The ABC’s of DEFENSE

Playing defense in women’s lacrosse is no walk in the park. You really never get the glory of scoring, and your job is normally a thankless one. Women’s lacrosse defense may, at times, appear to be one of the easier positions; however, in a lot of ways it’s the toughest to perfect. Defense is also the most crucial part of the game because if they can’t score they can’t win! The position takes a great amount of athleticism, technique, skill, and field awareness too. We’ve broken down the key elements to mastering defense in a few simple steps,

A-approach

APPROACH the girl coming down the field with the ball. You must take the initiative on defense.

Go to the player rather than waiting for her to come to you. This gives you more control to direct the player and it also limits the moves she can make.

Waiting for the player to get to you will result giving the opponent time to make a better offensive decision.

B-breakdown

This step is where some fine-tuned footwork comes into play. You must BREAKDOWN your steps to direct the player and control her direction.

Breaking down your motion into smaller steps allows the ability to change direction quickly, cut when needed, and be ready for any immediate movements.

C-contact

Without pushing or creating an illegal play, we make physical CONTACT with our opponent.

Be sure to remain linked to the other player’s body with either your forearm or stick. Actually touching gives us a big advantage knowing where to and how the player is moving.

This not only helps us control body movement, but also greater awareness of direction the ball may be thrown in.

D-Direction

Lastly, we can completely control our opponents DIRECTION of movement by the way we are set up.

If we know a player, for example, has a strong left shot, then we can position our hips and body in a way that doesn’t allow the player to set up for their ideal shot.

To do this you must be strong in your stance, not giving any room for the opponent to get by in the way they want.

Combining these 4 steps will ensure a successful approach to defense. Ultimately, the defensive players work as a unit and if all teammates implement these steps, your defense can be unbeatable!