5 Box Lacrosse Catching Drills: From Soft Feeds to Pressure

You cut into an opening, receive a short pass and have a defender nearby. The task is not just to keep the ball off the floor: it is to catch in control, protect the stick and be ready for the next action.

These catching drills build toward that situation. Start with predictable feeds, then add movement, a return pass and interception pressure. The distances and rep targets below are suggested practice settings—adjust them to the players’ control.

Set up the catch first

For a basic shoulder-height feed:

• Put your top hand near the throat, where the stick head joins the shaft, and your bottom hand near the butt end.
• Present the open face of the head toward the passer as a target.
• Track the ball into the pocket.
• Let the stick move back with the arriving ball rather than stabbing at it.

That last movement is what coaches mean by soft hands. The Canadian Lacrosse Association’s Community Coach Initiation box manual teaches this sequence and identifies hitting at the ball and twirling the stick instead of cushioning it as common faults. When passing back, slide the top hand down the shaft into your throwing position.

Use your program’s required protective equipment, including helmet, face protection and gloves, and a clear practice area away from the boards. Keep every drill here non-contact: no body checks or stick checks. A coach should supervise group work.

1. Hand-fed pocket catches

Setup: One receiver and one feeder, roughly 2–3 metres apart, with a ball. The feeder throws by hand so the receiver does not have to compensate for an inconsistent stick pass.

Action: Toss a gentle underhand lob that drops in front of the receiver’s shoulder. The receiver shows a target, watches the ball enter and cushions it. Reset between catches. Gradually flatten the arc as control improves.

Checkpoint: The ball settles in the pocket without a jab or an immediate stick twirl. Try ten feeds with each hand on top.

Make it easier: Use a soft training ball and a gentle bounce feed before returning to lobs. The box initiation manual recommends hand-thrown feeds for beginners and a progression from rolling and bouncing balls to lobbed and direct passes.

2. Move, show a target, catch

Setup: Put two cones about 2 metres apart. The receiver starts between them; a partner stands 3–4 metres in front.

Action: The receiver moves toward one cone, turns toward the feeder and presents the stick. Feed only after the target is visible. Start with the receiver stopping for the catch, then progress to catching while walking and jogging. Alternate directions.

Checkpoint: The receiver keeps watching the ball through the catch instead of looking toward the next cone early. The feeder puts it within comfortable reach, not behind the moving player.

Progression: After securing the ball, the receiver turns to put the body between the stick and an imaginary defender before passing back. Keep the head controlled rather than leaving it extended after the catch. For the feeder’s mechanics, see how to pass in box lacrosse.

3. Triangle catch-and-pass

Setup: Three players form a triangle with sides around 3–4 metres long. Use one ball.

Action: Pass around the triangle. Each receiver presents a target, cushions the catch, turns toward the next teammate and passes. Begin with enough time to settle the ball; then remove unnecessary extra cradles. Reverse direction halfway through.

Checkpoint: Count a clean sequence only when all three players catch and deliver a usable next pass. A bobble followed by a rushed throw is a reset, not a successful repetition.

Progression: Let receivers take one or two steps into open space before showing their sticks. Do not demand one-touch passing until ordinary catches are dependable.

4. Give-and-go return catch

Setup: A feeder stands high on one side of the attacking end—farther from the goal than the receiver. The receiver starts lower on that same side, outside the crease. Mark a short cutting lane with cones; no goalie is needed.

Action: The receiver passes to the feeder, moves into the marked opening, shows the stick and catches the return. Finish by protecting the ball and passing back. Run one cutter at a time, then practise from the other side.

Checkpoint: The cutter looks back and presents a target before the return pass leaves. If the opening disappears, the feeder holds the ball rather than forcing it.

Progression: Add a defender who shadows the cutter without contact or interfering with the pass. The box manual’s give-and-go progression similarly adds a defender to practise footwork and staying between the cutter and the goal, without disrupting the passing.

5. Three-on-one keep-away

Setup: Three attackers and one defender in a roughly 6-by-6-metre square, away from the boards. Enlarge it if players cannot find clear passing lanes.

Action: Attackers move to offer targets and keep possession. The defender may intercept passes but may not check bodies or sticks. Rotate the defender every 30–45 seconds.

Checkpoint: Count five consecutive controlled catches. Watch whether receivers move out from behind the defender and secure the ball before looking for the next pass.

Progression: Add a practice-only three-second possession limit. Remove it if it produces hurried throws rather than useful decisions.

Run a short catching block

After warming up, allow about three minutes each for drills 1–3, four minutes for give-and-goes and four minutes for keep-away, with brief transitions.

Use eight controlled catches from ten catchable feeds as a practical checkpoint before adding difficulty—not a formal standard. Track poor feeds separately from receiving mistakes. If control falls away, reduce speed or pressure.

Practise the basic catches with both hands, but advance by readiness rather than age; the Canadian box coaching progression explicitly makes those distinctions. When training alone, use the wall-ball routine for repeatable catches, then return to partner work for moving targets and defensive reads.