Backer zone defense lacrosse. Mastering the Backer Zone Defense in Lacrosse: Wesleyan’s Innovative Approach

What makes the backer zone defense effective in lacrosse. How does Wesleyan University implement this strategy. Why is zone defense often misunderstood in sports. What are the key components of a successful backer zone defense. How has Wesleyan’s defensive approach contributed to their recent success.

Table of Contents

The Evolution of Zone Defense in Lacrosse

Zone defense in sports, particularly lacrosse, has long been a subject of controversy and misunderstanding. Many coaches and players view it as a lazy or unoriginal defensive strategy. However, the backer zone defense, as implemented by Wesleyan University’s men’s lacrosse team, challenges these misconceptions and demonstrates the effectiveness of a well-executed zone defense.

The backer zone defense is a variation of the traditional 3-3 zone, developed in the 1990s by NYIT coach Jack Kaley. This innovative approach involves repositioning one of the top defenders in a 3-3 formation to act as a dedicated slider, or “backer,” responding to any penetration of the defensive perimeter.

The Origins of Wesleyan’s Backer Zone

Wesleyan’s head coach, John Raba, first encountered the backer zone as a player at the University of New Haven, facing NYIT’s formidable defense. Recognizing its potential, Raba and defensive coordinator Will Parker began implementing and refining the backer zone at Wesleyan nearly two decades ago.

Debunking Common Misconceptions About Zone Defense

Critics of zone defense often argue that it fails to teach fundamental individual defensive skills. However, this perspective overlooks the fact that effective zone defense requires a solid understanding of defensive principles. In a well-executed zone, defenders must still engage ball-carriers and maintain awareness of off-ball threats, much like in man-to-man defense.

Communication is paramount in any defensive strategy, but it becomes even more critical in a zone defense. The difference between allowing an easy goal and forcing a difficult shot often comes down to the quality of communication among defenders in a zone setup.

Addressing the “Hiding Weak Defenders” Argument

One common critique of zone defense is that it can be used to hide weaker defenders. However, this argument is somewhat self-defeating. Isn’t it a coach’s responsibility to maximize their team’s strengths and minimize weaknesses? Even in its simplest form, a zone defense can provide a foundation for situational defenses, such as man-down units.

The Wesleyan Backer Zone: A Closer Look

Wesleyan’s implementation of the backer zone is unique and highly effective. Coach Raba describes it as a six-man rotational defense, where every player is involved in defending all points of the ball. This approach differs from many Division I programs that employ a five-man zone with a locked crease defender and hard rotations.

The key to Wesleyan’s success lies in their ability to quickly reset their defensive formation. Even if forced to rotate, the defense can quickly re-establish its set if the offense hesitates or pulls the ball out momentarily. This rapid readjustment often frustrates opposing offenses, negating their efforts to create scoring opportunities.

Key Components of Wesleyan’s Backer Zone

Six-man rotational defense
Involvement of all defenders in ball coverage
Quick reset capability
Emphasis on communication
Adaptability to offensive movements

The Impact of the Backer Zone on Wesleyan’s Success

Wesleyan’s men’s lacrosse team has experienced remarkable success in recent years, with the backer zone defense playing a crucial role. In 2017, the team went on a 20-game winning streak after an initial loss, reaching the NCAA DIII semifinals. The 2018 season saw continued success, with the team achieving a 17-3 record and securing victories against formidable opponents in the NCAA Tournament.

While Wesleyan’s offense has garnered attention for its dynamic and exciting play, it’s the backer zone defense that has provided the foundation for the team’s achievements. The defense is employed in approximately 90% of their game time, showcasing its versatility and effectiveness across various game situations.

Implementing a Successful Backer Zone: Key Considerations

For teams considering the adoption of a backer zone defense, several factors must be taken into account:

Player skills and athleticism
Communication and teamwork
Coaching philosophy and commitment
Offensive trends in the league or division
Team’s overall defensive strategy

Coaches must be willing to invest time in teaching and refining the backer zone, as its effectiveness relies heavily on proper execution and coordination among all defenders.

The Future of Zone Defense in Lacrosse

As teams like Wesleyan continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of well-executed zone defenses, it’s likely that we’ll see increased adoption and innovation in this area. The backer zone, in particular, offers a flexible and dynamic approach that can adapt to various offensive strategies.

However, the success of any defensive strategy ultimately depends on the commitment of coaches and players to master its intricacies. As the sport of lacrosse continues to evolve, we can expect to see further refinements and variations of zone defenses, including the backer zone.

Analyzing the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Backer Zone

While the backer zone has proven highly effective for Wesleyan, it’s important to consider both its strengths and potential weaknesses:

Strengths

Flexibility in covering all points of the ball
Quick reset capability
Frustrates opposing offenses
Encourages team communication
Can be adapted to various game situations

Potential Weaknesses

Requires high level of coordination and practice
May be vulnerable to skilled outside shooters
Can be challenging to implement with less experienced players
May struggle against offenses with exceptional ball movement

Understanding these strengths and weaknesses is crucial for coaches considering the implementation of a backer zone defense. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather a sophisticated defensive strategy that requires careful consideration and adaptation to a team’s specific strengths and weaknesses.

