Every offensive and defensive player exhibits attributes that make their style of play unique. Some defensemen are aggressive and physical, while others are more cautious and deliberate with their actions. Many goalies rely on positioning and fundamentals, while others are successful at being pure acrobats in the cage. Similarly, offensive players (attackmen and midfielders) have differing styles on the lacrosse field.

Most offensive players, however, exhibit one similar trait when playing lacrosse – most prefer to be playing with the ball in their stick, than without it. Playing without the ball, “off-ball,” is often overlooked by players, but is a critical part of being a good lacrosse player.

Defining an “Off-ball” Player

In the game of lacrosse, all offensive players need to operate both with and without the ball in their stick. There is, however, a prevailing attitude among players, especially those less experienced, that being a great offensive player requires one to have the ball in his stick. This is simply not the case. There are plenty of successful players who contribute to offensive production by primarily playing off-ball. A pure “off-ball” player recognizes the many scoring opportunities that exist without the ball. An off ball player usually operates in front of the crease area, rarely dodging from the perimeter. Scoring for an off ball player comes from teammates’ assists since he rarely generates goals solely on his own, and instead helps his team by providing a goal-scoring option without a demand to carry the ball himself.

Regardless of whether you are a “pure off-ball player” or not, it is necessary to work on the skills of playing well without the ball since no player has the ball at all times. Understanding how to play without the ball is critical to being a successful offensive lacrosse player since it balances your game, no matter how much you excel at dodging and moving with the ball.

My Style of Play

When I started playing lacrosse in seventh grade, I was like all my middle school teammates. I wanted to dodge to create personal scoring opportunities, and I rarely looked to pass. I often stood around and watched as my teammates tried to beat their defenseman in a one-on-one situation. Although I had a knack for scoring back then, I certainly did not consider myself an off-ball player.

During the next few years, as I worked toward playing on our high-school varsity squad, I began to recognize my greatest strengths as a player. My lack of quickness and pure speed along with my physical inferiority--I am somewhat small in size--contributed to my evolution as a more off-ball player. I soon realized that I would not be able to run past or bully my defenseman going one-on-one. Although I continued to work on my dodging skills, I began to focus more heavily on my off-ball movements and interior scoring ability. As a junior attackman on the high-school varsity team, I understood that I would not be the primary dodger in our offensive sets. I played with some great dodgers and feeders during that year, and scored the majority of my goals because of their assists. During my senior year, I took on a slightly different role, as I was told to dodge more often. Still, however, most of my goals came off teammates’ passes.

In college, my development as an off-ball player continued. While I never stopped improving all aspects of my game, I understood that my opportunity to step on the field as an underclassman would come because of my unique playing style. At that time I had grown into a player who thought of moving without the ball first, as opposed to most players who think of moving with the ball in their stick first. Most of my offensive teammates at Yale were very skilled dodgers who preferred playing with the ball in their cross. Therefore, I capitalized upon my distinctive style and earned a spot in the starting lineup during my freshman year.

Throughout my career at Yale, I was most successful when I was not dodging or trying to create opportunities on my own. I understood my strengths and was willing to be unselfish for the benefit of the team. This attitude and style still guides my lacrosse career today. Fortunately my style has worked so well that I was able to make the MLL.

Playing in the MLL has given me the privilege of playing with some of the best passers and dodgers in the sport. They make my job more enjoyable because they understand my role and respect my style of play. I also believe that they enjoy my reliability as an interior finisher, especially when they encounter a defensive double-team. I understand that my success will continue to come from being an off-ball role player.

Understanding Movements

One of the most important aspects of being a good off-ball player is understanding where you should be moving without the ball. It is crucial to know the offensive sets in which you are operating. Many formations are used in lacrosse including a 2-1-3, 2-2-2, or a 1-3-2 (with the amount of players behind the cage listed first and continuing up field). These offenses have players originating dodges from numerous locations in the offensive zone. In my college experience, dodges primarily initiated with the midfielders, however many schools relied more on their attackmen for this role. Each offensive arrangement usually has determined movements; however, minor adjustments can always be made to create better spacing between you and your defenseman. It is imperative to understand where the ball is located at all times and predict where the next pass will go. This allows you to anticipate your movement and create an open lane to receive a pass. The timing of this movement is critical.

Playing without the ball does not always mean that your responsibility is to receive a pass. Many players overlook the fact that your movement or cut may help clear space for your offensive teammates. Often, your movement can help create an opening for a teammate or simply help spread out the offense, forcing the defense to stay alert.

Understanding your Defensemen

Another important aspect of playing without the ball is understanding your defenseman’s style of play. Defensemen greatly differ in how they guard their offensive player. Some do not have a good sense of where their assigned attackman is without the ball. They are often referred to as “ball-watchers.” Other defensemen have a great sense of where their assigned player is on the field, but might not always recognize what is happening in the rest of the offensive zone. It is much easier to operate off-ball when you are being guarded by a “ball-watcher,” as they have difficulty balancing their one-on-one responsibility with their obligations in the team defense structure.

