Coaching and X’s and O’s

[ClvrUsrnm]

Not sure if this will get any traction, but I’ve noticed a lot of us on here are coaches. Thought it might be interesting to start a thread where we can discuss coaching strategies and X’s and O’s and those sorts of things. Not meant to be a place where we just shred Pat March’s offense or Gait’s playing time decisions or those sorts of things.

My opening gambit: has anyone implemented any kind of unbalanced half-field offense in the absence of any viable left-handed attackmen? My team will be all right handed this year, and I’ve been toying with a pairs/motion hybrid where basically the entire left side of the field is open for one of the middies. Almost like taking a 2-3-1 (counting from up top) and turning it sideways.

Any thoughts?

 

[CuseAlum87]

Not a coach, but a former High School player(disclaimer). The only spot that really has an issue is the left side attackman, not shooting but at some point he will be forced to make a pass back up to the midfield and if his defender is on him he will need to make that pass left handed. I don't think shooting is an issue, but he will have to drive the middle so he can roll back and still have a good angle to shoot from. Watch how the Canadians protect their sticks with their body and move to get a shot off with their dominant hand. It's not easy, but it can be done and don't think you would have to go unbalanced to make it work.

 

[sholokov2]

Not sure if this will get any traction, but I’ve noticed a lot of us on here are coaches. Thought it might be interesting to start a thread where we can discuss coaching strategies and X’s and O’s and those sorts of things. Not meant to be a place where we just shred Pat March’s offense or Gait’s playing time decisions or those sorts of things.

My opening gambit: has anyone implemented any kind of unbalanced half-field offense in the absence of any viable left-handed attackmen? My team will be all right handed this year, and I’ve been toying with a pairs/motion hybrid where basically the entire left side of the field is open for one of the middies. Almost like taking a 2-3-1 (counting from up top) and turning it sideways.

Any thoughts?

Just to complement you for offering a new angle and an example to the forum. I think imagination evolves to innovation in all sports. Change in structures usually takes time, but starts with ideas like yours. Played high school football in the 50's when the single wing dominated until the T and split T took over and evolved over 60 years into(oops) a high octane single wing. I suggest that opening up more area for the offense like football has evolved into sideline to sideline is a good principle for any sport.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Not sure if this will get any traction, but I’ve noticed a lot of us on here are coaches. Thought it might be interesting to start a thread where we can discuss coaching strategies and X’s and O’s and those sorts of things. Not meant to be a place where we just shred Pat March’s offense or Gait’s playing time decisions or those sorts of things.

My opening gambit: has anyone implemented any kind of unbalanced half-field offense in the absence of any viable left-handed attackmen? My team will be all right handed this year, and I’ve been toying with a pairs/motion hybrid where basically the entire left side of the field is open for one of the middies. Almost like taking a 2-3-1 (counting from up top) and turning it sideways.

Any thoughts?

Great idea for a thread.

Without knowing the age range I would recommend a simple motion in a regular 2-3-1 set up. Middie “triangle” rotating opposite direction of the attack “triangle.”

The sideway 2-3-1 sounds good in theory but will likely leave you wide open for fast break clears out of that vacant left side. Especially if your opponent starts off sitting on your righties’ shot side.

A few years back I helped coach a team of sophomore/juniors and we had a weak lefty attacker (more distributor, not a shooter) and a step down righty attackman with a cannon. Not a dodger at all but was nearly automatic from just up GLE.

We ran the simple motion I described above and it was very effective against other travel teams.

It was surprising how the rotations of each triangle almost always created a great step down opportunity near the right wing or a midfield alley (either side).

You may also want to try your best dodger at X to get the D moving. Some coaches like their best feeder back there and that usually works if there’s reasonable balance among left/right and midfield/attack.

Just $.02 from a Ham n Egger.

