The Substitution Box Drill
When I first started playing lacrosse at 12 years old, I was a defenseman. I still remember the moment I got the ball, ran it up to the midfield line, and then—bam—it felt like I hit a brick wall. I froze. I looked left, looked right, completely unsure of what to do next.
Even though I understood the concept in practice and could explain it perfectly on a whiteboard, the moment it happened in live action, I was lost. Why? Because we had never actually practiced it in a real-game scenario. That moment exposed just how new I was to the game.
That experience led me to create this drill.
The Drill Setup
This drill is essentially a small-sided version of lacrosse designed to teach live substitutions and midfield transitions. Here's how it works:
Each team consists of 1 attackman, 2 or more midfielders, 1 long pole, and a goalie.
Use three cones to mark a substitution box and define a midfield line.
The objective is for players to cross back and forth over the midfield line as much as possible while utilizing the substitution box.
Why This Drill Works
Too many youth teams avoid subbing on the fly because it can be confusing. Instead, they wait for a dead ball to make changes, leading to exhausted midfielders running end to end nonstop.
This drill solves that problem by forcing players to:
Learn how to use the substitution box effectively.
Understand how to manipulate the midfield line for strategic advantages.
Develop defensemen who are comfortable crossing the midfield line and attackmen who recognize when to get back on defense.
At more advanced levels, this drill remains valuable—but it also becomes a fun, fast-paced challenge. Players may even develop creative ways to expand on the concept.
In short, shrinking the field and emphasizing live substitutions prepares players for real-game situations far better than just explaining it on a whiteboard.