Training and Developing Players for the Backer Zone

Implementing a successful backer zone defense requires more than just understanding its principles. Coaches must develop a comprehensive training program to prepare their players for this defensive strategy. Here are some key areas to focus on:

Individual Defensive Skills

Despite being a zone defense, players still need strong individual defensive skills. This includes proper positioning, footwork, and stick skills to effectively engage ball carriers and contest shots.

Spatial Awareness

Players must develop a keen sense of spatial awareness to understand their positioning within the zone and how to adjust based on the movement of both the ball and offensive players.

Communication Drills

Effective communication is crucial in a backer zone. Regular drills focusing on clear, concise, and timely communication between defenders should be a staple of practice sessions.

Rotation and Recovery Exercises

Players need to practice quick rotations and recoveries to maintain the integrity of the zone. Drills simulating various offensive scenarios can help players become more comfortable with these movements.

Film Study

Reviewing game footage can help players understand the nuances of the backer zone and identify areas for improvement. This can include analyzing both successful defensive stands and breakdowns to learn from both positive and negative examples.

By focusing on these key areas, coaches can develop players who are well-equipped to execute the backer zone defense effectively.

Adapting the Backer Zone to Different Levels of Play

While Wesleyan’s success with the backer zone has been at the NCAA Division III level, this defensive strategy can be adapted for various levels of play. Here’s how the backer zone might be implemented at different competitive levels:

Youth Lacrosse

At the youth level, a simplified version of the backer zone can be introduced to help young players understand basic defensive concepts. The focus should be on fundamental positioning and simple communication skills.

High School

High school teams can begin to implement a more complex backer zone, introducing concepts like rotations and slide packages. However, coaches should be prepared to adapt the system based on the skill level and athleticism of their players.

College (All Divisions)

At the collegiate level, the backer zone can be fully implemented with all its complexities. The specific application may vary based on the division and the team’s overall defensive philosophy.

Professional

Professional teams might use the backer zone as part of a broader defensive strategy, potentially mixing it with other zone and man-to-man concepts to create a hybrid defense that can adapt to various offensive threats.

Regardless of the level of play, the key to successfully implementing the backer zone is patience, consistent practice, and a willingness to adapt the system to fit the strengths of the team.

The Role of Technology in Implementing and Analyzing the Backer Zone

In today’s data-driven sports landscape, technology plays a crucial role in implementing and refining defensive strategies like the backer zone. Here are some ways technology can be leveraged:

Video Analysis Software

Advanced video analysis tools allow coaches and players to break down game footage in detail, identifying strengths and weaknesses in their backer zone execution. This can include tracking player movements, analyzing offensive patterns, and measuring the effectiveness of defensive rotations.

Statistical Analysis

Data analytics can provide insights into the effectiveness of the backer zone against different types of offenses, helping coaches make informed decisions about when and how to employ this defensive strategy.

Virtual Reality Training

Emerging VR technologies offer the potential for immersive training experiences, allowing players to practice their positioning and decision-making in a simulated backer zone environment.

GPS Tracking

Wearable GPS devices can provide data on player movements and positioning during games and practices, offering valuable insights for optimizing the backer zone formation.

By leveraging these technological tools, coaches can gain a deeper understanding of their backer zone defense and make data-driven decisions to improve its effectiveness.

The Psychological Impact of the Backer Zone on Opposing Offenses

The backer zone defense doesn’t just present a physical challenge to opposing teams; it can also have a significant psychological impact. Understanding this aspect can provide additional insights into the effectiveness of this defensive strategy:

Frustration and Impatience

As Coach Raba noted, the quick reset capability of Wesleyan’s backer zone can be incredibly frustrating for opposing offenses. When offensive players expend considerable effort to create an opportunity, only to find the defense back in position moments later, it can lead to frustration and impatience.

Decision-Making Pressure

The backer zone often forces offensive players to make quick decisions under pressure. This can lead to rushed shots, ill-advised passes, or turnovers, especially if players are not accustomed to facing this type of defense.

Mental Fatigue

Constantly working against a well-executed backer zone can be mentally exhausting for offensive players. As the game progresses, this mental fatigue can lead to decreased performance and poor decision-making.

Confidence Impact

If an offense struggles to score against the backer zone, it can negatively impact the team’s confidence. This can lead to a snowball effect, where diminished confidence further hampers offensive execution.

Understanding these psychological aspects can help defensive coaches refine their backer zone strategy to maximize its impact on opposing offenses.

Integrating the Backer Zone with Other Defensive Strategies

While Wesleyan uses the backer zone as their primary defense, many teams might consider integrating it as part of a more diverse defensive playbook. Here are some ways the backer zone can be combined with other defensive strategies:

Situational Use

Teams might employ the backer zone in specific game situations, such as when protecting a lead or during man-down scenarios.

