new lacrosse player, needs help with defense

[amber]

so this is my first year playing lacrosse..i'm mostly playing defense, so i need a few pointers as well as some clarifications on the rules.
first thing... if the other team has the ball and is open, running toward the goal to shoot, what do i do? Say I know that I can make it to her before she shoots..but..then what? do I get in front of her and use my stick to block? can I do that? we're running at each other head on so I cant get a good check before I stop her (or at least slow her down)...do I go for the check anyways?
next... i'm covering a girl who has the ball. she's completely stopped, trying to either pass it or get around me. how do I keep either of those from happening? she's doing a good job of keeping her stick out of reach from a check...do I put my arm against her? my stick against her?
we've played three games so far and these are just some of the things i'm having trouble with. i dont really trust much of what my couch says...as bad as that sounds...because he's used to coaching boys (this is his first year coaching girls) and i'm not so sure he's got the rules straight. any help would be great, thanks!

[lokiinspired]

I'll give this a shot! [oh stupid puns..]

When an open girl is coming down the field, make sure not to overcommit; ie. don't get too close too soon! Just make sure to keep yourself between her and the goal. There's no need to show too much pressure out past the arcs; she's not a high-risk for shooting yet.

Keep you stick out, mirroring hers so you can try to block a pass or shot. You want to force her to the outsides [don't give her a lane down the center, she'll get the best shot angle that way!] with your body positioning while trying to watch her eyes. By doing that, you can predict her movements. She'll be watching her teammates, checking for a cutter or an open girl. That should give you a clue to what's going on around the field without having to take your eyes off her.

If she presses towards the goal, move in closer. But not too close! You want to keep a cushion of space so you can react to her movements. If you are up in her face, one wrong move and she could smoke you. If she's protecting her stick well, don't worry about the check. Never rush it; wait for the right moment. Keep her moving; make her work for it! She'll want to pass the ball off, and she's vulnerable to a check when she attempts it - look for that.

For the stopped girl, still keep your cushion of space. Rules this year are supposed to be stricter when it comes to physical contact, so avoid touching her with your stick or body. Just mirror her movements and wait. No pushing. When she tries to pass, then jump in with the check. Just be patient; don't get too reckless. The last thing you need is a foul down there.


Phew. I hope that helps in some way.. Got pretty wordy, I apologize!
Good luck in your games! Everything comes with time & experience!

[ndirishlax]

Just remember, the best defenders ALWAYS play "body position defense" first, checking second. No matter what, make sure you are in a good position before trying to take the check. If you're out of position, you'll very rarely make a good check and either get called for a foul, or worse get burned by the attacker.

When the girls is running at you, get your feet turned. You don't want to be back pedaling here or you'll get burned. I teach my players to turn sideways and try to meet them just outside the 12m. When you turn sideways, you want to force them one way or the other. For example, if the person is right handed, I tell my players to try to approach from her right, our left so that we're on their dominant hand side and their options are to go left handed or risk getting checked. You want time it so that you are meeting them right aroudn the 12m but that takes practice because of the speed since they have so much momentum bringing them in.

For the girl standing still, give her about a sticks length and shadow her stick. Stay on your toes. One thing I teach is to guard their stick, not their body. Meaning, try to line yourself up with their stick. It may only be a few inches to one side, but that can take away a side arm pass or shot. Those few inches mean a lot. Also, remember that having them pass the ball around the outside isn't always a bad thing. That means they probably can't drive on you, so don't lose your positioning going for a check when you've already forced them to pass it.

Don't touch your body with your stick or you'll be called. You can usually adjust your game to what the refs are letting you do. Usually they'll let you put your body on them a little to "hand check" them a bit so to speak, but NO PUSHING. You can generally get away with putting your bottom hand or your forearm on your defender as your holding your stick and running with her. Keep your arms away from your body as if you're hugging a tree, never lock your elbows. Keep your back straight and don't lean into the girl with the ball. You can hold your ground with your legs, but don't push and definitely don't extend your arms and make it obvious that you're pushing. Lift your hands up to make yourself bigger, with your bottom hand all the way at the bottom of the stick and your top hand 4 or 5 inches above that, also near the bottom of the stick.

I hope this helps some. Its tough to explain without being able to show you.

[amber]

thanks so much to both of you! your replies taught me a lot...i'll keep it all in mind. :)

[chaldeanlaxplr]

got to talk no where your player is, work on gb's, amagine our shaft as a sword and wack the hell out of the plyer lol