Edit - passes to/from each position unit triggered the rotation - Middies rotated after one passed to attack and vice versa. You can always force your attack to rotate the same direction so a righty attacker is cutting across the crease with his stick upfield (as a threat to catch a feed and shoot).

 

[ClvrUsrnm]

This is high school varsity. I should’ve mentioned that.

 

[PhatOrange]

Saw this thread while posting my job opening ad. You ask an interesting question. For those of us who like to talk shop I think this is a cool thread. I'm always looking for new ideas.

To your question, run it in practice and see what happens. It's a bit hard for me to picture but I'm picturing everyone on one side of the center line or z-line as we call it. I'd think that would be too congested and don't ultimately see a benefit. I think you're better off with the balance even if there's no lefties. That said you need innovation and changes to fit your personnel. Cusealum87 mentions the Canadian boxers making it work.

A couple of years ago while coaching a 6th grade club team as we gave up like 5 man-down goals I wondered why everyone runs a standard 2 high, 3 low man-down at that level, myself included, since the man-up is always a standard 3-3 that begs easy step down shots. So I flipped it. I ran 3 high and 2 low and just pinched the two close long poles to the crease. It worked (just as Army's worked against SU lol). But the 3 offensive mids up top now had a defender over them, and at that level no one knew what to do and kids don't complete too many passes in a row before the ball is on the ground. Even the high end team that could run a wheel struggled with it. I don't think I did anything innovative but at that level everyone runs standard stuff, you can really gain an advantage when you flip the standard script.

Not having at least 1 lefty is a conundrum for sure but at a minimum have some kids learn their left enough to set up their right. I find you can get away with not passing with the weak hand, it really only limits you in two areas; dodging left from X and dodging left from midfield But big picture it's kids who can't catch with the weak hand or dodge w/the weak hand that hurts the most. If they can at least cradle left and change hands back to the right on a split or roll that'll help the overall offense. I always tell kids to at least learn your left enough to set up your right.

 

[wgdsr]

Not sure if this will get any traction, but I’ve noticed a lot of us on here are coaches. Thought it might be interesting to start a thread where we can discuss coaching strategies and X’s and O’s and those sorts of things. Not meant to be a place where we just shred Pat March’s offense or Gait’s playing time decisions or those sorts of things.

My opening gambit: has anyone implemented any kind of unbalanced half-field offense in the absence of any viable left-handed attackmen? My team will be all right handed this year, and I’ve been toying with a pairs/motion hybrid where basically the entire left side of the field is open for one of the middies. Almost like taking a 2-3-1 (counting from up top) and turning it sideways.

Any thoughts?

innovative game planning can always be effective if done right.
2 caveats from me:
- not having it be too structured (guys thinking too frequently about where and what they need to be in the play or the set vs making a play)
- that they're moving. at least more than one or 2 at times. sometimes all.

as far as your set, it'd seem the open side still has a disadvantage. only a lefty dodge opens up a shot option. so you'll get a lot of split left/roll back right? if that's successful at all, you'll get teams sending a slide when turns his head.
some suggestions:
- position left wing dodger 5-10 up from gle but not more and have him split r strong hand. maybe he gets an angle to shoot, maybe not. what will d on x att do? he will hedge. like all the time. your x att can hang him up by being positioned on the crease line at x or even a step on backside. simple behind the cage pass and x att is free up the back side.
also - most x att dodges up backside with all those people will be crowded. one guy (likely wing) will have to clear thru often. maybe he's open on cut briefly. then step down for top guy.
also setting picks (or clear thru) for sweeps right as ball rotates up top should put him in a lot of space.
last, with the crowd, with all slides your guy needs to follow the slide (exception back pipe cut on dodge up x), he'll have a step to space.

 

[ClvrUsrnm]

My own thread and I completely forgot about it.

 

[ClvrUsrnm]

I will say, the work we have done with this, it has shown promise. Just haven’t had the opportunity to run it outside with my best players. Off-ball movement is critical, to pull the second slide apart and open up easy feeds.