Hybrid Defenses

The principles of the backer zone can be combined with man-to-man concepts to create hybrid defenses that are adaptable to different offensive threats.

Transitional Defense

The backer zone can be used as a transitional defense, allowing teams to quickly set up a defensive formation after a turnover or during fast breaks.

Rotational Strategies

Teams might rotate between different defensive setups, including the backer zone, to keep opposing offenses off-balance and prevent them from settling into a rhythm.

By integrating the backer zone with other defensive strategies, teams can create a more dynamic and unpredictable defensive approach.

The Future of Defensive Innovation in Lacrosse

The success of Wesleyan’s backer zone defense serves as a reminder of the importance of innovation in sports. As lacrosse continues to evolve, we can expect to see further developments in defensive strategies:

Data-Driven Defenses

Advanced analytics will likely play an increasing role in shaping defensive strategies, allowing coaches to fine-tune their approaches based on detailed performance data.

Adaptive Defensive Systems

Future defensive systems may become more adaptive, capable of seamlessly shifting between different formations and strategies based on real-time game situations.

Specialized Defensive Roles

As offensive players become more specialized, we may see the emergence of more specialized defensive roles designed to counter specific types of offensive threats.

Integration of Technology

The use of technology in defensive training and game-planning is likely to increase, potentially including real-time data analysis during games to inform defensive adjustments.

As the sport of lacrosse continues to grow and evolve, innovative defensive strategies like the backer zone will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the game. Coaches and players who are willing to embrace new ideas and adapt their approaches will be well-positioned to succeed in this ever-changing landscape.

The Beauty of Wesleyan’s Backer Zone

People hate zones. Not just in lacrosse, but in all sports. It’s a defensive concept that’s often seen as lazy, unoriginal and/or purposefully stifling. The NBA even outlawed zone defense until the 2001-02 season, and the league still employs deterrents to playing zone like the three-second rule. Should a defense not be stifling? Isn’t the point of playing defense to make it more difficult for the opponent to score? Several coaches don’t even teach a base zone defense in lacrosse because they deride the concept of it.

Zone haters think it is a lesser form of defending the goal because it doesn’t teach fundamentals of individual defensive play. The problem with that reasoning is that zones don’t do the teaching — coaches do. In order to coach the zone, players must still understand defensive principles. In an active and effective zone, defenders engage the ball-carrier in a similar way to how they would in man-to-man defense. Players away from the ball also have to be more attentive in a zone to prevent easy skip passes and backdoor cuts. Communication is the key to any great defense, but in a zone the effectiveness of that communication is the difference between an easy shot for an easy goal and a difficult shot for an earned goal. Zone defense is also looked down upon because many teams use it as their back defense or a situational defense and thus do not give it the same amount of attention they give their “everyday” defense.

The most sensible critique of the zone is that it hides lesser defensive players, but that logic is self-defeating. Doesn’t every coach want to protect their worst defender? Even in its most base form — let’s say a listless 3-3 that never applies pressure to ball-carriers — a zone defense can provide a foundation for a man-down unit. The universal truth of the matter is that like all things in sports, there are good and bad versions of zone defense.

The Wesleyan men’s lacrosse team has been on an incredible run. In 2017, after losing their first game 15-14 to NESCAC foe Bates, the Cardinals ripped off a 20-game winning streak. Their season ended in the NCAA DIII semifinals in which they fell to eventual runners-up RIT. Now in 2018, Wesleyan is 17-3 and has rattled off wins against Cortland, Cabrini and conference foe Tufts in the NCAA Tournament. Another test with RIT awaits in the Semifinals.

One of the most notable aspects of Wesleyan’s teams in 2017 and ’18 was the offense, which was as free flowing and exciting as a conversation with the ghost of Socrates.

But the defense is what has helped carry Wesleyan. The defense that Wesleyan employs roughly 90% of their time is the dreaded, mysterious and woefully misunderstood backer zone.

“The thing that we like about this defense — and we have played and tried many other defenses — is that it’s a six-man rotational defense,” coach John Raba. “Everyone is involved so we can play every point of the ball. A lot of zones at the Division I level play a five-man zone and lock the crease with a hard rotation. We don’t want to rotate. Sometimes we don’t have a choice, but the thing that’s nice about it is that even if we do rotate if they hesitate or pull the ball out for even a second, we are back in our set. So all the work that they just did to get us to rotate — if they don’t take advantage of that right away we’re settled and then they’re like ‘Oh my god, we just had to throw the ball five times with a big skip pass to get them to move and now they’re set again.’ ”

The roots of the backer zone are well established. Long time NYIT and IMCLA Hall of Fame coach Jack Kaley tweaked a traditional 3-3 zone in the ’90s by recessing one of the players up top in the 3-3 and employing them as a dedicated slider — also known as a “backer” — to all things the penetrate the defensive perimeter. As the years went on different adjustments and changes were made to the backer zone to improve the viability of it. The Wesleyan coaching staff — specifically Raba and (later on) defensive coordinator Will Parker — began to employ the backer zone soon after their tenure began. Raba had seen the damage that the defense could do first hand as a player on the University of New Haven lacrosse team that faced it at NYIT.

