Offensive Material
I’ve been pretty redundant these last few weeks. Let’s get to a little X’s and O’s for a change. As a former defenseman there is one thing I know for sure; I love coaching offense. I think it’s because I spent my entire playing career trying to learn about them in order to figure out how to stop them. When I coach offense, I think like a defenseman. I think what a defense would do under normal circumstances to stop an offensive, and try to build offenses around what a “good” defense would do to counter it. It’s really not as complicated as it sounds, but it does feel like a little game of chess in my head which makes it fun.
What makes a good offense? Well, I will dive into some of the popular nuances of the offenses a lot of colleges are turning to these days. But it is simple really; if you want a great offense, you need great players. It doesn’t have to be super complicated. It really is the jimmies and the joes, not the x’s and o’s. Coach Mark Stapor has some great offensive blogs that detail offensive scheme and install that are worth checking out. But if you have the right players, you can run whatever offense you want. You aren’t limited by much. You can play fast in space, or slow and deliberate. You can play out of a ton of sets, or can be deadly with one system. You can play free and flow in and out of different looks, or rigid and disciplined hunting specific options. If you have guys that can shoot inside and outside, feed while moving their feet, handle the ball, and most importantly, dodge, you can run whatever you like. The trick is to put your players in a system that works for all six of them. If you do, they will buy into it.
The popular term around the college game today is what is known is a “principles based offense.” This is most definitely a buzz term that coaches like to throw around, which is fine. I think someone somewhere coined the term, and all the O-coordinators out there were like, “oooh yea that is catchy, I am going to use that in all our offensive meetings, etc, etc.” I am guilty of it, every coach is. We all go to the buzz word bank from time to time. A coaching buddy once asked me if I ran a “backer zone.” I knew backer zones existed in the women’s game but wasn’t sure exactly how to run it in the men’s game with 6 men vs 7. So I asked him how he defined and backer zone. He couldn’t. He was asking me hoping I knew what it was. We laughed about it. We were talking about something we had no clue what it even was. But that was a good conversation, because it led me to research what a backer zone was, and if what we were running was a backer zone all along or not. Turns out it wasn’t but we have a pretty effective backer zone now as a result of that discussion. But I think this particular term is very interesting. A principles based offense is an offense based on principles, as opposed to an offense based on…hypotheses? Theories? Hypotheticals? I’m being facetious, of course. I just find the term to be funny. A principle is just a guiding foundation. The dictionary defines a principle as a fundamental truth, a basis for belief or for a chain of reasoning, or a generic scientific theorem or law. So I guess I find it funny when I hear people say that they are shifting towards a principles based offense, when I think all offenses are, well…principles based offenses. I think I have even said it myself, before giving this more critical thought. I think the term is just meant to mean that principles will be used instead of hard rules, or offenses that are based more on set plays and specific motions. There are motion offenses designed to flow specifically one way and you chose the appropriate option in accordance to what the defense does. If I am wrong on any of this, please let me know in the comments. The best architect of the ‘principles based offense,’ is Jamie Munro. You should look google his podcast on his principles that he bases his motion offense around. It is one of the best offensive guides that I could recommend. I have learned a lot about offense from his videos and podcasts.
So now that we know what we are talking about, we can go deeper into what it principles you want to base your offense around. We like to run pairs at UD, which most colleges I would say at least have 1 pairs set that they operate out of. It makes sense to me with the shot clock. To me the pairs is the easiest set to “play out of.” That is a term I use a lot. What it means is we have an initial motion, like most offenses do, and as long as you understand the “pairs” concept, whatever decision you make, you can keep the offense flowing, and not the let the ball die, or have to reset the wheels and start over. I won’t go too deep into our principles, but we practice on a daily basis the following: step down shooting, sweeping to the middle, 2-man game with the pick/slip, wing dodging, fading and shallow cutting. If we can master some of these principles, we can run our basic package with extreme efficiency.
Next are the sets. Now this is always fun, how different players and coaches define their sets. Is it a 2-3-1 or a 1-3-2? I always count from the back. It’s however you were taught. I don’t think it’s a geographic thing which I hear all the time. I came from upstate New York so I count from X, backwards to forwards, 1-3-2. Now it really doesn’t matter, as long as your players know what you are talking about. I know upstate guys that say 2-3-1 and long island and Maryland people that say both as well. It really doesn’t matter, like I said. But for pairs I like (counting backwards starting from behind the goal) the 1-3-2, 2-2-2, and 2-3-1
1-3-2 2-2-2 2-3-1 (3-high middies)
X X X X X
X X X X X
X X X X X X
X X
Each set can be used with 3 pairs working and operating together and independently. You will have 1 on-ball pair, and 2 off-ball pairs. If you have slick wing dodgers or great pickers and slippers, the 1-3-2 could work great. Look up Pat Scarpello’s tiger pairs offense on YouTube if you want to learn how to operate pairs with 1-3-2 set. It is really educational. If you have big middies or guys that can get downhill with speed, the 2-3-1 (3-high middie) set could be good to get them space to operate. Long dodge the alley and pop the crease. Look up the cuse offense, or dodge/follow/float video by Patrick with Powlax, also on Youtube. My favorite set is the 2-2-2. I think it is the easiest offensive set to teach, especially for youth lacrosse. I Like how clearly defined the pairs are just based on the shape of the set. I also love how the shape of it allows for ease of dodging, which in turn also makes it easier for your off-ball players, if some of your guys don’t have great off-ball IQ. This is the perfect set for that, because it allows space for your dodgers but makes off-ball play easier as well. I like how the allies and middle are open to allow space for sweeps and alley dodges, without the clutter of guys getting in the way or having to move quickly. Like I said, if you are teaching young players at the youth level that haven’t developed great IQ yet, the 2-2-2 is the way to go. I didn’t mention the 1-4-1 (which is the same counting from behind or up top). You can run pairs out of this set as well. If you have a box background, I like this set where you pop and pair players off the crease and use simple exchanges off-ball to occupy defenders. Slippery wing dodgers and Canadian style box players thrive in this set.
Hopefully, I gave some food for thought on some things that you can afford to work on every day in practice, and some simple ideas for a pairs look that everyone can use, from youth all the way up to college. No matter the level, simplicity is key. The more complicated things get, the more opportunity there is to break down. All it takes is for 1 guy out of 6 to not understand the system to allow the offense to stall out. RIT back in their 2021 championship year ran the simplest offense you can imagine. It was a pairs offense that they make look complex because of how fast they play and how quick they zip the ball and shoot. But it was so simple and so deadly. They had the right players and the right system to make them terrifying to try and defend. So none of what I said is revelatory, but if is sparks some inspiration, then I have gained what I have hoped to achieve.
https://www.jm3sports.com/blog/a-lacrosse-weekend-2-27-21
KASEY BURST
The HC at the University of Dubuque, Kasey brings all things college lacrosse to your inbox.