5 Fun Lacrosse Drills for a Box-Ready Practice

A player catches a short pass, sees a defender close the lane and moves the ball to a teammate. That is the kind of decision these fun lacrosse drills put into play—without needing a full scrimmage or a goalie.

Use them as non-contact practice games for newcomers or field players getting comfortable indoors. Each has a simple score, frequent turns and a checkpoint that matters more than winning.

The Canadian Lacrosse Association’s Community Coach Initiation—Box Lacrosse manual, written for coaches of young beginners, recommends progressing from individual challenges to cooperative games and small-sided play, adapting rules to players’ abilities. The games below follow that approach; their dimensions, scoring and time limits are practice suggestions, not official box rules. (CLA coaching manual, Module 1)

Before you start

Bring sticks, balls, cones, team bibs and a timer. No goal is required. Use a clear, dry playing surface and mark boundaries well away from boards, doors and other groups.

Have a qualified coach supervise and confirm the equipment required by your program, including protective gear even for these non-contact activities. Choose a ball appropriate to the group. No body checks, stick checks, pushing or contact picks in these games. Stop play if players collide or crowd the boundary.

For a larger squad, duplicate stations rather than build long lines. Players who cannot yet pass and catch comfortably can start with these beginner lacrosse drills.

1. Mirror mission

Setup: Work in pairs, each player with a ball. Give each pair roughly a 4-by-4-metre area. Players face one another about two metres apart.

Play: One player leads with short lateral steps, forward movement and retreats while cradling. The partner mirrors the movement without closing the gap. Run 20-second turns, then switch leaders and rest briefly.

Score: Earn one shared point when both players finish a turn with possession and safe spacing. Try to beat the pair’s previous total over four turns.

Checkpoint: Players keep their eyes up often enough to follow the partner, rather than watching the pocket throughout. Encourage balanced steps, not sudden lunges.

Adjust: Begin at walking pace. Add one change of direction per turn before increasing speed. This connects stick control with movement without introducing checking.

2. Scoop-and-deliver challenge

Setup: In groups of three, mark a start cone, a loose-ball spot about three metres away and a receiver cone another three metres beyond it, slightly to one side. One player scoops, one receives and one resets the ball.

Play: The scooper runs to the stationary ball, gathers it and passes to the receiver. Rotate roles after every attempt. Keep only one ball active in each lane.

Score: One point requires both a controlled scoop and a completed pass. Count the group’s points in 60 seconds; rest, then try again.

Checkpoint: The player moves through the pickup and gets balanced before passing. A fast run followed by a dropped ball earns no point.

Adjust: Let beginners walk through the sequence. Once it is repeatable, have the resetter gently roll the ball across the pickup spot. Keep adjacent lanes separate—this is not a contested loose-ball race.

3. Moving-gate passing

Setup: For each pair, make three cone gates, each about two metres wide, scattered through an 8-by-8-metre area. Use one ball per pair.

Play: The receiver moves into a gate and shows a stick target. The passer delivers a catchable pass, then moves to a different gate to receive the return. Players must stop or slow enough to pass under control.

Score: Count completed catches at gates for 60 seconds. Players cannot use the same gate on consecutive passes.

Checkpoint: The receiver presents a target before the pass, and the passer looks before releasing. The game should reward communication, not chasing hurried throws.

Adjust: Widen gates and shorten passing distances if catches break down. For a progression, the receiver catches while moving through the gate rather than waiting inside it.

4. Three-on-one keep-away

Setup: Put three attackers and one defender in an approximately 8-by-8-metre square. The defender may intercept passes but cannot check sticks or bodies.

Play: Attackers pass and reposition to offer clear lanes. Start with a generous five-second possession limit. Rotate the defender every 30 seconds, regardless of the score. After a drop, interception, out-of-bounds ball or holding-limit violation, restart with an attacker and reset the pass count.

Score: Three consecutive completed passes earn one point; begin a new count while keeping play moving. The defender counts interceptions separately.

Checkpoint: After passing, a player moves to become available again. Watch for two receivers standing behind the same defender—one should change the angle.

Adjust: Enlarge the square if the defender shuts down every possession. Reduce the holding limit only when players can already catch and find a teammate reliably. For extra preparation, use these box-ready passing drills.

5. Three-on-three end-zone game

Setup: Mark a rectangle roughly 15 metres long by 10 metres wide, with a two-metre-deep end zone at each end. Split six players into two teams. There is no shooting or checking; defenders may intercept passes only.

Play: Teams attack opposite end zones. Score by completing a pass to a teammate who catches inside the attacking end zone. Limit possession to five seconds per player. An interception changes possession immediately. For a drop, out-of-bounds ball or holding-limit violation, stop play and give the other team a restart at that spot, inside the boundary, with defenders at least two metres away. Do not contest loose balls in this version. After a score, the other team restarts from its own end zone while opponents retreat to halfway.

Score: One point per end-zone catch. Play two-minute rounds with rest between them. Award a bonus point if all three teammates touched the ball during the scoring possession.

Checkpoint: Players create width and time their runs into the end zone rather than waiting there throughout. The ball carrier looks for a clear lane instead of forcing a pass through a defender.

Adjust: Add a neutral helper who always plays with the team in possession if neither team can connect passes. These are modified practice rules, not a substitute for your competition’s rules.

A simple 35-minute session

Allow five minutes for an easy movement warm-up, then run mirror mission for four minutes, scoop-and-deliver for five, moving gates for five, keep-away for six and end-zone play for eight. Reserve two minutes for water and transitions; drill blocks include explanations, rotations and brief rests. Add breaks whenever the group needs them rather than rushing to keep the schedule.

If a game repeatedly stalls, change one thing: distance, space or defensive pressure. USA Lacrosse’s coaching guidance favors age-appropriate stations and games over imposing advanced drills on players still learning the basics. (USA Lacrosse) Let the group repeat a successful version before making it harder.