“It started almost 20 years ago when coach Parker and I used to play New York Tech, and they were great at that time, winning national championships,” says Raba. “It was so hard to score on them. So when we became coaches, we would take our team down to [Tech] and we would always hang in there on D, but we weren’t great. We struggled to score goals or generate anything whatsoever [on offense]. So we thought ‘Why don’t we try to incorporate some of the things that they’re doing?’”

There are a couple of things you need to build the base of your backer zone defense. Of course anyone can implement a backer zone defense, but it does function best if you have these elements.

1. A smart and capable goalie.
If you don’t have a keeper who can hold his pipe, hold onto rebounds and make saves from 12-15 yards out then maybe it’s best to play a man defense. If your goalie is a streaky reactionary netminder, your box score will be a mess.

2. An athletic group of longpoles.
There are no free lunches in the backer zone; you need to be able to get to your spot and play the passing lane at the same time. Most importantly you have to know where to go. That takes time and dedication from the players as well as the coaching staff. At the same time, it’s not a math equation.

3. Players who believe in the system.
What happens when your best O-mid gets stuck on defense? How often does it result in a goal? If you’re playing a zone defense that O-mid has a fighting chance because everyone else on the field knows where to go and that he will need help.

“People want to be on the ball,” says Raba. “Even our players at times want to be pressing all over, and they have a lot of pride. These guys are good players, and they want to be the takeaway guy. It’s not that glamorous to be an off-ball zone defender who sits in a gap and plays inside, more concerned about the nuances of cutting angles down. They stop things before they ever happen, so then things never happen. So, you may not notice him, but he may be the best guy we have on the field.”

You’re not convinced. You must have a PC. The zone defense is the pre-iPhone Apple to the man-to-man of Windows XP. Even if you hate the concept of putting a zone in for your own team, you still need to put in an offense that can break a zone when you eventually encounter one. So how do you beat a zone that will press out, manipulate dodgers and eat up bad shots taken out of frustration?

Ironically, the most conceptually sound way to beat a zone defense is actually the best way to beat a man-to-man defense — by causing a rotation, or an engagement of a slide package. In a man-to-man defense, that reaction is often caused by a ball-carrier getting past a defender and into a space where they can score. Against a zone, that rotation is most often caused by quick passing and minimal ball carrying.

“Teams will try and carry to get us to rotate, and we don’t want to rotate so our communication on the perimeter is crucial,” said Parker. “When to pass [the ball-carrier], when to let them carry a little longer. For all of our guys to understand that even if they’re on the carrier but they get that pass call to let them go. Just like if we played man, if someone dodges with the ball, there is always going to be someone to replace. Other teams will roll back because they’re trying to get the defense to shift with the ball and go back against the grain.”

Players in the Wesleyan zone constantly interchange their responsibilities once they’re comfortable in the system. Basic components of the Wesleyan backer zone include the backer and the longstick (who is usually deployed in the middle) being mirror images of each other. Likewise the high side midfielders and lower defensemen are similarly employed — especially when the ball is above goal line extended.

It’s hard to argue with the results, though as Wesleyan has produced several All-America defensemen and several player of the year candidates on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the last 10 years. But how do you sell the system to those star defenders?

“The good thing is that when someone is coming at you and they’re being really combative and stubborn, know that you have guys to the right and guy to the left that are going to help you,” says Raba. “You can be as physical and aggressive as you want, and if they beat you, you’re still OK to the right and the left.”

The is the 22nd season for Raba and the 19th for Parker, the bulk of which have been dedicated to the advancement of the Wesleyan program with the help of an unorthodox defense that has consistently produced winners. The end of last season has not faded from the minds of the staff or the returning members of that team. They won’t dwell on past accomplishments.

“The goal is to make it as hard as possible for the offense to score,” says Parker. “We feel like this gives us the best opportunity to do that. We joke all the time that the biggest misconception [about our zone] is that we just sit back. We don’t do that.”

Lacrosse Zone Defense: The Complete Guide

As a goalie its vital that you have a complete understanding of how team lacrosse defense should be played.

That way in the heat of battle you can help command the troops to organize a successful defense stand.

Awhile back I covered the basics of a man-on-man team defense and today I want to cover the basics of a zone defense.

Zone defense in lacrosse is different from man-to-man defense in that, instead of guarding a particular player, each zone defender is responsible for guarding an area of the field, or “zone”, and any offensive player that comes into that area. Zone defenders move their position on the field in relationship to where the ball moves.

While lacrosse man-to-man defense is certainly the most common and the style initially taught at the youth levels, a properly executed zone defense in lax can be very effective in limiting what an offense can do. It can also serve as a change of pace or surprise to your opponent who might not be expecting or prepared for this defensive strategy.

