LaxTV Forums | A Forum About The MCLA

I saw Michigan running this drill in st. louis a few years ago, and it seems like something that would be good for the HS team that i now coach. Please tell me if you recognize this drill and fill in some of the specifics:

The drill took place on a shortened field with two goals and teams of 4 or 5. There were a lot of transitions back and forth, and a number of players would switch out each time the ball turned over. Can you tell me any more info about this drill.

Thanks.

You're talking about either the Air Force Drill or the Army Drill (common names, but some teams use others).

We run Air Force usually as a 3 v 2 to 2 v 1 drill. Two cages 40 - 60 yards apart. Goalies in each cage with a lot of balls. 3 lines behind one cage, and 2 players waiting at the other goal to start the drill. The 3 players at the front of the lines run to the other goal and run a 3 v 2 against the 2 players waiting. When they are finished (shot, goal, turnover) whoever touched the ball last among the three runs back down to play defense, and the other 2 stay at that end. The 2 who had played defense on the 3 v 2 break out for the goalie, and run a 2 v 1 against the player who ran back. When the 2 v 1 is over, the next 3 in line head down for their 3 v 2 against the 2 who had stayed at the other end (from the original 3). And so on...

You can also set up 3 lines at each end and run it as a 3 v 2 in each direction. Just send 3 down to start the drill against 2. The difference is that the guy who touches the ball last is finished (jogs back outside the drill), and the other 2 hustle back on D while 3 from the front of the lines at the other end come down for their 3 v 2. The 2 playing D are always done after they play D.

If you run it with 4 lines as a 4 v 3 that's the Army Drill.

Great drills to get the guys moving, work on stick skills for all players, and work on finishing.

We run the same drill, and its great for wearing the guys down as practice goes also. We just call it 3 on 2 on 1, and it was my favorite drill during basketball. Its pretty nice how easily it transitions into lacrosse.

I will implement this into our practices.

We run the Air Force drill at every practice with the 8th graders I coach. We also run the following variation:

Two goals, 40-50 yards apart. A goalie and 2 d-men in each goal and line of middies at midfield. Three offensive players attack one goal, when the possession ends (goal, turn-over. shot...) the defensive player closest to the ball hits the next middie at midfield with an outlet pass. The two defensive players fill the wings on a fast break. Two of the three offensive players then stay at the goal and play defense and it's a continuous 3-on-2 drill.

We try to get the outlet pass plus 2-3 more passes in transition. With young players (pre-high school), if you can complete 2-3 passes in transition I think you'll be ahead of a lot of other teams.

We ran this drill at the end of practice full field as our conditioning also