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Crimson Transition Lacrosse Drill
Coach Wojcik
I am continually impressed with every conversation with Head Coach Chris Wojcik from Harvard. In the most recent podcast I loved the way he has tweaked his practice plans since our 2011 podcast, and perhaps not the lacrosse practice plan as much as the fact that he is always open to change and new ideas. In addition, he has a true appreciation of the difference in coaching the different size rosters we have as high school, Rec, and Travel Team coaches.
And in the podcast he offered a number of great lacrosse drills including the Crimson Transition lacrosse drill, one of favorites of his players and I can see why…
There are so many great aspects of this drill, but let’s start with a premise most coaches agree that… coaching rides and clears sucks… there I said it. The practice draws to a dreadful slow pace, we have to yell across the field, players are bored and not paying attention, it always raining and cold, and as for me personally, although I do not scream in anger at my teams, I have instead broken more an empty bucket or two coaching rides and clears. Not proud of it, just the truth. Shall I continue? By the way let me be clear, these comments are mine alone, certainly not from Coach Wojcik. [private]
This awesome lacrosse drill begins in transition. So we have three attack (White) and three D poles (Crimson) at one end of the field with a goalie. On the other end of the field we have two lines, two white, two crimson, at the top corners of the Restraining Line. In addition, close to where the Substitution Area might be, we have a line of white pennies, perhaps LSM’s and a line of crimson, (shorties) .
There are a ton of options for this drill, but let’s start very basic. And in this case the drill only runs one way down the field for smaller rosters. Transition has many different faces in games as the ball goes from one end to the other. Middies from both sides arrive down the field in different stages and different locations. So even though this base configuration of the lacrosse drill is 5V5, it is transition nonetheless. It has the elements of a “Counter-Attack” lacrosse drill but with a unique twist! And you can run it with a HS or rec roster.
1. Transition See the drawing below…
So – we have close to a full field look, a lacrosse drill that is about 75 yards or so, thus a conditioning drill as well. The drill begins with a basic uncontested ground ball near the middie (White, actually a line of two WH Middies, one gets the GB) at the top of the far box Restraining Line. He picks up the ground ball and sprints across midfield into the offensive end w the second WH Middie. The opposite middies (2 Crimson) still in the defensive end near the same Restraining Line also sprinting to the offensive end. The attack and poles to initially begin the drill are between the midfield line and the restraining line in the offensive end to be game realistic. So we are in a 5V5 transition, and we play it out to a shot, save, take-a-way, missed shot.
Are you with me so far?
2. Ride and Clear
1. If the goalie makes a save we immediately go into a clear. 2. If we have a turnover, we immediately go into a clear as well with the White Team (previously on offense) now riding. 3. However if the shot misses the cage, the goalie has to go to the end line, pick up a ball from there and begin the clear.
But… here it gets interesting….
As any of the three scenarios above occurs, the two players from the substitution box, one white (perhaps LSM or D middie, now riding) and the crimson (a shortie now clearing) enter the drill.
So we began with a 5V5 transition drill, but as these two additional players enter the drill after the shot, we and a game realistic clearing scenario, seven (w goalie) clearing and six now riding. And we are working on the, or your preferred clearing and riding positions and fundamentals.
The clearing team must clear all the way down to the far box. They drop the ball, and the next rep of the drill begins immediately with another uncontested ground ball with the white middie next in that line. If a pole clears all the way we add a pole in the defensive end, and we go… quickly.
If the Riding Team gets a take-a-way on the Ride, we continue to play, now 6V6, just like in a game to a shot, clear and so on….
As soon as the ball is cleared the next rep goes, remember to have the offensive end attack and poles move back up above the Restraining Line in the offensive end to again be game realistic.
So even if your roster is 24-28 players and you have four or five poles/LSMs, three attack, a goalie, and six or seven middies you can run this drill just like they do at Harvard! Transition, and Rides and Clears all in one drill. Cool eh?
Options
1. We could have the crimson middie delay his break until the offensive (white) middie crosses the midfield line to give you a 5V4 look with a trailer into a 5V5.
2. Or make it a true 5V4, forget the crimson middie line initially and add two crimsons on the clear.
Click here, I promise it is worth the time to listen to Coach Wojcik describe the drill in his own words…click then click “Preview” free for all members!
Click on the drawing to expand, so you can see it!
Special thanks to our good friends at Krossover! I use it I love it, special offers for our members!
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October 24th, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Am I missing something? It looks to me like a 4v4 into a 5v5 clear?? Where is the 5th player in the original transition?
October 24th, 2015 at 7:33 pm
Coach good catch two middies on
Each side of the box I messed up
October 25th, 2015 at 5:21 am
Special thanks pos392, I modified the article and the drawing,
Apologies, Mike