Here we go. The basics of a lacrosse team zone defense.

First let’s cover a few reasons why a team might employ a zone defense.

Control the Tempo / Slow down the opposing offense

If you’re up against a real powerful offense, you’ll want to slow them down. A zone defense is a great method to accomplish that as it can really dictate the tempo.

You’ll notice that offenses going up against a well executed zone defense typically have much longer possessions as they don’t see any immediate opportunities and are content to pass it around the perimeter.

You simply can’t beat a zone defense with 1 pass or 1 dodge like you can a man-on-man defense. Beating the zone requires multiple passes.

A good zone defense can dictate how fast the game is played.

Want a faster tempo? Play more aggressive trapping zone. Want to slow the game down? Play a patient, packed-in zone with no traps.

You’re the less athletic team

If your team is outmatched physically, meaning the other squad simply has better athletes, then you might consider employing a zone defense.

Instead of seeing their 1×1 match ups that athletic offenses can exploit, the zone defense offers more built in help and protection.

Zone defense covers up slower defenders and can be used to counter an offense with fast, quick scorers. Additionally, a zone can eliminate penetration by encouraging quick double teams on the perimeter and packing the defense in.

It definitely helps your zone defense if you have athletic players, don’t get me wrong, however I believe less athletic players can do better in a zone defense compared to a man-to-man that leaves the individuals more exposed.

You have a hot goalie

When executed properly, the zone defense shuts down the opposing team’s inside game.

If your team has a great goalie who can suck up the outside shots, or even a mediocre goalie who is having a great day, many teams will pack in the zone and limit the opposing team to outside shots that they feel the goalie can save.

Just like a well run basketball zone defense requires teams to make 3 pointers, a well run lacrosse zone defense requires teams to take outside shots from 12+ yards out.

If your goalie is hot, you can pack in the zone even tighter which makes the zone more effective.

If your goalie cannot consistently save those outside shots, the zone defense will fail.

Surprise the other team

If your team primarily runs a man-to-man defense, your opponents will be expecting to face a man-to-man defense. Implementing a zone defense can be a fantastic change-up to confuse your opponents.

Since zone defenses are a little more rare teams might be thrown off a little when they go up against a zone. They might lack an offensive set that can adequately break down a zone defense and create good scoring opportunities.

How often do offensives practice going up against a zone defense? Probably not as much as man-to-man sets.

Other teams lacks outside shooters

In a zone defense your team is going to be content to pack in it and give up the outside shot. That’s why a zone defense really requires a good goalie – that was a point already mentioned above.

But a zone defense can also be effective if the other team doesn’t really have any shooters that can rip top ched.

In this case, your team is content to give up those outside shots with high confidence that the goalie can absorb them.

Regardless of which variation of a lacrosse zone defense your team is running there some general rules that apply to all types of lacrosse zone defenses.

Before we get into the particulars of the zone, I want to share with you these six crucial aspects of an effective zone. Keep these in mind while you’re reading through the rest of the article.

Implementing a zone defense is difficult, so be sure your team is following these rules during practice as you perfect your zone.

No Ball Watching!

Easily the #1 mistake in lacrosse zone defense is ball watching.

Where all 6 defenders have their eyes fixed on the ball and do not see cutters or screens in their area of the zone.

Teams need to rely on their goalie’s communication to know where the ball is.

Defender’s heads should be on a swivel looking for defenders in their part of the zone and communicating with their teammates on how to handle it.

To avoid ball watching a good rule of thumb is 2 seconds looking at ball carrier, 2 seconds head on swivel watching your zone.

A offensive player should NOT be able to run through your zone without you getting a stick on them.

Especially close to the goal.

Of course you cannot check them hard unless the pass is within five yards but you can always put your stick on their gloves with a check to let them know they’re covered and discourage a feed. I’ve never seen a penalty called for this.

If one teammate cannot get this concept of no ball watching and fails to see threats as they come into their zone, then the zone defense will fail.

Sticks in the passing lanes

Great passing is an easy way to beat the zone defense. If teams are able to effectively make passes through the zone, they’re going to get great opportunities to score.

The defense must keep their sticks up and in the passing lanes to the inside of the field (facing the crease) at all times to discourage passes inside and to get interceptions or deflections.

As a goalie be sure to remind your defense “STICKS UP” to close off those passing lanes and eliminate the skip pass.

Always in your defensive stance

Every member of the defense should be in their defensive stance at all times during the zone defense.

Being in an athletic stance makes it easier to react when a pass is made or attackman cuts into your area of the zone.

As a coach it pains me when I see a defender in the zone standing straight up knees locked. Not in an athletic stance and not ready to react.

Everyone must move on the “rotate” call

As we’ll discuss below sometimes the zone must rotate.

It’s key when the “ROTATE” call is made that everyone moves together.

When the defense fails to rotate together or one player rotates in the wrong direction, goals are certainly the results. So its crucial that everyone moves together on the rotate call – assuming you’re apart of the rotations that is.

