youth lacrosse body defense before stick checks

Triangle Passing Drill: Roll Dodge

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One of the most most fundamental passing and catching drills out there, the Triangle Passing Drill is a great way to get your players' heads up and feet moving toward the ball. Add in the Roll Dodge to teach your players how to shake off a Defender and go back the other way.

Like the traditional Triangle Passing Drill, this variation is easy to set up and doesn't require much space on the field. With the Roll Dodge added in, you'll be able to work on your players' footwork, stick protection, hand-eye coordination, and field vision.

If you expect your players to execute a Roll Dodge past their Defender in a game, they better practice this move with plenty of repetitions on both sides to build muscle memory.

The Roll Dodge is one of the best moves we see for youth and beginning lacrosse players. This move is just like a Roll Back in basketball. Take your Defender one direction, then plant and roll back the other direction. Switch hands once you go back the other way to keep the stick in the outside hand, away from the Defender.

It looks a little something like this.

THE DRILL:

triangle passing drill basic setup

Figure 1. Set up 3 cones in a triangle. The cones should be roughly 10 to 20 yards apart from each other. You can shrink the distance if necessary, depending on your players’ stick skills.

Put all of your players inside the triangle behind the three cones. Lining the other players up inside gives your players more space outside to get open and practice their dodges. Plus, this is more realistic for game situations.

Be sure to mix offensive and defensive players together. Everybody on your team needs to be able to run, catch, and throw with both sides.

If you have more than 20 players at practice, create multiple sets of cones to ensure your players get the maximum repetitions in your drills. There’s no reason your players should come to practice to stand around waiting in line.

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PRACTICE TIPS:

  • Get your head and eyes around quickly- Eyes up and passes on target as you turn out of your dodge.
  • Switch directions halfway through the drill- move the ball clockwise, Roll Dodge right to left and pass left-handed.
  • Time Your Drills for your players’ age and attention span. Move on to something else once a drill or game becomes unproductive.
  • Don't hang your stick- Beginning players have a bad habit of leaving their stick out. Keep the stick protected, away from the defender.
  • Challenge your players- add a second ball into the drill to keep things moving quickly and keep your players focused.

VARIATIONS:

  • Play Defense at each cone- Make the Roll Dodge work. Have the next player in line play light-to-medium Defense.
  • Put the cones closer together for faster passing and even more reps. Try 5 or 10 yards apart.
  • Backdoor cuts- Cut behind Defenders for quick goals with this variation.
  • Over-the-shoulder- Over-the-shoulder passes can turn a simple catch into a fast break and lead to exciting goals.
  • Split Dodge-Teach your players to Split Dodge after a catch, then get the ball out quickly and accurately.
  • Double Moves- For more advanced players dodging against better Defenders, try throwing a Split Dodge right into a Roll Dodge!

Try it at your next practice. Let us know if you have any great Triangle Passing Drills of your own!