simple man up box field lacrosse play 3 on 2 up top

Simple Box/Field Man-Up 3-on-2 Up Top

This easy Man-Up Play is used by college, pro and international teams in both Indoor Box Lacrosse and Outdoor Field Lacrosse. It's so easy you could score in as few as one or two passes!

We see teams miss easy Man-Up goals in games every day because they don't recognize or understand the 2-on-1 in front of them: When your team has an Extra-Man Advantage because of a penalty, there is a 2-on-1 and an open man somewhere on the field.

  • Box/Indoor Lacrosse- there are five (5) men on Offense and only four (4) on Defense.
  • Field/Outdoor Lacrosse- there are six (6) on Offense against five (5) on Defense.

Keep it simple, Coach! Better than the traditional 2-3-1 Basic Man-Up Wheel, this play puts your extra man up top in front of the goal in good shooting position, instead of behind the goal.

Most youth and high school lacrosse teams will set up in some kind of a "Box" on Man-Down Defense. If the other team doesn't know how to rotate to cover the man with the ball, your team should be able to score every time you are given a man-up opportunity. Teach your players to understand the situation, then let them make it happen on the field!


HERE'S THE PLAY:

We have illustrated this play first in Box Lacrosse to keep it simple, then we will translate it to Field Lacrosse at the end.

simple box field lacrosse man up play 3 on 2 up top

Figure 1.) Build the "House"- 3 up top, 2 down low by the Goal. This forms a shape like a House or a Home Plate in baseball.

Blue 1, 2 and 3 will spread out across the top where all three are in good shooting positions. They will attack the top two corners of the typical "Box" Man-Down Defense (Red 1 and 2). One of these three should be able to get open for a good shot.

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PRACTICE& GAME TIPS:

  • Work the 3-on-2! Pro and International Players will work this play two or three times before trying something else. Keep the ball where you have the Extra-Man Advantage.
  • Run the Box Man-Up Play with your Outdoor players as a 5-on-4 practice drill. Keep it simple to begin with. Teach your players to understand how 3-on-2 and 5-on-4 works before moving up to 6-on-5.

RELATED PLAYS & DRILLS:


Make sure you tell us if you score some sweet Man-Up Goals using this play with your Box team, Field team, OR BOTH!!