Tips For Calming An Offense Down

[OutBurst]

Today I was able to play for my new team and I can tell that we need a lot of work. As I was watching from the goal, I noticed that my offense really has no sense of what they are doing. They seem very anxious to run it into the crease and look extremely sloppy when doing so. How would you guys calm and mature the offense?

Besides, we won 5-4.

[CoachK]

Do you guys have a formation that works at all for you? Overall, if you're the attacking type of offense, that's fine... but no offense, 5 goals doesn't cut it if your team likes to attack.... Way too many turnovers if you're not putting more in the back of the net. I would possibly work with what you have and maybe switch to a 1-4-1 or 2-2-2... Two men on the crease will clog it a bit for drives, but feeds won't be bad if they're working hard to get open. If they drive hard, slides are a long way from getting there... Do you have any more info on strengths, types of players, are they all one handed?

[OutBurst]

Our offense at this point basically consists of anyone who can running in and shooting. No one really seems to understand the concept of working the ball around the cage.

I do not know much about the skills and styles of pretty much anyone on the team because this is my first year playing with them. I transfered from a very successful MA high school to an inexperienced CT team.

I will do my best to understand the offenses tendancies as we work together though.

[CoachK]

One nice thing to do is run a 2-2-2 or 1-4-1, and take the sticks of the creasemen away during practice... just for a few. They are forced to find a different way to score, and then maybe give one back, then the second once they start working the ball or realizing they need to dump it when the slide comes, you'll actually have an offense...

[Newt]

Winter indoor is a time for working on your stick skills and playing without worrying about making mistakes. Trying to set up an offense without all your players or your coach is tough. "Pass, cut, pick opposite where you passed, and replace" should help you get some opportunities and create some space. I can understand your wanting to get things up and running now, but your coach gets you and your teammates in 7 weeks on your new turf field. Play hard in the cage and be patient, they'll get there.

[xSURFERx]

mayb..scince they love to just attack the cage, setup not really a play, but more of a system. like a picking system. like if that ball is here, a certain guy sets a pick. my team did that one year, ill have to see if i can rmber what it was exactly....but if u do this u may open thigs up a bit and score more goals

[WHEELAX2]

I suspect the main problem is that you don't run a regular set offense. Guys are probably getting clogged up and almost trip over eachother, is this right?
If so, they need to learn basic fundamentals of offense.
For starters, they could get into a nice 2-3-1 set.
two middies at the restraining line, three attackmen across goal line extended (one on the crease, and the two other attackmen get into good shooting positions on either wing), and one midfielder behind the goal to handle the ball.
Once they know where they are supposed to be, they can work the ball around and get a good quality shot.
If they are not in a regular set offense, it turns into a pick-up game mentality of no passing and a lot of dodging into double teams, and usually when this happens one defender can easily cover two offensive players.
If you need further explaination or have any more questions, please email me at lisida@corning.com

Thanks again

[Newt]

Might want to put an attackman behind and a middie on the crease in that set or your middie behind has 20 extra yards to get back on defense.

[CoachK]

We just had to make a similar adjustment. We essentially made a rule that we needed to hold the ball for 3 minutes to start the game. We also have a middie sub every trip on offense, which means the attackmen get the ball, and can control the pace.

[beach2300]

you really need to work on structure, like the other guys have said. Try running a 2-2-2.....2 attack at GLE, 1 mid and 1 attack half way up on the box, and the last two mids at the top. A very easy way to direct picks is by yelling North or South. THe concept is that you work the ball down to your two attack at GLE. lets say that the man bottom right has the ball, he calls out SOUTH....the middie in the middle on the right side runs to the center to pick for his teammate (the middie or attack thats across from him (parallel to the goal line), and as the middie comes off of the pick the attack hits him with the ball. THis should spread out the defenders enough to give the man with the ball ample time to get off a shot. Calling NORTH would make the middie on the middle right go to the top left to pick for his teammate........ect ect. Hope this helps, just one way to get something structured

[moondog]

Take the goalie (you), out of the net, take the net away, make sure the offense can get 15 passes in, without dropping the ball, and without forcing the ball inside to an erratic cutter.

Channel to your teammates that the open man is either 2 passes away and/or on the backside, and fast, accurate ball movement is necessary to make the defense adjust, lose concentration, and ultimately become unsettled.

It requires stick skills, off-ball movement, and people need to have their heads up when carrying the ball. I try to channel this to my players, but they do not have the stick skills, and they bunch up, since they do not know how to be "dangerous" or to move without the ball.