Bungee Principle

For the purposes of moving together as a unit I often tell defenseman to imagine an imaginary bungee cord that runs from the center of their waist to just above the crease.

When the ball is in their zone, they extend out and stretch the bungee, putting pressure on the ball carrier. When the ball leaves their zone, the bungee cord pulls them back to the area above the crease.

This concepts helps defenders understand the need to extend out when the ball is in their zone and then recover and provide backside help when the ball is not in their zone.

Everyone must communicate

Communication is critical to every lacrosse defense and that includes the zone.

Players must communicate screens, cutters, bumping, who’s got the player with the ball, and most importantly ‘passing responsibility’ for a ball carrier or cutter as he moves from one zone to another.

All great zone defenses require great communication.

No layups

This may seem like an obvious point but its worth mentioning. In the zone defense we do not allow attackman to get easy goals on the door step.

In this defense we attempt to prevent the offense from getting inside at all.

We do everything we can to force the offense to settle for a 12-15 yard shot and we’re placing the faith in our goalkeeper that he/she will save those.

Now that you understand some basic principles of zone defense, let’s dig into 2 different types of zones that I’ve seen lacrosse teams frequently use.

While most posts apply to both male and female goalies this part will be biased towards the men’s game since that’s the zone I understand. If a female coaches wants to explain the intricacies of zone defense in the women’s game, please get in touch with me.

Even though these are frequently used zones there’s still so many variations even within the same zone defense. Hence the reason I’m calling this a basic review of zone defenses. Your team might run a slight variation compared to what I’ve described it below.

3-3 Zone

The 3-3 is probably the most common zone defense you’ll find. The basic setup of a 3-3 zone splits the field in 6 zones or quadrants, 3 up top and 3 down below.

There’s a few options for placements of the short stick middies – top left/top right; top center/bottom center; or back left/back right. The placement of the short stick middies is typically determined by the personnel you have and the personnel your opponent has.

In this example short stick middies occupy the top left and top right spots of the zone:

The zones of the back left and back right defenders probably extend a little lower below GLE than my diagram illustrates but you get the idea. Each defender has responsibility for their zone.

Each defender also provides adjacent help. To defend sweeps, as the ball carrier passes through zones the defensive players will yell “SWITCH” and pass responsibility.

In this clip of Virginia’s defense watch how defenders pass responsibility of the ball carrier as he passes through the different zones. After switching the original defender then retreats to be in good position in his zone. There’s no audio but we can assume they’re yelling “SWITCH” or whatever their designated defensive term is for that situation.

Virginia’s zone defense is also a great example of the bungie principle as defender press out to cover the ball carrier and then recover back towards the crease when the ball moves out of their zone.

If and when a defender gets beat, we slide to provide help – same as man-to-man defense. Also same as man-to-man defense, you CANNOT get beat topside. Defenders should always shade dodgers down the alley and not allow themselves to get beat over the top.

Like man-to-man defense there are different slide packages that teams use. The slide package our team utilized in the zone defense was rotation.

The adjacent defender served as the 1st slide and then everyone else rotates.

In the example below the offense is in a 2-3-1 setup. If the middie up top attempts to penetrate the movement looks like this:

Here’s what is happening there:

The adjacent defender is the 1st slide to stop the ball
If there is a crease attackman, the middle defender stays put to defense the crease
Everyone else rotates
Optional: With no crease attackman, you could do a full rotation where everyone on defense rotates.

Checkout Bryant University’s 3-3 zone in action:

Backer Zone

The next type of zone we’ll look at is called a “Backer Zone”.

In this zone, the 4 long poles each take responsibility for a zone or quadrant. These 4 zones can overlap.

In a typical backer zone one short stick will serve as the “backer” who is always the slide. The other short stick locks off either the crease attackman or the offense’s star player.

So if the offense is setup in a 1-3-2 set, the defense might look like this:

M1 serves as the backer and ready to slide as soon as the offense attempts to make penetration. M1 is th slide regardless of where the ball is. Middie M2 is locking off the crease attackman.

When the “rotate” call is made only the 4 defensemen rotate. The 2 interior middies stay put.

A key benefit of the backer zone is that long sticks are always pressuring the ball. This takes away the offensive’s ability to dodge against a shortie.

Even though I’ve already mentioned this is, it’s worth repeating. You cannot ball watch! If D man watches the ball, an attackman will slip into a space in their zone and be wide open for a shot or direct dodge to the cage.

As a variation of the backer zone, M2 instead of locking off the crease man could lock off the offense’s star player. Then the D man furthest from the ball would assume responsibility for keeping a stick on the crease man and preventing an inside feed.

There are plenty of other zone strategies apart from the 3-3 and the Backer Zone but these are most common I’ve seen when a team employs a zone defense.

A properly executed zone defense with a hot goalie can cause a lot of upsets in the sport of lacrosse.

