6 beginner lacrosse drills for control, passing and quick decisions

Start with scooping, carrying and short passes, then connect those skills to movement and a simple decision. In a crowded box-lacrosse attack, catching a pass is only the first job: you also need to find an open teammate or prepare a shot without losing control.

These six lacrosse drills for beginners progress from unopposed practice to non-contact passing pressure. The distances, repetitions and checkpoints below are suggested starting points—not official tests. Shorten a pass or slow a drill whenever control breaks down.

Set up before you start

Use a clear, dry playing area, sticks, balls and cones. For shooting, use a secured goal with a suitable backstop. Wear your program’s required protective equipment, and have a coach supervise group work. Keep all six drills non-contact: no body checks, stick checks or contested scoops near the boards.

Begin in a comfortable ready position: bottom hand near the butt end, top hand about one-third of the way down the shaft from the head, and stick head slightly in front of your shoulder at eye level. The Canadian Lacrosse Association’s Community Coach Initiation box manual teaches this position as the starting point for catching.

1. Scoop and exit

Setup: Place a ball on the floor, with a cone three metres beyond it. Give each player a separate lane.

Action: Approach at walking speed. Slide your top hand near the throat—the junction between the head and shaft. Step beside the ball, bend your knees, bring the butt end low and scoop through the ball rather than poking down at it. Continue toward the cone, bringing the stick back up under control. Walk back and reset. Take five repetitions before adding a gentle jog.

Checkpoint: Pick up four of five balls on the first attempt and carry each to the cone without dropping it.

Make it harder: Have a partner roll the ball slowly into your lane. Do not add an opponent yet.

The low handle and movement through the ball follow the scooping fundamentals in the CLA box coaching manual. If the scoop keeps missing, lower your body rather than reaching farther with straight legs.

2. Cradle, look and stop

Setup: Make a four-metre lane with a cone at each end. Start with a ball in your stick.

Action: Walk between the cones while cradling—a controlled rocking action that keeps the ball in the pocket. Keep your top hand near the throat and your bottom hand loose enough for the shaft to rotate. Coordinate your top wrist with your arm movement, keeping your arms close to your body, as taught in the CLA manual’s cradling fundamentals. At each cone, stop, look toward a partner or coach, and settle into a ready-to-pass position.

The coach can hold up fingers for the player to identify. Practising alone? Choose a fixed object ahead to look at on each trip.

Checkpoint: Complete three trips without dropping the ball and identify the visual cue without staring into the pocket.

Make it easier: Cradle while stationary first. Use a small, relaxed movement instead of swinging the whole stick.

3. Short partner passing

Setup: Stand three to four metres apart with one ball. Allow enough space around each pair for a missed pass.

Action: Show the passer your stick head as a target. Watch the ball into the pocket and let the stick give back slightly with the catch. For the return pass, turn side-on, step toward the target, rotate your hips and shoulders, and follow through toward your partner’s stick.

The CLA manual’s catching and throwing fundamentals teach cushioning the catch rather than striking at the ball, and using a step and body rotation to throw.

Checkpoint: Complete five consecutive passes that your partner can catch without chasing.

Make it easier: Move closer and use gentle feeds. If catching remains difficult, start with a small self-toss. For more receiving practice, use these box lacrosse catching drills.

4. Pass and move to open space

Setup: Three players form a triangle, roughly four metres between cones, with one ball and room outside the triangle.

Action: Pass to either teammate, then take two or three steps into nearby open space. The receiver settles the ball, looks up and finds an available stick. Keep a spread-out triangle as you move; do not run through the ball carrier’s space.

This is a simplified movement progression from the passing patterns in the CLA’s Drill & Skill Cards, which include triangle passing and passing followed by movement.

Checkpoint: Complete six passes with every passer moving afterward and every receiver showing a target.

Make it harder: Lead the receiver slightly into their movement instead of passing to where they were standing.

5. Set, aim and shoot

Setup: One shooter starts about five metres from an empty goal. Choose a visible section of the net as the target. Keep everyone else behind the shooter and clear of the shooting lane.

Action: Begin with the ball settled. Turn side-on, step toward the target, rotate through the shot and finish balanced. Use your legs and trunk rather than just your arms, following the CLA manual’s shooting fundamentals. Take five controlled overhand shots. Retrieve balls only after the coach stops shooting.

Checkpoint: Put three of five shots into the chosen section without falling forward or losing your balance. Accuracy comes before power.

Make it harder: Receive an easy pass, settle the ball, then shoot. Shorten the pause only when the catch stays reliable. See box shooting technique for the next progression.

6. Three-on-one keep-away

Setup: Four players work in a roughly six-metre square, away from the boards. Three passers spread out; one defender starts in the middle.

Action: Passers move to offer clear lanes. The defender initially walks and may intercept passes only—no checking or contact. Allow catches to settle before the next pass. Reset after a drop or interception, and rotate the defender every 45–60 seconds.

The CLA’s three-sided piggy-in-the-middle drill uses three passers and a central interceptor; this version starts with gentler pressure.

Checkpoint: Complete four passes without forcing the ball through the defender’s stick. Watch whether the two players without the ball move to help.

Make it easier: Remove the defender or enlarge the square. Add pressure before adding a strict release-time limit.

A 35-minute first session

• 4 minutes: Easy walking, jogging, stopping and direction changes.
• 20 minutes: Four minutes each on drills 1–5, including demonstrations.
• 6 minutes: Keep-away in short rounds with role changes.
• 5 minutes: Water, transitions and a few slow retries of the least controlled skill.

With only two players, replace the group drills with partner passing: pass, take two sideways steps, show your stick and receive the return. Alone, work on scooping, cradling and safe target shooting; an approved rebound wall can replace partner feeds using a beginner wall-ball routine.

Repeat a stage when its checkpoint is still inconsistent. The next challenge should be one change—movement, a longer pass or interception pressure—not all three at once. Once short passes and catches are reliable, move on to the complete box lacrosse practice progression.