Guest Post: Offensive Play In Lacrosse

Offensive play in Lacrosse can be rather strange. By definition you are the proactive half of the team, after all the entire game revolves around how many points the offense can score on each side. Yet most of the skills you need to be a truly good offensive player are reactive in nature. It takes more than some uniforms from LacrosseMonkey to make an offensive player. To simplify things, a good offensive player needs to master two skills: dodging and passing.

Dodging is a bit of a misleading title. Yes, dodging plays a huge role in being on the offense. Every single offensive player should know at least three dodges if they want to be a successful player on the field. Even simple dodges such as the roll dodge where you roll around your opponent or the change-of-direction dodge which is exactly what it sounds like are invaluable for pushing through the defensive line. But really what this skill is all about is playing the defense.

When you don't have the ball or a chance to receive it, dodging is the wrong thing to do. Instead, push whoever is marking you so they can't get somewhere where the ball can be. You need to either leave the defense behind or keep them right in front of you, and knowing when to do which can be challenging.

Though it may seem proactive, passing is in fact an incredibly reactive act. When you pass, you need to have as perfect information of the field as possible, and react to every person out on it. Even if someone seems open, if you don't instantly take in what would happen if you pass the ball to them they could be intercepted, and you'll lose control of the situation.

But there are situations where passing the ball is the wrong move to make, such as when the recipient is five feet from the goal where they will be battered by defenders no matter how open they seem right then. Remember to react to everything, keep your head up and eyes open, and you will make a great offensive play.

In the end offense will always be where the game revolves, but that doesn't mean that an offensive player can do whatever they want and just have the field shift for them. A good lacrosse player must react to the field as it develops and keep their eyes and mind sharp.