The University of Virginia rode that combination of zone D and a star goalie Adam Ghitelman all the way to a national championship in 2011.

Personally I think all kids and teams should develop their man-to-man defensive skills first before learning the zone defense. Even in the zone defense many man-to-man principles still apply.

The great majority of offenses must be initiated by winning the first 1v1 confrontation and a defender who can get good at defending an individual on and off-ball will make themselves extremely valuable to the team.

However if your team is looking to implement a zone defense than review this post to learn the basics of successfully installing a zone.

Until next time! Coach Damon

Any other variations of the zone defense your team runs? Or any questions on how to run a zone defense? Let know in the comments.

How To Beat A Zone Defense – 2Lacrosse Blog

How To Beat A Zone Defense

From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWLlZKJAUaI

We had a great question posed to us the other day on our Instagram account (@2lacrosse): How do you beat a zone defense? The answer isn’t as simple as do X,Y,Z to be successful, so we break it down for you with 5 simple keys to success!

Identify: What kind of zone are you playing against? It’s simple enough to say you’re playing against a zone, but are you playing against a backer zone, a true zone, one with rovers? It’s important to identify the kind of zone you’re going up against first so you can figure out the weaknesses of each zone. What are these zones? Let’s break it down:
- Backer Zone: A zone where there is literally a “backer” whose main job is to back up the defender on the ball. They will follow the flight of the path as the remaining defenders zone the rest of the field. Here is an excellent breakdown of how to run a backer zone defense.
- True Zone: A true zone defense involves all 7 players defending a “zone” on the field. Often times teams take the 8m and divide it into pizza-like slices. Sometimes teams opt for more square like zones. Whatever the case may be, players defend an area of the field and will pass players off through their zone- they will not follow them to another teammates zone. Furthermore, they are on their own with no backer behind them should they not contain the attacker.
- Zone with a Rover (or two!): Rover zones can be implemented with a backer zone or a traditional true zone. The “rover” is merely a player who acts as a connector between zone. Their only job is to mark cutters as they shift through zone, eliminating the gap between hand-offs. Many teams implement a rover and opt for a 6-player true zone or backer and one rover (leaving 5 players to zone the rest of the field). At times, teams may opt to have more than one rover, covering a specific part of the middle of the 8m.
Know the Basics of Beating a Zone: There are some keys to beating a zone no matter what kind you are playing against.
- Overload: It sounds simple and the math behind it makes sense. If one person is marking one zone, they are responsible for any and all people in that zone. Contrary to popular attacking belief, this is the one instance where it is OK to have one defender marking two or three attackers. Why? Because as you send those attackers through, the defender will have to make a decision: Mark the first cutter or stay to mark the pack. Remember, only one person is marking the zone, so if you overload one zone, most defenders will get caught concentrating on person instead of all of them.
- Find the 3v2 and 2v1: Another popular strategy involves on ball marking. Everyone’s favorite drill is a good ole 3v2 or 4v3. Why? Because you have an extra attacker with a lot of options usually resulting in a 1 on none with the goalie. With many defenses running with a backer or a rover, they are naturally putting themselves down one (or two!) players. Find where they are short in marking you and attack the 3v2 (or 2v1).
- Keep the Ball Moving: One of the greatest strengths of zone defense is that players don’t have to follow attackers around and be taken out of position- defenders are always in position to help. With that being said, often times it does require shifting to the ball. While you won’t beat a zone by dodging into it, you will be able to beat it moving the ball quickly and forcing the zones to keep up with the ball movement.
Find The Weakness: Not all zones are created equal, and as you can see from the descriptions above, they all operate in different ways. Depending on the zone, you’ll want to exploit different weaknesses:
- Backer Weaknesses: In a backer zone, defenses naturally put themselves in a man down situation. While they flood and put a lot of pressure on the ball carrier, the defense is playing man down behind the ball. This is where the weakness lies. Even (especially!) when a team locks off the adjacent passes, on the backside there is a 4v3. Furthermore, backer defenses tend to be weak where zones overlap and defenders hesitate in picking up the ball: on the corners. Low players generally don’t want to shift up high to mark the ball (leaving crease open) and high players generally don’t like going ball to ball.
- True Zone Weaknesses: We touched on this briefly, but true zones are great in that every player covers a compact area of the field. Often times true zones will pack it in, opting not to pressure the ball. This leaves the hands free of the ball carrier, but virtually impossible to dodge into the zone successfully. Luckily, as we alluded to, you can overload a specific zone and put a lot of pressure on one player. In addition to overloading of a zone being a big weakness, where the zones meet in the middle to pass off players is also a big weakness. There is time usually between the pass-off, and many times players turn back to get to their zone without focusing on the player they just handed off. This makes for a great opportunity for cut-backs, back door cuts and more. This big weakness generally leads to a rover:
