Ball Side, Goal Side

Verified · checked against the US Lacrosse coaching curriculum and Lacrosse For Dummies

The play, beat by beat

Every defender is ball side (between her player and the ball) and goal side (between her player and the goal).
Off the ball, keep the defensive triangle: see the ball and your player at once. Sticks up in the passing lanes, one hand at the bottom of the shaft. On the ball, top hand two thirds of the way down the stick.
Move while the ball is in the air. The closer you are to the ball, the tighter you play; two passes away, sag in to help.
Body checking isn't allowed, so body position and footwork carry the defense. In the 8, stay within a stick's length of a player (college: stick-and-arm's length) or step out before 3 seconds. From US Lacrosse's Level 2 workbook and Lacrosse For Dummies.

Two or more independent sources describe every step of it. Verified · checked against the US Lacrosse coaching curriculum and Lacrosse For Dummies.

3 beats

Settled defense · Man Defense

Verified · checked against the US Lacrosse coaching curriculum and Lacrosse For Dummies

Every defender is ball side (between her player and the ball) and goal side (between her player and the goal).
Off the ball, keep the defensive triangle: see the ball and your player at once. Sticks up in the passing lanes, one hand at the bottom of the shaft. On the ball, top hand two thirds of the way down the stick.
Move while the ball is in the air. The closer you are to the ball, the tighter you play; two passes away, sag in to help.
Body checking isn't allowed, so body position and footwork carry the defense. In the 8, stay within a stick's length of a player (college: stick-and-arm's length) or step out before 3 seconds. From US Lacrosse's Level 2 workbook and Lacrosse For Dummies.

Two or more independent sources describe every step of it. Verified · checked against the US Lacrosse coaching curriculum and Lacrosse For Dummies.