Boys Lacrosse Skills Matrix | Littleton Youth Lacrosse

My my My my

For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser.

Skill	U9	U11	U13	U15
Cradling					Teaching Points
2 Hand Cradle - Strong Hand	x	x	x	x	A. Stick shaft perpindicular B. Control the ball C. Should be Natural Easy movements, not jerky / violent.
2 Hand Cradle - Weak Hand		Intro	x	x	D. Eliminate any uneccessary stick movement (showing off) E. Be able to get the stick to the box position to pass or shoot
1 Hand Cradel - Strong Hand	x	x	x	x	quickly.
1 Hand Cradel - Weak Hand		Intro	x	x

Throwing
Strong Hand	x	x	x	x	A. Start with stationary passing drills, progress to drills on the move as soon as you can B. Utilize small ball games to create
Weak Hand		Intro	x	x	learning environments under pressure

Catching
Strong Hand	x	x	x	x	A. Start with stationary passing drills, progress to drills on the move as soon as you can. B. Utilize small ball games to teach
Weak Hand		Intro	x	x	passing and catching under competitive cicumstances
Diagnonal on the move	x	x	x	x
Over the shoulder	Intro	x	x	x

Scooping
Strong Hand	x	x	x	x	A. Emhpasize proper two handed technique, Stick low, head over the ball, scoop through. B. Run away from defender to open
Weak Hand		Intro	x	x	field. C. NO RAKING D. NO ONE HANDED SCOOPS. The team that wins most of the ground ball battles in lacrosse is almost
					always the one that wins the game.

Dodges
Roll Dodge	x	x	x	x	A. Review Kudda videos for technique. B. Progress through the dodges starting with Roll, to Face etc. C. There is no time table
Face Dodge	x	x	x	x	so don't feel this has to be done in week one. It is far more important to get one dodge down right. In a perfect world U15's should
Circle Dodge	Intro	x	x	x	be able to do this with their weak hands
Change of Directon Dodge	Intro	x	x	x
Split Dodge		Intro	x	x
Bull Dodge		Intro	x	x
Inside Roll Dodge			Intro	x

Feeding
Create Space - Dodge	x	x	x	x	A. The key is creating space so that your hands are free to pass. Move, V Cut, get to open space to create time and space
Create Space - V Cut	x	x	x	x
Create Space - Get ot open areas

Shooting
Overhand	x	x	x	x	A. Start with stationary shooting galleries, progress to 'on the run'. B. Practice high shots, bounce shots. C. Add combination
Three Quarter	x	x	x	x	drills combining skills that would be used to create a shot i.e. Give and Go passing of a triangle formation, Dodge / Feed
Side Arm		Intro	x	x
Quick Stick		Intro	x	x
In Tight - Hi Lo Fake		Intro	x	x

Checking
Poke	x	x	x	x	Checking under contol, on the hands or stick, NO wild swings, use both hands if at possible. Defense is played with the legs first
Lift	x	x	x	x	proper position, and stick last
Slap / Chop		Intro	x	x
Can Opener		Intro	x	x

Playing without the ball
Whistle Ready	x	x	x	x	A. Whistle ready is running to your proper position on a dead ball situaition. The ref will blow the whistle as soon as the team
V Cuts - Creating Space	x	x	x	x	that has possession gets it. This is for both defense and offense. B. What your players do off the ball will determine much of
Cutting	x	x	x	x	your success. It is is the difference between well coached teams and the other guys. C. Are players moving, cutting, V-Cuts,
On Ball Picks	Intro	x	x	x	setting pics. The game is constant motion when played correctly. D. College coaches spend a lot of time studying players
Off Ball Picks		Intro	x	x	and what they do when the DON'T have the ball - Are you a part of the clear, making yourself avaible for a pass.

Transition Offense
Draw and Dump	x	x	x	x	A. Practice transition a lot, odd man rushes, and create a passing mentality. The objective is recognizing you have "numbers"
Give and Go	x	x	x	x	or more players then the defense first, Second is to find or create that 2 v 1 situation. Third, get the ball to the hole and get a
Fast Break "L"			Intro	x	shot. Do NOT be too fancy when you get the ball to the hole, Do NOT over pass. The best goalies in the world only stop 55-60%
Fast Break "W"				x	of the shots they face. In Youth Lax if your goalie stops 1 out of 2 he or she is doing well. Get the ball to the hole quickly

Transition Defense
Get to the hole	x	x	x	x	A. Transition Defense is a all about getting the hole, setting up a tight zone, giving up the "Longest" pass, and closing down the
Zone Defense	x	x	x	x	closest threats. In transition the players without the balls are more dangerous than the ball carrier. Bait the Offense, try to get
Slide and Support	x	x	x	x	them to over pass and make a mistake and do your best to keep them out of the hole. Give up long shots is not a bad thing too

Settled Offense
2 2 Box	x	x			GET ORGANIZED - Patience, get set up, pass the ball around then run your offense. Patience is the hardest thing to teach.
1 3 2 Triangles			x	x	Communicate!!!!
Get organized - Patience	x	x	x	x
Get the ball through X	x	x	x	x
Pass / Dodge and Cutters	x	x
Pass / Pass / Dodge and Cutters			x	x
Motion Offense - Part 1			x	x
Motion Offense - Part 2			Intro	x
Motion Offense - Part 3				Intro

Settled Defense
Man to Man, don't chase	x	x	x	x	A. Be whistle ready B. Communicate C. Be a defense first team, and start your season with defensive systems. This is the hard
Slough off ball	x	x	x	x	part and the grind. Do not make the mistake of assuming your defense will just take care of itself while you are working on
Adjacent Slide	Intro	x	x	x	your offense. It doesn't. Everyone plays defense, Everyone! It is the difference between a good team and a great team
Crease Slide			x	x

Clears
After Shot	x	x	x	x	A. Players break immeadiately to open areas for outlet pass
Sideline	x	x	x	x	A. Whistle ready! B. Younger levels get open, older levels run Modified 32. B. Clear up the sideline
Modified 32			x	x	A. Three defensmen low in a line. Two middies in the middle. On whistle one breaks to side line and the other to the ball.

Rides
Man to Man	x	x
3 3 3 1			x	x	A. Attack plays Zone down low giving up the long pass B. Middies Man to Man C. Defense Man to Man on Attack

Man Down Defense
Triangle Zone	Intro	x			Work on this because you will have to play it in every game.
Box and One Zone			x	x

Extra Man Offense
2 2 with cutters	x	x			Work on transition and settled first. When this starts to take shape work in your EMO.
1 3 2 Motion Offense			x	x
1 4 1				Intro