Fallball

Maximizing Your Lacrosse Development During Fall Ball

As the temperature cools and the summer lacrosse season winds down, many players and coaches shift their focus to fall ball. While not as intense or structured as spring and summer competition, fall ball offers a unique opportunity for lacrosse players to fine-tune their skills, experiment with new techniques, and prepare for the upcoming season. Whether you're an experienced player or just starting, here are some key ways to make the most of fall ball.

1. Fine-Tune Fundamentals

The fall season is the perfect time to revisit and reinforce the basics. It’s easy to get caught up in the speed of games during summer tournaments and overlook small technical details. Now’s the time to slow things down and ensure you're executing fundamental skills properly—whether it’s footwork, passing, shooting, or defense positioning. This foundational work will pay off when spring rolls around.

For Offensive Players:

• Focus on improving stick work, especially with your non-dominant hand.

• Work on accuracy and form in shooting drills rather than just power.

• Refine your dodging mechanics—this is a great time to add new moves to your repertoire.

For Defensive Players:

• Fine-tune your footwork, making sure you're staying low and in an athletic position.

• Practice throwing precise checks while maintaining strong body positioning.

• Focus on communication with teammates and mastering off-ball defense.

2. Play in Fall Leagues or Scrimmages

Fall ball leagues and scrimmages offer a more relaxed environment than summer tournaments. This can be a great time to try new positions, develop new skills, and play with different teammates. It’s also a chance to test how your off-season training has improved your game in a live setting without the pressure of regular-season play.

In these games, it’s important to focus less on winning and more on growth. Take the opportunity to challenge yourself by guarding better players, trying new strategies, or experimenting with different roles on the field. The lessons learned here will only help when the competitive season resumes.

3. Embrace Strength and Conditioning

Fall is the time to build your physical foundation. A stronger, faster, and more conditioned athlete will always have the edge once the spring season starts. Strength and conditioning should be a priority during fall ball, especially with a focus on mobility, endurance, and functional strength for lacrosse-specific movements.

Key areas to target include:

• Lower body strength: Squats, lunges, and plyometrics to build explosive speed and agility.

• Core stability: Exercises like planks, Russian twists, and medicine ball throws to improve balance and shot power.

• Endurance training: Build stamina with a mix of long-distance running and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to mimic the bursts of speed required in lacrosse games.

4. Film Study and Mental Reps

Fall ball is an excellent time to dive into film study. Watching your own game footage or that of high-level college and professional teams can give you new insights into positioning, off-ball movement, and decision-making. By analyzing what the best players and teams are doing, you can start to implement these strategies into your own game.

For example, if you're a midfielder, watch how top players transition between offense and defense or how they work through a dodge and find the open man. If you're a goalie, focus on footwork, positioning, and how elite goalies communicate with their defense.

The mental reps you get from watching film and breaking down plays can be just as valuable as on-field reps when it comes to improving your lacrosse IQ.

5. Participate in Camps and Clinics

Fall is often a prime season for lacrosse camps and clinics, where players can work with experienced coaches to hone specific aspects of their game. Whether it's improving your shooting mechanics, learning advanced face-off techniques, or gaining a better understanding of defensive schemes, specialized camps and clinics can provide the extra coaching and attention that might not be available in a team setting.

Even if you're a veteran player, attending a fall camp can give you a fresh perspective, allow you to learn from different coaching styles, and help identify areas of your game that need improvement.

6. Set Goals for the Off-Season

To make the most of your fall ball experience, it’s important to set clear and achievable goals for yourself. Maybe it’s improving your shooting percentage, becoming a more vocal leader on defense, or perfecting your stick handling with your off-hand. Whatever your focus, having specific objectives will help guide your training and give you measurable progress to track.

Breaking your goals down into smaller, actionable steps will ensure that you stay motivated and on track throughout the fall and winter.

Final Thoughts

While fall ball may not carry the same weight as the spring or summer seasons, it plays a crucial role in player development. By focusing on fundamentals, strength and conditioning, film study, and goal setting, lacrosse players can take advantage of this time to grow and prepare for the upcoming competitive season.

The players who make the most of fall ball are the ones who enter spring faster, stronger, and more confident in their skills—ready to make a big impact on the field.

P-Mac