In any lacrosse game, the balance between aggressive attacking play and solid defensive play is vital to ensure your team scores as often as possible without conceding unnecessary goals.
In this article, we're going to look at offensive play - how it's defined and the different strategies and formations teams use.
What is lacrosse offense?
There are four main player positions in a lacrosse team, attackmen, midfielders, defensemen, and the goalkeeper.
Offense, or attacking play, is carried out by the attackmen with the support of the midfielders. Defense, or defensive play, is the job of the defensemen, again with the support of the midfielders.
An offense formation is a name used to describe the positions of each player involved in the offensive play. There are a number of different offensive arrangements.
Most teams will mainly train with one or two formations, and start with specific formations regularly. However, teams may also change formation (sometimes within a single game) to exploit specific weak points in the opposing defense, in response to another team playing style, or to try out new plays to approach the game from a new angle.
Teams spend hundreds of hours training their players with lacrosse attack drills to ensure that the formation is understood, each player knows their position, and that the team works as a unit during attacking play.
This type of training is supported by individual players training the specific skills they need - shooting for an attackman, passing or running for a midfielder, etc. This training may be group-based, in pairs, or individual (for example, practicing shooting techniques with a lacrosse rebounder).
What are the different offensive formations in lacrosse?
The lacrosse attack position is described by a 2 or 3 number sequence which shows how many players are in the rear, middle, and front of the formation.
The players further forward will be attackmen, and those further back will be midfielders.
So, for example in a 1-4-1 formation, there will be one midfielder at the back, two midfielders, and two attackmen ahead of that, and the remaining attackman at the front. Or, in a 3-3 formation, three midfielders lined up behind three attackmen.
Let's look at the most commonly used formations in offense, and the advantages each can bring to a game.
1-4-1 Formation
In this formation, the forward attackman is fed passes from the middle group and is the primary shooter.
The supporting attackmen have the opportunity to sit a little further back, opening up the possibility of time and space shots.
While the lone midfielder at the back of the formation has a better view of the plays and is responsible for spotting counterattacks early and dropping back to link up with the defensemen as needed.
2-2-2 Formation
This formation pairs midfielders and attackmen together, with a mixed pair in the middle.
The middle pair are able to quickly drop back or run upfield to support their teammates during the offensive play depending on what's needed.
This formation is great for responsive play, where players may need to switch positions quickly to respond to the defensive position.
2-3-1 Formation
This formation works well for feeding passes forward to build plays from the midfield.
It provides a relatively strong defense at the cost of leaving the frontmost attackman isolated.
The middle attackmen, therefore, have to relieve some of this pressure, making runs wide, passing into the center, or setting up long-range shots.
The two midfielders, as well as feeding the ball, provide defensive cover if possession is lost.
1-3-2 Formation
This inversion of the 2-3-1 formation puts a greater focus on attacking play at the cost of some defensive strength.
The advantage of this is that the two forward attackmen have greater opportunity to interact, and are harder to pin down from the view the opposing defense will have of the play.
It allows for explosive play, with sudden runs and dodges to move the ball quickly through the defensive players.
3-3 Formation
This is the most balanced formation - the midfielders are evenly spaced behind the defenders.
It allows for a great deal of flexibility in terms of playing style, and the ability for players to switch quickly between attack and defense, which is important for repelling counterattacks.
If all 6 offensive players are pushed too far forward, however, there is a risk of opposing attackmen being able to make sudden breaks through.
2-1-3 Formation
This formation is very attack focused, with all three of the attackmen upfield as far as possible.
While this has the obvious advantage of opening up shooting opportunities from multiple angles and occupying the opposing defensemen across multiple positions, it is probably the formation most vulnerable to a sudden counter-attack.
The two rearmost defenders have to be aware of their positioning and constantly check that they are not pushed upfield too far, leaving the defense exposed.
Lacrosse zone offense vs. lacrosse motion offense
The two terms above describe different approaches to how players interact with their opponents.
Zonal play assigns players to specific areas of the field and encourages a passing game, where players stay (for the most part) within the area defined by their position, moving the ball between them to set up attacking and shooting opportunities. When executed well, this type of offensive play uses the speed of passing to overcome defenses, leaving them unable to respond in time as the ball switches position rapidly.
A motion offense encourages players to move between zones to make runs into the defensive half, dodge defenders, and find shooting opportunities.
Passing is important here too, although it can be more challenging as players need to track their teammates as the fluid formation changes quickly. This strategy is well suited to sudden, explosive plays and requires a physical dominance of the field.
The mindset of a great offense
In many sports, the focus tends to be on the eventual win, but the journey is just as important.
A strong offense will make the most of each and every player, take advantage of their individual abilities and weaknesses, and is as much psychological as it is physical.
Focusing on the mental aspect of the game can be the key to a strong offense which is harder for the opposing team to break through, and can increase your chances of serious success.
Ways to boost a psychological offense
A psychological approach has a number of aspects:
- Each player must be seen and trained as an individual, with their own strengths, weaknesses, and elements to contribute to the wider team.
- Things change; players may have off days, and being prepared for this means that other team members can pick up and cover weak spots, ensuring the strength of the whole.
- Recognize that errors can be addressed, but the way in which coaches choose to do this can have a massive impact. Feedback needs to be corrective and constructive as opposed to purely negative.
Lacrosse offense takeaways
When setting up an offense it is vital to take into consideration each player's strengths and weaknesses, the teams over cohesiveness, and the opponent's skill sets.
Consider all the configurations with a player in mind for each position and decide what would work best for your team.
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