Two Men Down vs. 1-3-2 Drill

Two Men Down vs. 1-3-2 Drill

By: Jack Kaley and Rich Donovan

Originally Published in - Lacrosse Essentials - Human Kinetics

Purpose
Concede a low-percentage shot.

Setup
Create a tight box with four defensive players.
When you are two men down, play the same technique as on a 6v6 zone or 6v5 man down. For example, you still pressure the ball carrier. The two adjacent men have the same responsibilities: They play the man in their zone and cutoff the passing lanes to the adjacent players. The man farthest from the ball sloughs down to help on the crease. The man farthest from the ball sloughs down into the crease. When the ball is on the wing, the wingman pressures the ball, the defender who is playing X helps on the low crease, the far defender sloughs into the crease, and the adjacent player on top cuts off the lane to the second man from the ball. These rules put you in a diamond formation whenever the ball is above the GLE.

Pro
Perimeter passes use up penalty time.

Con
This is difficult to accomplish against quick ball movement.

Variation: Two Men Down vs. 1-4-1
When the ball is up on top, the four long poles play the same techniques described earlier against the man-down deny X against 1-4-1. They play the same technique when the ball is at X. When the ball is on the wings, the onside wingman pressures the ball, the two adjacent defenders slough into the crease and cutoff the inside lanes, and the far wingman splits the two creasemen, favoring the onside man. The man-down team, when down two men against 1-4-4, plays a 1-3 anytime the ball is on the perimeter.

Variation: Two Men Down vs. 3-3
When playing two men down against 3-3, follow the same rules as previously mentioned in man down defense principles. Emphasize that the man farthest from the ball slides down and helps on the crease.

Variation: Two Men Down vs. Aussie
Although the rules are nearly the same, you will make one important adjustment. The man adjacent to the ball, who is playing a low wingman, gives up his lane responsibility to guard his man more tightly. For example, if the opposite wingman has the ball, he must cut off his man. The man farthest from the ball has crease responsibilities.

Variation: Two Men Down vs. 2-2-2
This is one of the few times you make an exception to the rule in man down that you do not pressure the ball behind the cage. When you pick the opponent up at the GLE, you have reduced their advantage from 6v4 to at most 5v4. When the ball is up top, the onside man pressures the ball. The two low defenders play behind their creaseman and are responsible for the lane to the attackman behind the cage. The adjacent top midfielder sloughs in to help in the lane to the offside creaseman. When the ball goes behind, the onside defenseman picks up at the GLE, the offside defenseman slides over to the onside creaseman, and the far-side midfielder drops down to the offside crease. After the ball is passed over to the other attackman behind, the low defenders slide to ball side and have onside responsibilities to pick up the ball at the GLE, and the offside defenseman has the onside crease. The far top-side defender slides in and plays the offside crease, and the top-side defender has his man and is responsible for the skip lane.