It is also important to recognize whether your defenseman is more aggressive and physical or more passive and methodical. Aggressive defensemen like to put a lot of pressure on their offensive player in an attempt to force them to make mistakes. In playing off-ball, this style can often be beneficial to an offensive player as constant movement can often frustrate this type of defenseman. It is also important to keep spacing from these defensemen so that they cannot be physical and affect your play. More strategic defensemen often have a good understanding of their role in the defensive scheme. If they are more worried about where they need to slide than their assigned offensive player, an off-ball player can predict where his defensemen is moving to and adjust accordingly to get himself open.

Some defensemen use their speed and quickness to recover for tactical errors. When playing these defensemen, spacing is very important. If you do get open for a shot, you do not want to give them the opportunity to “recover” and still play you. When guarded by slower defensemen, you do not have to be as conscious of your spacing and can use your quickness and explosiveness to get free.

Aside from understanding your individual defenseman which you need to do either from scouting reports or in the first few minutes of a game, it is critical that you understand the defensive scheme that you are playing against. Coaches use a variety of slide packages and sets, however, some basic ones are frequently employed. Typically, if a midfielder is dodging from up top and runs past their defenseman, a slide will come from either the adjacent position (usually on the wing) or the crease. The defense will be forced to rotate, thus changing the offensive player each defenseman was previously guarding. This gives offensive players a great opportunity to move without the ball and try to find an open lane to receive a pass. Recognizing where defensemen are supposed to move in a situation like this may allow an offensive player to plan their own movements. When offensive players shift, they can disrupt the defensive flow and potentially get free for a shot.

Finishing

Catching the Pass

After getting yourself open, you need to be able to receive a pass from your teammate in order to give yourself any scoring opportunity. This step may sound obvious, however, catching a pass in an off-ball situation can be very difficult. Often times, you might be open off-ball but still have defensemen nearby. If they are close enough they can check your arms while you are trying to receive the pass. It is crucial that you are able to catch a pass in defensive “traffic.”

When receiving a pass off-ball with the intention to shoot, it is important to be moving towards the ball. By doing this, you will allow yourself to run through defensive checks and give yourself further spacing from defensemen.

Catching passes in traffic comes with a lot of practice. Players should practice catching passes that are not perfectly thrown to their ear. This can be done with a partner or when playing wall ball and will improve your ability to react and adjust to various types of passes. In addition, offensive players can practice receiving passes while a defenseman lightly checks them and tries to interfere with the pass. This will teach an offensive player to concentrate solely on receiving the pass and disregard any checks or impediments that they may encounter.

Quick Release Shooting

Most pure off-ball players are excellent at catching a pass in traffic and quickly releasing a shot on goal. In an off-ball situation, players may only have a split second to shoot before being checked. Whether you are receiving a pass on the crease or on the perimeter, it is critical to release your shot almost immediately after catching the ball.

When on the crease, players may choke up on their stick to allow for a quicker, more accurate release and greater stick protection. This requires very strong wrists and a lot of practice (both wall-ball and shooting using a choked-up hand position). A “quick-stick,” where a player catches and shoots without cradling, can be effective when on the crease. This technique can catch a goalie off-guard and prevent defensemen from checking your stick.

If you are catching a pass on the perimeter, it is also important to have a quick release. Offensive players rarely have the opportunity to complete “time-and-room” shots, so it is necessary that outside shooters also release the ball soon after the catch. In order to do this, players should try to receive the catch with their stick already in a ready position, behind their head. This can greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to release an outside shot, without jeopardizing power or accuracy.

Scoring

When shooting in any situation, including off-ball, the placement of your shot is critical to having any success. Practicing your shot placement, however, is even more important for off-ball success. Off-ball shooters often have very little time to release their shot and almost no time to contemplate their placement on cage. Therefore, it is crucial that offensive players practice proper shot placement so that it becomes natural when trying to score. Repetition is key to ingraining these good shooting areas in an offensive player’s mind.

Stick/Head Fakes

Stick or head fakes can be very effective when shooting on the interior. This usually requires an extra second to perform, but can quickly move a goalie out of position and provide better shooting lanes. Stick fakes can be used when a player has enough spacing from surrounding defensemen. They are also risky because the ball may drop out of the stick, causing either a turnover or a loss of a scoring opportunity. Head fakes, which typically entail looking to one area but shooting to another, can be performed in much more congested situations or from the perimeter. Both of these fakes are useless and can be detrimental if the goalie does not “bite” on them. Therefore, an offensive player needs to make them look convincing. Practicing with either a mirror or an actual goalie can be very helpful to ensure that your fakes are compelling.

Conclusion

It is important that all offensive players remember that off-ball skills are necessary regardless of what type of player you are. One can be a great dodger, but should also be able to move and get open without the ball. There may be opportunities on your team, however, to take advantage of a limited supply of pure off-ball players and gain playing time as a result. Remember that practicing the skills outlined above is the only way to improve your off-ball game.

------------------------------Editor--------------------------

Seth Goldberg grew up in Fayetteville New York and played lacrosse at Fayetteville-Manlius High School where he was all league in both his Junior and Senior years.

He went on to play at Yale where he was a four year starter, earning second team All-Ivy as a Junior and first team All-Ivy as a Senior.

After graduating from Yale with a degree in political science, Seth went on to Law School at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently a second year law student.