1. Team defense; building principles & skills / drills

2. Brendan Talbot
QU player 99-02
QU asst 03-05
New Fairfield asst 06-07
HC New Milford 08-13
DC WCSU 14-15
HC SJ since 2016

4. Team defensive goals
#1-We want to limit our opponent to 8 goals or less
#2-We want to out ground-ball (GB) our opponent
#3-We want our save percentage above 60%
#4-We want to create 8 or more caused turnovers per game
#5-We want to clear rate at 85% or above
#6-We want our man-down kill-rate of 70% or better

5. -We do NOT allow strong-hand -We do NOT allow top-side
Defensive principles
-We do NOT allow strong-hand
-We do NOT allow top-side
-We do NOT allow shots inside of 12 yards
2019 D Phil Pasmeg / Hofstra 2023

6. *Use words that get action!
Terminology
*Use words that get action!
Cylinder: Area on the field inside the hashes (ex key in basketball)
HUB: Area directly in-front of the crease
“1” / “Fire”: Our alert to who is the slider, action word when we slide
“2” / “To me”: Our alert to who holds the crease while we slide. Always the far & opposite defender. Our term to where the on-ball defender should recover to.
Clamp: Our alert to double the ball (sliding, on a GB, riding, etc) X
GLE GLE
ALLEY ALLEY
HUB
CYLINDER

7. On-ball defense
-Stick on gloves of ball-carrier
-“Left foot” / “Right foot” (defender’s foot)
-Be physical!
Drills: 7-cone (approach), Zig-zag (drop step, stick placement), Diamond (Left / Right foot, physicality)

8. Off-ball defense A
G D “HUB”
A D “SKIP” A
D “2” M
P “1”
S “SKIP”
S “BALL”
M M
Drills; Diamond (skip lane to ball), 44-to-54 (4v4 press, 5v4 skip / 2), Hogan (off-ball responsibilities)

9. When do we slide? We slide if the ball-carrier;
-Gets his strong-hand -Gets top-side
-Gets inside the cylinder -Rolls back*
*The slider is NEVER wrong!
Drills: 3-man slide / recover (Ball, 1, 2, Fire, To Me, REPEAT), Clamp drill (on-ball, Clamp, communication)

10. Defending 2-man game Outside of hashes = SOFT (UNDER)
-Off-ball Communicates direction (“Right, right, right”), On-ball drops that foot
Outside of hashes = SOFT (UNDER)
-Off-ball D stays 1 yard x 1 yard until on- ball gets back on gloves
Inside of hashes = HARD (SWITCH)
-Off-ball attacks outside shoulder of ball “SWITCH”
On-ball FOLLOWS. Roll back = CLAMP

11. Krossover clips

12. OILERSLACROSSE.COM

13. Lacrosse Resources
JM3 Sports.com; Jaime Munro podcasts, coaching professional development
LaxCoachMike.com; articles, interviews w/ college coaches
Coachesinsider.com; lacrosse drills, video clips
Lax Sports Network (LSN); MLL coverage, coaching videos, HS games
Stadium app (free); Many Patriot league games live
NEC On-the-Run app (free); many NEC games live
ESPN+ ($); Will have many college games live