v6 starting from behind.
Hogan Lacrosse Butt to Butt
Develop body awareness, low leverage, and the ability to scoop a ground ball and escape pressure. Two players stand back to back with a ball on the ground between them. First whistle: players back up and jockey for position over the ball. Second whistle: players can kick the ball out and pick it up, then get away from pressure. Focus on using feet and creativity to get the ball into a position for a clean pickup.
Handling Defensive Pressure
Teach players to handle defensive pressure, work for the ball, and create turnovers under time constraints. 6v6 in the attack zone. Offense holds possession for 6 minutes without leaving the box. After 45 seconds, add a 7th defender and work to double-team the ball. Variation: Shrink the zone with cones, remove offensive players, or use the goalie to double behind the cage.
Extend and Recover
Improve on-ball and off-ball defensive positioning, including extending to the ball carrier and recovering to the hole. Start as a modified 2v2. Two offensive players pass back and forth, forcing defenders to adjust. When your man has the ball, extend and break down with a bottom-hand check. When your man passes, drop step toward the ball, stick up in the passing lane, and recover to help position in the hole. Maintain the man-you-ball triangle when off-ball. Variation: Progress to 3v3 or 4v4 as technique improves.
Funnel
Practice defensive positioning and holds when playing a ball carrier from up top, directing them down the alley. Defensive middies and dummy offensive middies line up outside the restraining line. On the whistle, the ball carrier drives toward the goal. The defender turns his hips, points feet to the sideline, and takes away the middle. Establish contact with a top-hand hold — top hand on the ball carrier's lead shoulder, bottom hand on lead hip, gloves only (no stick contact). If the dodger rolls back, maintain contact and stay topside, driving them down the alley into the slide.
50 Yard Fight
Build 1v1 skills in a confined space with continuous reps. Two lines of players on each side of the crease extending to midfield — one offense, one defense. The lines restrict the dodging area. Top offensive player steps out and goes 1v1. The defender works on turning and forcing side to side until the attack zone, then plays it out to a shot or turnover. Drill is rapid fire — next pair goes as soon as the previous pair reaches the box. Variation: Change starting locations.
Crazy 8's
Build sport-specific cardiovascular fitness through pyramid sprints with built-in recovery. Sprint 10 yds (midfield to wing line) / Rest 10 sec Sprint 20 yds (wing to wing) / Rest 20 sec Sprint 30 yds (wing to restraining box) / Rest 30 sec Sprint 40 yds (box to box) / Rest 40 sec Sprint 60 yds (box to goal line) / Rest 60 sec Sprint 80 yds (goal line to goal line) / Rest 80 sec Sprint 95 yds (goal line to end line) / Rest 95 sec Sprint 110 yds (end line to end line) / Done Variation: Add a ground ball to each sprint or start from a push-up position.
Wing Dodge and Crease Picking
Practice dodges from the wing and crease player movement in relation to ball position. Ball starts at the wing. Crease players position opposite and away from where the ball is coming. Variation: As players get comfortable, have crease pick and re-pick, or pick and roll to increase difficulty.
Triangle line Drills
Build stick skills through constant-motion passing and ground ball work in a triangle formation. Set up cones in a triangle, 15-20 yards between points. Players pass in one direction and follow their pass to the next cone. Receivers catch on the run and release quickly. Run 1.5 minutes each direction, then switch and rest. All players should be moving constantly. Variation: Spread players out to increase conditioning and pass distance.