A 60-Minute Box Lacrosse Practice for Passing Under Pressure

A receiver catches near the boards, but a defender closes the route to goal. The next useful action might be a short pass and a cut—not a longer cradle into traffic.

Build this box lacrosse practice around one objective: catch under control, find a clear passing lane, then move to offer another option. It suits players who can already pass and catch at short range, including field players preparing for indoor play. For first-time stick users, start with the box-ready beginner practice. For a broader session covering picks and transition too, use the complete box lacrosse drills plan.

Setup and schedule

Use 12 runners, one properly equipped box goalie, one goal, cones, balls, pinnies and a timer. Work on a half-floor, with passing areas outside the shooting lane. A coach supervises; an assistant helps manage the groups and goalie warm-up. Adapt distances and pace to the players’ age, size and readiness.

Before starting, inspect the surface, boards, doors, goal, sticks and protective equipment. Confirm the age group’s required gear and competition rules, and have an emergency action plan. For this session, defenders use positioning and interceptions only: no body checks, stick checks or contact picks. Leave room to stop before the boards. Keep spare balls and waiting players out of active lanes, and allow only one shooting repetition at a time.

The Canadian Lacrosse Association’s Community Coach Initiation—Box Lacrosse manual recommends a specific practice objective, progressive activities, minimal waiting, a warm-up and a cool-down. The schedule below is a suggested session using those principles, not an official prescribed plan. See the planning guidance, Module 7.

Time	Activity	Main checkpoint
0–8 minutes	Movement and stick warm-up	Balanced stops; awareness of nearby players
8–18 minutes	Partner passing on the move	Present a target before the pass
18–28 minutes	Three-on-one keep-away	Move out of the defender’s passing shadow
28–30 minutes	Water and reset	Clear the shooting lane
30–42 minutes	Two-on-one to goal	Read the defender rather than force a pass
42–55 minutes	Three-on-three possessions	Pass, relocate and offer support
55–60 minutes	Cool-down and review	Identify one useful decision

Take additional water breaks as needed; shorten a main activity rather than rushing the warm-up. The activity blocks include explanations and rotations.

0–8 minutes: Warm up without congestion

Start with easy jogging, side shuffles, controlled direction changes and shoulder rotations. Gradually increase the pace. Then give each runner a ball and ask them to carry it through open space, stop under control and change direction.

Finish with pairs: one rolls a ball a short distance, the other scoops and returns it. Alternate roles. Meanwhile, the goalie completes a movement warm-up and controlled feeds with the assistant, separate from the runners.

Checkpoint: Players can stop without drifting into another pair. If they cannot, increase spacing before increasing speed.

8–18 minutes: Catch, pass and relocate

Set up six pairs in separate lanes, initially about four metres apart. Begin stationary, then have receivers take two or three lateral steps into open space before each catch. After passing, the passer relocates too.

Use one catching cue: show the pocket, watch the ball in, cushion it back. Ontario Lacrosse’s entry-level manual teaches presenting the stick as a target and bringing it back as the ball enters, rather than hitting at the ball. See its catching fundamentals.

Checkpoint: Count five consecutive catches that do not require a chase. Shorten the distance if passes repeatedly miss; add movement only when the pair has control. Use the catching drills progression if receiving is the limiting skill.

18–28 minutes: Make a lane in three-on-one

Create three squares, roughly six metres across, with four runners in each. Leave a buffer between squares. Three attackers keep possession against one interception-only defender. Attackers may move within the square; the defender cannot crowd or contact the ball carrier. After an interception or a ball leaving the square, restart with an attacker.

After passing, move to a new angle. If the defender stands between you and the ball, step sideways until the passer can see a clear route to your pocket. Rotate the defender every 45 seconds, with a brief reset between rounds.

Checkpoint: Watch the two attackers without the ball. At least one should move to offer a clear lane rather than remain hidden behind the defender. Enlarge the square or slow the defender if possession ends before players can make decisions.

30–42 minutes: Read a two-on-one

Use the same groups of four, now rotating through one shooting lane. Each repetition has two attackers, one defender and one feeder. The feeder starts the ball, then stays clear. End the repetition after a shot or turnover, or after about ten seconds without either. Rotate roles after each repetition; the next group enters only when the lane is clear and the goalie is ready.

Attack from above the crease—the marked area around the goal—and keep attackers outside it for this drill. The ball carrier advances under control while the teammate stays available to receive:

• If the defender closes toward the carrier, pass through the open lane.
• If the defender stays with the receiver, take the available shot.
• If neither option is clear, retain possession rather than throw through the defender.

Ontario Lacrosse’s U11 practice plans use this same basic two-on-one read: draw the defender, or shoot when the defender does not challenge the carrier. See the half-floor drill guidance.

Checkpoint: Ask, “What did the defender give you?” Judge the choice separately from whether the shot scores.

42–55 minutes: Test it in three-on-three

Split into two teams of six, with three from each team active. Mark a top boundary with cones and keep waiting players outside the playing area. Use 45-second shifts and brief water/reset breaks. The coach starts each possession above the crease, alternating which team attacks.

After a shot, save, turnover or ball leaving the area, stop play. On a turnover, the player who won possession makes an unopposed outlet pass to the coach before the restart. This keeps the game contained on one half-floor. Keep attackers outside the crease and maintain the session’s no-checking restriction.

Do not require a fixed number of passes before shooting. Instead, watch whether a passer moves to offer another option and whether teammates avoid bunching around the ball.

Checkpoint: Track successful pass-and-relocate actions over several possessions. If play repeatedly collapses into dropped catches, return briefly to three-on-one rather than adding more pressure.

55–60 minutes: Review the decision

Walk, ease the intensity down and gather the group. Ask players to describe one moment when moving after a pass opened a lane. Record the main obstacle—catching, spacing or reading the defender—and use that to choose the next practice’s focus.