Positionless Defense: Building a defense in modern lacrosse
The game of lacrosse is evolving, and offenses are leading the charge.
Sliding in lacrosse involves sending an additional defender to defend the ball carrier and is a fundamental element of any man-to-man defense. While many teams use a crease slide, others may slide and support from an adjacent defender.
There are reasons for choosing one over the other in different scenarios; however, this article won’t dive deeply into these specific slide strategies or packages. Instead, this piece will provide a broader perspective on sliding fundamentals. As a young player, I struggled with sliding and decision-making. Now, as a coach, I see that many defenders still find these concepts challenging.
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Before diving into sliding, it’s important to understand the context of positionless lacrosse. This term has become popular in the modern game as offenses have shifted towards more fluid, principle-based systems. These systems are less structured and more unpredictable. Consequently, great defenses must thrive in this unpredictability. For a more detailed discussion, check out my previous post on positionless defense here.
In today’s post, I’ll focus on one critical aspect of defense in a positionless environment: sliding. Every defense has a plan around how they want to support the ball (ie, slide). However, given the fluid and unpredictable nature of offenses, it is challenging to over script sliding. Great slides are instinctive reads that players must make in the flow of the game. Given the uncertainty of a positionless environment, getting the core principles of an effective slide down are all the more important.
A great slide starts with a great stance. In fact, nearly every defensive concept starts with the stance. A proper stance is the foundation for executing off-ball or on-ball defense effectively. If a player’s stance is poor, they’ll often be late and reactive, rather than anticipatory and proactive. Your stance signals your readiness to make the next play.
This principle was ingrained in me during my time at Maryland and has been reinforced by many college coaches I've interacted with. Johns Hopkins Defensive Coordinator Jamison Koesterer breaks down a proper off-ball stance into three things: knee bend, stick position, and head turns. This approach is straightforward yet comprehensive, providing a solid foundation for an effective stance.
Coach Koesterer's 3 Keys to Off-Ball Posture
Koesterer refers to this overall positioning as “posture.” He suggests evaluating these three components on a scale of A to F. Is your knee bend an A, or a C? Is your stick position a B, or an F? This grading system helps players focus on key elements and provides a clear way for coaches to assess execution.
The above is a clip from Coach Koesterer’s webinar in our premium community. Watch the full webinar on off-ball defense here.
In my opinion, stance is one of the most controllable aspects of defensive play and should be a non-negotiable standard for any defense. We can hold units accountable to their stance when they are on the field. Coaches may elaborate on these components as needed, but most effective stances include these fundamentals. Other cues I’ve heard include: “linebacker stance,” “loaded stick,” “athletic posture,” or “bouncy with head turns.” The exact terminology varies, but the principles remain the same: a strong stance sets you up for success.
Watch the violent posture in this Syracuse sliding drill above from Coach Odierna's webinar with us.
As we move to a slide specific stance, we want to build on the fundamentals of a good stance by adding the concept of "leverage to the dodge". This concept, harped on consistently to us by Coach Joe Amplo at the 2023 World Games, is key to effective sliding.
Leverage to the dodge means ensuring you have an unobstructed “slide tunnel” (ie, path) from your position to where you intend to slide. Establishing this leverage often requires maneuvering around the player you’re guarding to get ballside of them and create a direct path to the dodger. Sliding without first securing leverage will almost always make you late, and it also gives the dodger more time to read the play. To make our slides as short and efficient as possible, we must establish leverage before the dodge begins.
Tips for Establishing Leverage to the Dodge:
Watch this video of Shawn Lyght from Notre Dame establishing good leverage to the ball and slide posture before the fire on a clear through.
One of the most challenging aspects for players is deciding when to slide. As a player, I remember how difficult this was, and it’s something I see many players continue to struggle with.
The key to effective sliding is recognizing when the dodger has entered a dangerous area of the field. Every defense defines these areas differently, but it typically revolves around the high-percentage scoring area—12-14 yards in front of the goal and between the hashes. Knowing these landmarks will help defenders anticipate rather than react.
Former Maryland defensive coordinator and now Michigan head coach Kevin Conry used to emphasize that sliding is more about where the ball is on the field than where the defender is on the dodger. While body positioning matters, many players get caught up in individual matchups and fail to recognize where the real threat is developing. When dodgers get into certain areas of the field, we should be on high alert.
Slide Decision Framework To simplify the decision-making process, I recommend a three-part framework:
This framework helps narrow down the information players need to process and allows them to anticipate better, rather than react. As players develop, they gain a natural feel for these elements and can make quicker, more effective decisions. Watch this breakdown of Will Schaller from Maryland executing a great slide using this framework.
Now that you have a foundational understanding of stance, technique, and decision-making, let’s look at some specific tips for executing effective slides:
Effective sliding in lacrosse is a combination of good technique, smart decision-making, and precise execution. While stance and leverage are foundational, learning when and how to slide requires a deeper understanding of defensive principles and continuous practice.
It is important to drill these multiple pieces of sliding with our players in many different environments. Force players to read body language, make decisions and re-establish leverage to the ball as it moves. This "lone wolf sliding drill" is one great example of a drilling environment for some of these concepts. We should also challenge ourselves as coaches to create drills that really stress the recognition and decision making piece of sliding. We want to couple our players' actions with their ability to perceive the environment as much as possible.
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