One-On-One Defensive Drill

One-On-One Defensive Drill

By: Don Zimmerman and Peter England

Originally Published in: Men's Lacrosse Human Kinetics

Purpose
To learn proper body position when defending against a dodger.

Setup
A coach or teammate is positioned on the end line, facing the back of the goal, with a stick and a ball; the player is five yards from the coach or teammate, facing them without a stick.

Execution
The coach or teammate with the ball dodges from the end line to the front of the goal. The player backpedals, drop-steps, and opens his hips once he knows the direction of the ball. The player runs through the crease and meets the coach or teammate at the GLE. He assumes a proper "close the gate" stance and drives the ball carrier away from the goal.

Coaching Points
Because the player does not have a stick in this drill, he will learn the importance of body positioning. The player must backpedal, drop-step, and open his hips to counter the dodger. Once he meets the dodger at the GLE, the player practices concentrating on the dodger's body and not his stick. The player can't chase the dodger's stick because he doesn't have one of his own.

A dodging ball carrier in the attack zone has two missions. First, he wants to beat you to the GLE so that you can't muscle him away from the goal cage. If successful, the ball carrier then wants to post you on the "island" (described later in the chapter), where he can go in either direction and where you will need defensive support to counter his moves. You, on the other hand, want to beat the ball carrier to the GLE and take away any close-in shots. If you don't beat the ball carrier to the GLE and he posts you on the island, you should then force him to perform an inside roll.

The GLE on the wings of the goal line, as shown in figure 8.11, can be thought of as a "swinging gate." When you are playing the ball carrier in the attack zone and he is attacking the goal, your objective is to first beat the ball carrier to the GLE and then meet the ball carrier with body contact. Your job is to get to this imaginary gate first and then shut or close the gate. You want to beat him to this spot (GLE), meet him at this spot, and make physical contact. To properly close the gate, you must have your hips facing the end line or the corner of the field, and you must play the ball carrier's body, not his stick. Don't chase the head of the stick. You need to get up on the ball carrier, turn him, and drive him toward the end line or the corner of the field (meeting force with force).

If the ball carrier runs through the GLE and continues upfield, he may then post you at the island. The island is a spot 5 yards above the GLE and 5 yards wide of the tangent of the crease line (see figure 8.12). It is a defender's no-man's-land. Getting posted on the island is similar to being posted up in basketball by a center playing with his back to the basket. The defender is very vulnerable unless he gets help or forces the ball carrier into the direction he wants the ball carrier to go. In this situation, you want to overplay or shadow the ball carrier's topside, turn him back, and force him to use an inside roll dodge. When you force the ball carrier to use an inside roll, as shown in figure 8.13, you force him into a blind spot because he loses sight of the players and the field. He turns his back to the rest of the action, and he can no longer see the movement of the offensive or defensive players. By forcing the ball carrier to perform an inside roll, you are taking away his opportunity to go to either hand; he may be facing your teammate sliding to him, and your goalie will be taking away the near pipe, thereby cutting down his shooting angle. When forcing the ball carrier to use the inside roll dodge, you must continue to overplay or shadow his topside, play his body and not his stick, and not allow him to roll back.

Sometimes a ball carrier will use a "rocker step" dodge in which he fakes an inside roll and comes back for his strong-side shot. If he is going to beat you, you should make sure that he beats you with an inside roll dodge and not a topside move.

If you are a step behind your attacker at the GLE and you can't get in better position to take away his topside shot, you should drive him up to the midfield corner (see figure 8.14). When you're behind the attacker, the best strategy is to stay there and use proper driving technique to keep pushing him out. Use the proper hold technique, keep your feet moving, and drive the attacker up and out toward the midfield line. If you're trailing the attacker at the GLE, you must avoid trying to suddenly get into the ideal topside position by overcompensating and over-committing your body positioning. If you overcompensate, the attacker will roll dodge you for a high-quality shot. Whether you're a step behind the attacker at the GLE or you're in good solid position (and you close the gate), you need to keep the ball carrier going away from the goal. In both instances, you're driving your man away from the goal, just in different directions.

On-ball defenders need to understand the concepts of cushion, the "snap count," breakdown position at stick's length, and the shadow technique. On-ball defense involves three general strategies. The first approach is to pick up, defend, and release. This is the path of least resistance. The ball carrier is not challenging the goal, and the defender is applying some but not too much pressure on the ball. The second approach is dodges to the goal. In this situation, the defender needs to get his body downfield (using a drop step) and get his stick in the proper position. The third approach is used when the ball carrier is near the goal and is challenging the goal. In this situation, the defender must use various types of holds to control the ball carrier's body and drive him away from the goal. The strategies and techniques used for on-ball defense will depend on where the ball carrier is located on the field. If the ball carrier is in the midfield zone, he is a triple threat. If he is in the attack zone, he is a double threat.