Offense Terms & Vocabulary
OFFENSIVE TERMS AND VOCABULARY
Basic Rules of Offense:
Get into a rhythm, move and exchange off ball, catch, wind-up, or dodge to goal or pass or cut through, set picks, or roll out of picks.
No more than 2 passes without a carry
Dump down/ up and over or throw back
Cut the middle and Recycle
Midfielders Recycle back up the middle
Attack recycle to their wing (get lefty’s back to their side)
Midfielders shallow cut for each other
Attack clear through for midfielders and for each other OR fade and cut backside
Dodges:
Face-Dodge: A Face-Dodge is a simple quick change of direction. The attacker will 'bate' her defender by pulling her stick across her face and exploding the opposite direction. The attacker must coordinate her feet with her hands. This means, the attacker must step hard on her non-dominate side, while pulling her stick over her face toward her non-dominate side. As the defender takes the bate, the attacker pulls her stick back over to her dominate side and explodes forward.
Split Dodge: A Split Dodge is when the attacker will literally split from one side of her defender to the other side, switching her hands in the middle of the dodge. To do this dodge, she will attack the defender head on. She will step hard with her dominate foot in order to get her defender to lean in toward that side. As her defender comes to play that dominate side, she will begin switching hands and taking off toward her non-dominate side.
Carry: This is simply movement with the ball. We do not want to stand around the perimeter throwing the ball without movement. Get off ball players engaged, too!
Windup and Sidewinder: Windups and Sidewinders are the other two triple threat positions. A Windup is a quick crow hop and setting your feet in a shooting position while bringing your stick back similar to a hockey player loading up for a slap shot. Windups should be used to sell the other team that you are shooting or throwing a long pass. It is very important to set your feet for a split second in order to really sell it. A Sidewinder is essentially a moving Windup. It can only be done out of a back pedal where you are opened up to the middle of the field and dragging a defender toward you in an odd man situation.
Hitch: Much like the “triple threat” position in basketball, the Hitch move or Hitch-and-Go is where a player catches the ball in a Wind Up position with the option of shooting, feeding, or dodging. Winding up is an effective way to set up a dodge or catch a defender in shooting space and is a critical part of attack. Better players are always looking for their wind up opportunities.
Hitch-and-Go: A Hitch-and-go is a move off a Windup or Sidewinder. By selling a shot, the shooter can often get her defender to freeze for a split second, opening up a great opportunity to beat her. The Hitch-and-Go move is a great way to get the defender chasing the attacker giving her the opportunity to combo with other techniques in order to beat your man under control.
Wind-Up / Hitch and go: Combination
Wind-Up / Face Dodge to goal: Combination
Wind-Up / Face Dodge / Backhand pass: Combination
Wind-Up / Face Dodge or Hitch / Roll Back: Combination
Wind-Up / Behind the Back Pass: Combination
Side Wind-Up: This is when a player is looking to feed or pass or while waiting for picks.
Screen Shot: This is exactly what it sounds like: using your defender as a screen so the goalie cannot see the ball as you shot it around. They can happen randomly, but it is a very high level skill to create one on your own by setting your defender up using a Windup, Sidewinder or Hitch-and-Go. When shooting a Screen Shot, you want to shoot right off your defenders shoulder or hip and try to aim for the near side pipe. The goalie will naturally move to the far side a little bit to try to see the shot coming at her and will have very little time to react to it and get back to the near side. The beauty of this shot and its deceptive nature, is that it does not require precise accuracy, just the ability to shoot it to the correct side of the goal.
Rocker: This dodge is a quick fake rollback to get the defender to freeze for a split second and gives the player a step in the same direction. When the player uses a Rocker, she will quickly drop step with the outside foot, making the defender think she is changing direction. Then, she will explode forward in the same direction as she started. It is most commonly used by attackers, but it can be used in any area of the field. It is great escape move for defenders and goalies that pick up a groundball under pressure when they need to free their hands to make a play. It is a great move to use off a Hitch-and-Go as it freezes the defender a second time right as she is catching up to you.
Question Mark: This move is when a player pops out toward the sideline and switch hands in order to break pressure and make a play. Ideally it is one-step and a jump shot or pass. Like the Rocker move, it is commonly done by the attackers in 7v7 to set up a Fade-Shot or pass. Nevertheless, it can be used anywhere on the field including as an escape move in the defensive end. It also sets up your “MJ Moves” that you can use to beat a double team.
MJ (Michael Jordan): This is named after Michael Jordan as it is a post-up move he often used to beat double teams. It is essentially a fake Question Mark move or a more pronounced Look Back Fake. As a player is getting pressured or doubled, she can pop out into a Question Mark move. She will switch hands for a split second like you are going to roll back then you immediately switch back into your original hand and go the other direction.
