Ground Balls Lacrosse Drills
35 drills tagged with "Ground Balls". Use these in your practice plans to build focused, effective sessions.
Scoop and Clear
Work ground balls in game-like situations with communication, possession, and transition to offense. Coach at the top of the box with balls. 2 lines of light jerseys behind the cage, 2 lines of dark jerseys. Coach rolls a ball out — first players from each line compete for the ground ball using man/ball communication. Team that wins goes on offense, other goes on defense. Play ends on a shot, save, or clear. Variation: Goalie clears all saves/goals to the defensive team for re-break reps. Coach yells "plus 1" to add players and build from 2v2 to 3v3.
Canadian 2v2 Ground Balls
Teach defenders to scoop ground balls in the crease area and transition the ball upfield. 2 defensive lines behind the goal, 5 yards from GLE. 2 goalies in the cage. Coach at 15 yards with a bucket of balls. Coach shoots low, soft shots that deflect into the rebound zone. Defenders rush up, scoop the ground ball, break out to the wing, then turn and throw back to the goalie. The player breaks upfield and receives a clearing pass. Repeat. Variation: Add offensive pressure near the crease.
5 Yard Scoop
Teach the fundamentals of ground ball pickups through repetitive scoops. Players line up on the end line, each with a ball. First whistle: roll the ball 5 yards out. Second whistle: sprint to the ball and get into scoop position over it — freeze. Third whistle: scoop through and sprint to the next line. Repeat down the field or back and forth between cones. Variation: After freezing over the ball, kick it out or pull it back with the foot to practice creativity under pressure. Work along the sideline to practice scooping with your back to pressure.
4 Corner Pick and Go Ground Balls
Drill ground ball pickups going straight to goal. Coach at the top of the box with a bucket of balls. 4 lines of players around the attack zone. Coach rolls a ball to a line — that player scoops and goes to goal for a shot, then sprints to the opposite line. Variation: Add a soft defender or coach with a long pole in the middle. Add a goalie for live reps.
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.
Man-Ball
Teach team ground ball fundamentals and man-ball communication. Set up 3 defensive lines and 2 offensive lines on the sideline, all facing midfield. Coach rolls a ball into the midfield area. On the whistle, players sprint to the ball. Within 3 yards, players call "man" (check the opponent away) or "ball" (go for the pickup). After one team gains possession, complete 1 pass before returning the ball to the coach. Variation: Have players start on their stomachs or facing away from the ball to force them to locate it on the turn.
1v1 Scramble or Recover
Teach decision-making in scramble and recovery situations. Set up 3 groups across the half field, each with an offensive and defensive line. Offense starts with the ball. On the whistle, pairs go 1v1 standing side by side. The offensive player presses to the cage, looking to change direction or accelerate past. The defender works to recover to the hole or get a takeaway. Recovering to the middle is the priority for the defender. Rotate through each group. Variation: Change starting locations for each group.
Blind Man's Bluff
The coach selects a random mix of offensive and defensive players. Anything from 3v3 to 4v2 or even 3v5 to simulate unsettled play. Players walk around with their eyes closed while the coach moves them, ensuring they’re randomly spread across the field. On the coach’s signal—“STOP!”—players freeze, keeping their eyes closed. The coach rolls out a ball and yells “Ball down!”. Players open their eyes and immediately play out the situation, attacking or defending based on their numbers. The focus is on loud, clear communication, proper spacing, and quick reads. Offense practices moving without the ball and exploiting openings, while defense adjusts formations and anticipates passes on the fly.
Hidey Hoe
Hidey hoe drill 2 lines up the numbers on each side of the net 2v2 GB to goal or whistle Losing team gets a pass from coach adds a player goes 3v2 play to whistle or goal Opposite team gets a pass to a new player makes it a 3v3 to whistle or goal Coach chooses a team to have the ball aplay 4v4 to whistle or goal Repeat
Circle GBs
Players form a circle around the draw circle or any marked circle. On the whistle, the coach rolls a ground ball into the center. Two players run in, compete for the ball, and play a live 1v1. The focus is on reaction, winning possession, and ball protection. Variations: - Running through the ground ball and escaping the circle - Securing the ball and making a pass to a player on the outside. - Coaches can change spacing, number of players, or the escape option.
Crease Scramble 3v2
Three offensive players and two defenders start at the top of the box. On the coach’s whistle, all five players sprint toward the crease and touch it, simulating a transition or fast-break scenario. Immediately after, the coach rolls a ball into play, creating a 3v2 ground ball situation. Offense must gain possession and attack, emphasizing proper spacing, timing, and finishing under pressure. Defenders focus on communication and rotations.