Player positions

[garfield]

Being new to the women's game, I am having a hard time explaing the positioning to the girls. Do teams really play first home, second home, ect.., or do they play more of a zone offense and defense. Something like a 4-3-4?

I want to make this easy for the young ones to grasp.

Thanks

[CTLaxer]

4-3-4 is the best thing to do in my opinion. It's easier. It doesn't cause fights due to 10 girls wanting to be center. It drives the old traditionalist coaches nuts (love doing that). Makes offsides a thing of the past for your players. Allows you to basically sub anyone for anyone since they all know what each position does, rather than each player only knowing their position due to the fact that there are 12 distinct and different positions.

[uslacrosse1]

Nice avatar.

[garfield]

When playing 4-3-4, how do you balance the field on offense?

[NHLaxDad]

I use three Attacks, three Defenders, a D-wing, an A-wing, and three Middies, one of whom is the Center. Make the Attacks stay in a triangle to balance the field, with middies and A-wing staying high-but let them switch around.

[CelticLaxer]

At the high school level, I had success with 3 attack/home, 3 defense, & traditional midfield positions. The center was responsible that the team stayed onside, and doing it this way helped teach her (then by extension everyone else) that it could be different people as the situation called for it. D-wings knew that- usually- 1 of them would stay back on offense; A-wings learned that- usually- 1 of them would stay back on defense.

Over time, some of the midfielders specialized. One particular A-wing tended to stay back on defense because she became an excellent clearing midfielder, but everyone knew that the role could change on any given shift as the situation dictated.

[CTLaxer]

When playing 4-3-4, how do you balance the field on offense?

Same way you would if you played in an 11 position setup? Not quite sure what you're asking because everything is the same, except the positions in a 4-3-4 position setup.

[ravnfan]

I'm the High School JV coach and we use the 4-3-4 too. We have a lot if new girls to the sport so the old 1st home, 2nd home and wings was to confusing and we had off sides all the time.

So, you have 4 attackers, 3 middies, and 4 defenders. Now its easy. The middies can go where ever they want, the attackers can not go inside the restraining to defend and the defenders can not go inside the other restraining to be on offense. Hence you always have 7 inside the 'box'. Either 4 attackers and 3 middies on the one side or 4 defenders and 3 middies on the other side.....

John

[NC_Goalie_Girl]

we use the 4-3-4 as well. It's just really easy and just about idiot proof. Occasionally we'll have a low defender take the ball up and in that case we have to have a middie stay back, but with basic communication, its no problem