Pump Fake/ Look Back: A Pump Fake is simply a quick fake forward and a Look Back Fake is a fake behind. By turning her head and stick and looking back, the player will fake the defender into thinking she is looking behind for a pass. She can then explode forward. Every time a player comes off a pick, they can use the Look Back Fake to freeze the defense.
Faking is one of the most important skills in lacrosse. It teaches players to manipulate their surroundings when they have the ball in their stick.
Shots /Passing:
Fade Shot: This is simply the lacrosse equivalent of basketball’s fade-away jumper shot. A player will shoot a Fade Shot off of a speed move from behind: She will shoot back across her body as she fades to the sideline or up-field rather than turn the corner. The player will want to take one step toward the perimeter and torque her body to shoot back across her body.
Quick Stick: This is a very common skill that can be used for fare more than just getting off a quick shot or pass. When teaching to throw and catch, players should keep their sticks in Collarbone position, have the head of their stick square to the passer, give when they catch the ball (don’t bat at it), move their feet and body to the catch the pass, and throw a sharp overhand pass. Coaches can cover all five of these principles simply by doing quick sticks; it is the best and easiest way to teach the fundamentals of passing and catching and naturally makes them use their Collarbone technique.
Collarbone: This term refers to having the players keep their stick up and rested on your shoulder whenever possible as you are dodging, passing, and shooting. It is the basic set up to a triple threat position. With her stick in the Collarbone position, it will create natural fakes, overhand passes, and she will always be ready to catch.
Hard Pumps: These are more pronounced versions of fakes from the Collarbone position. As a player throws a Hard Pump she should quickly get her stick back to her Collarbone so she can get the goalie or defender to move and anticipate your next fake, shot, or pass.
Money Pass: A Money Pass is when the dodger steps back and throws a quick pass back in the other direction across his body without switching hands.
Lever: This move requires no upper body movement, no follow through, snap of the wrist or jolt it. It's great for passing and shooting in tight spaces.
Twister: This is great for passing or shooting. Think of drawing a backwards 7 with your stick in front of your body. Example: Bring the stick from your right to your left and then twist it around the goalie or your defender.
BTB (Behind the Back): When throwing regularly, your top hand pushes and your bottom hand pulls. If a player uses a BTB pass, all she does is switch jobs with her hands. For example, now her top hand pulls and her bottom hand pushes.
Leaner: This can be a shot of a pass. It is a mid-range shot that is 5-10 yards out. It is a deceptive shot where the offensive player has the stick on the collarbone and looks low with their head, drops their hands and shoulder like they are shooting low, and have the ball release late going high. Deceptive shooting is key at the next level and necessary to have great skill. Players will learn to not telegraph their shots to help goalies anticipate but rather use deception to increases their percentage to score.
Fake far/shoot near (Lean & step hard left/ shoot right—is a variation of a leaner shot)
Cuts/Picks:
Off Ball V-Cut and Backdoor Cut: An Off Ball V-Cut happens when the adjacent player cuts into her defenders topside and then pops out hard to create separation and catch the pass without pressure on her hands. Backdoor Cuts must be learned along side with Off Ball V-Cuts because they are the answer to beating a defender if she over plays her pop out.
V-Cut to Pick: This cut puts the player in the right position to set a pick so that the defender does not see the attacker coming.
Clear Through: This is similar to a simple cut to the middle but the attack will cut to create space for a midfielder dodger and attack dodger while looking for the ball. When the midfielder dodges the attacker should curl back looking for a feed. When the attack dodges, the clear through attacker should Fade high and look for a Back Door Cut. Midfielders will look to cut the middle when an attacker dodges towards them.
Fade: Many times prior to a Clear Through the adjacent player can Fade. To Fade, the player will simply step off to the side creating space for the dodger. The Fade puts the defense in a difficult decision making position: Does the defender help stop the dodge (double team) and leave the girl using the Fade or does she stay with the Fade and create space for the dodger to take the lane to goal?
Cut the Middle / Recycle: Cut the Middle is exactly how it sounds. This move creates space for the dodger and simply gets attack moving. Keep in mind, the cutter should be in Collarbone so she is ready to receive a pass in case she is open. Players should Recycle around the 11 meter. Midfielders should vacate the crease and Recycle back up the middle for the offense, while the attack should Recycle back to their strong side wing.
Cycle: This is a general term that describes any time a group of players work together in a circular motion and essentially switch spots. It can happen in many different ways both on and off ball. It is a great way to get girls cutting and moving without sacrificing spacing.