- Rover Zone Weaknesses: The biggest strength is also its biggest weakness in a rover zone: the rover. As we mentioned, the rover’s only job is to mark people in the middle. This is great in that one person can mark much of the 8m and have a stick on anyone’s hands relatively quickly, but also hard in the sense that yet again the defense is starting out by playing man-down (or more). Furthermore, one rover has a hard time marking two players if you play it right and forces them to pick the lesser of two evils. If there is a rover, that is the weakness.
Pick Your Weapon: Knowledge is power. Beating a zone defense isn’t about brawn, it’s about the brains. Use your knowledge to beat the zone at hand with the correct weapon:
- Attacking The Backer: When attacking the backer you’ll use two of the weapons: Finding the 3v2 and keeping the ball moving. As we mentioned, with a backer on the ball carrier, the defense is man down on the backside. Your goal as a unity should be to identify where the 3v2 is (and not hiding from it behind the goal!) and using ball movement to exploit it. You will most likely not beat a backer defense by dodging into it, but you will keep the on ball defender, adjacent defenders and backer occupied by at least making a move to goal. Don’t get caught getting too deep into the zone or you’ll be crushed. Once you’ve engaged, make sure to pass the ball.. and not just once. Change the point of attack by moving the ball twice which in all likelihood is where your 3v2 is. Move the ball too slowly and the backer will be able to follow (and the defense will shift) so it is important to move the ball quickly. Your points of attack will most likely be at those weak areas, too- at the corners.
- Attacking the True Zone: Attacking a true zone you have two options- overload or attack the gaps in hand-offs. Overload is simple, just send 2-3 people into one zone area and force the defender to choose. Either the first cut through will be open, or the second holding space will be and should have a good look for shooting space. Be sure both are threats and the second holding space isn’t too far out or too far in- allowing another defender to cover her or not in position to draw shooting space. Attacking the gaps in the hand-offs is two dimensional. The first is with flash backs off of cuts. As mentioned, most defenders will pass off through the middle and turn their back to return to their zone. This is an excellent time to cut next to ball and then flash back once the defender hands you off. You then have cleared some time for the dodge but most importantly put a defender on your back (the one receiving you, as the one who passed you off has their back to you). Another option is a wheel play. Whether you’re wheeling all 7 players, or forming shapes (triangles and boxes work best), the idea is to drive into a zone carrying your on ball defender with you, and then passing back in the direction that you came from. Essentially everyone will be moving in one direction, having everyone in the “wheel” following you and filling your space- hence the wheel- and the ball will move in the opposite direction (here is a great example). This forces the zone to follow you, and if done correctly, they will eventually end up too far shifted and the backside will be open.
- Attacking the Rover: Attacking the rover is all about attacking that main piece. You’ll use the same tactics that is base defense, whether it is a backer or true zone, but if there is a rover you will move likely opt for one of two options: overloading or finding the 3v2. The first option, instead of overloading a side or outside zone, you’ll look to overload the rover. Most teams try to beat a zone by putting one player in the middle, which most teams counter by putting a rover in to always mark them. When it gets tricky is when you put two in the middle and they work together to throw the rover off- by coming together and splitting, forcing the rover to choose, or by coming in and out at different points of entry to make it chaotic in the middle. The other option is finding the 3v2. To do this, you actually want to bring the rover towards the ball side. Sounds counterintuitive, but if you bring the rover to the ball side, you are clearing the backside to exploit that man down situation. In a true zone, especially without pressure on the hands (and NOT CUTTING), it is easier for the ball handler to find the open player(s) on the backside and hit them if the rover is closer to them.
Less is More: Last but not least, one of the biggest mistakes a lot of teams make in trying to break a zone defense is doing too much. Again, it’s not brawn, it’s brain. Less movement and less cutting actually makes your offense more efficient. Why?
- You know where your teammates are: With less movement, there’s no guessing where your teammates are. If you’re set up in a set offense, you can focus your eyes more on how the defense is adjusting rather than trying to find your teammate to pass it to.
- Chaos = Defense wins: Most zone defense’s goal is to make it hard to dodge and to make it so chaotic passes to the middle are knocked down. The more you cut and move, the more space you are taking away from yourself and lending into the defense’s game plan. If you have a set plan of overloading or looking for flashbacks, that is fine, but know the goal. Don’t go crazy and cut just to cut. Make sure your team knows the Why behind everything that they’re doing.
- They can’t score without the ball: It’s not a race to score every goal. A zone defense usually means that the other team is also allowing you to have possession. If they don’t have the ball, they can’t score, so be methodical in your attack and make sure you find the right option- not the first option. Usually that first option is the wrong option and is what the defense is baiting you to do.

We hope you enjoyed this session of our Question Bin. Feel free to submit your own question by CLICKING HERE!

-2Lacrosse

About the Author

2Lacrosse

Our mission is to use mental and physical training to help our athletes succeed not only as players, but as people off of the field as well. We live by 2 basic principles: Be Fearless, Never Stop Learning.

Zone Defense – Lacrosse IQ

In this animation I depict a basic zone defense for boys lacrosse. There is no audio however, there are text explanations throughout.

Posted in: Zone Defense