Breaking the "Block" and Touching the Cone
Objective:
This exercise aims to improve agility, cradling, quick decision-making, and the ability to read opponents' movements. It is useful for working on evading defenders and performing deceptive movements to break free.
Materials needed:
4 cones to mark the area
4 players (one in the center and three on the outside)
Exercise Description:
Player Distribution:
Place 4 cones to form a square of about 4x4 yards.
One player stands in the center of the square (Player 1), and the other three players are positioned outside the square (Players 2, 3, and 4).
Exercise Rules:
The player in the center (1) must try to touch one of the cones of the square to "break free" from the "prison" they are in.
The three players on the outside (2, 3, 4) must prevent the player in the center from touching the cones. To do this, they can move laterally and try to block the central player’s attempts, tagging them before they can touch one of the cones.
The central player (1) can use movements like fakes, changes of direction, and cuts to try to trick the players on the outside and touch one of the cones.
Rotation:
Once the player in the center (1) touches one of the cones, the player closest to the touched cone (2, 3, or 4) must enter the center, while the player who successfully escaped moves to one of the outside positions.
This ensures that there is always one player in the center and three players on the outside.
Repeating the Process:
The exercise should be carried out for a set amount of time or until all players have been in the center.
To make it more challenging, you can have the players on the outside move faster or add more cones so the central player has more options to escape.
Variations:
More players in the center: To increase difficulty, you can have more than one player in the center, requiring the outside players to work as a team to stop more than one attacker.
Key Aspects:
Movement and Agility: The central player must be agile and use quick changes of direction to evade the defenders.
Game Reading: The players on the outside must stay alert to the central player’s intentions to anticipate their movements and block them.
Dribbling Techniques: The central player can use fakes and dribbling moves (in lacrosse, stick fakes) to deceive defenders and escape.
Benefits:
Improves agility and dribbling, essential skills in lacrosse for getting past defenders.
Encourages quick decision-making under pressure, an important skill in real-game situations.
Works on anticipation and game reading for both attackers and defenders.
Develops physical condition, especially speed and agility, by keeping players in constant motion.
Recommendations:
Difficulty Level: Adjust the difficulty of the exercise based on the players’ skill level. For beginners, keep the pace slower and reduce the number of outside players. For advanced players, increase the speed of movements and allow more players in the center.
Exercise Duration: This exercise is ideal for a warm-up phase since it involves a lot of movement and is fun. It can be done for 5-10 minutes, depending on the energy and skill level of the players.
This lacrosse-adapted exercise is excellent for developing key skills such as dribbling, evading defenders, and game reading. Additionally, by incorporating fast movements and fakes, players will be better prepared for pressure situations during games.
