4 Power Play Practice Drills for Box Lacrosse

A five-on-four power play gives the offense an extra runner—but passing around the outside does not automatically create an open shot. Practise making a defender commit, finding the player that commitment frees, and staying organized after the shot.

These four power play practice drills build from an unopposed five-player unit to live possessions against four defenders. They adapt the coaching concepts linked below; the suggested timings make a 28-minute block after your regular player and goalie warm-up.

Set up the power-play unit

Use one attacking end, a marked crease, a goal, balls, pinnies and a timer. The full progression needs five attackers, four defenders and a properly equipped, trained box goalie. Add a fifth defender for the penalty-expiry variation.

Start the attackers in five spots:

• Point: high in the middle, farther from the goal.
• Two shooters: one on each side, below the point.
• Two crease players: lower on each side of the goal, outside the crease.

This is a common five-on-four setup, not the only power-play formation. Laxlife’s power-play coaching guide describes these assigned roles and the use of both set plays and read-based offense.

Use full required protective equipment and coach supervision. Begin with non-contact positional defense; add only contact permitted by the players’ rules and readiness. Keep spare balls and waiting groups out of shooting lanes.

Keep two clocks separate: the shot clock limits a possession; the penalty clock limits the manpower advantage. Under World Lacrosse’s 2026–2028 box rules, the shot clock is 30 seconds and a minor penalty lasts two minutes. In a five-on-four situation caused by a single minor, a goal by the team with the advantage ends that penalty early. Use your league’s timing and youth modifications for live practice.

1. Five-player passing with a shooting threat — 4 minutes

Setup: Put five attackers in the power-play spots with no defenders. Choose spacing that allows accurate passes without crowding the middle.

Action: Start at the point and pass to adjacent players around the formation, returning the ball to the point. On each catch, the receiver looks at the goal with the stick ready to pass or shoot—not already turned toward the next teammate. Receivers adjust a step to present a clear target.

After the ball returns to the point, reverse direction. On the coach’s “attack” call, the next receiver takes a controlled shot if balanced and ready; otherwise, they move the ball to a ready teammate. Reset after that shot. Rotate players through the high and low spots.

Passing “around the horn” is a common power-play preparation, but not a requirement before every shot. Laxlife’s team-offense guidance also describes quicker triggers for starting a play.

Checkpoint: Can each player catch while facing the goal and deliver the next pass without an unnecessary cradle? If catches repeatedly break down, shorten the passes or use the box passing progression first.

2. High three-on-two: draw and pass — 6 minutes

Setup: Keep the point and two shooters. Place two defenders between them and the goal, with the goalie behind. This isolates the high three-on-two opportunity within a five-on-four attack against a four-player box defense.

Action: Begin at the point. The ball carrier moves toward a credible shooting lane, forcing the defenders to choose whether to step out or protect the other attackers.

• If a defender commits to the ball, pass to the teammate they have left available.
• If both defenders stay back and a clear shooting lane opens, take the shot.
• If neither option is clean, reverse the ball and make the defense adjust again.

Start with defenders walking and blocking passing lanes without checking. Progress to live non-contact movement. End each repetition after a shot, interception or dropped ball, then change the starting ball position.

This adapts Laxlife’s “draw and dump” power-play concept: threaten the goal to pull a defender out of position, then find the open teammate.

Checkpoint: Did the pass exploit a defender’s movement, or did the attacker pass simply because it was someone else’s turn? Off-ball players should maintain useful width rather than drift toward the ball.

3. Five-on-four skip pass, cut and fill — 8 minutes

Setup: Restore all five attackers. Arrange four defenders with two high and two low. Walk through the action without defense before adding positional pressure.

Action: The point sends a skip pass—a pass that bypasses an adjacent teammate—to a low crease player. As it leaves the point’s stick, the shooter opposite the receiver cuts through the middle, staying outside the crease.

The low receiver reads the cutter first. Feed only if the passing lane is clear. If the defense follows the cut, the point moves toward the vacated shooter spot as a return-pass option. If neither option produces a clean shot, reset: the point returns high, the low receiver fills the vacated shooter spot, and the cutter clears the middle into that receiver’s former low spot. Move the ball again.

This is a practice adaptation of Laxlife’s skip-pass, cut and fill power plays, which include a reset when the initial options are covered.

Checkpoint: Does the cut begin with the initiating pass, and does the cutter clear the middle when not fed? Do not reward a forced pass just because the pattern was completed.

4. Live power-play possessions — 10 minutes

Setup: Play five attackers against four defenders and a goalie. Simulate a single minor penalty: assign a coach or assistant to the shot clock and a separate two-minute penalty timer. Leave recovery and feedback time between rounds.

Action: Start with offensive possession at the point. Allow the attackers to use the high three-on-two read or the cut-and-fill action rather than requiring one fixed sequence. Play rebounds outside the crease and use your competition’s shot-clock reset rules. A shot-clock violation gives possession to the defense.

On defensive possession, the defenders try to complete an outlet toward a marked target near center. The attackers must react: protect against the breakout before committing extra players to pressure the ball. After a successful outlet, return the ball to the attacking end for another possession. For this one-end drill, let the penalty timer continue through those resets.

End the round on a power-play goal or penalty expiry. Laxlife recommends two-minute power-play versus short-handed practice intervals.

Progression: Instead of stopping at penalty expiry, have a fifth defender enter from the designated penalty-box location. Continue briefly, with the shot clock still active, so the offense must recognize that the extra-player advantage is gone.

Checkpoint: Track clean shooting opportunities, forced-pass turnovers and unprotected outlets—not just goals. Between rounds, correct the most frequent failure before adding another play.