90-Minute Tryout Lacrosse Practice Plan For New Players

Lacrosse·High School·Beginner·90 min·Tryout

By the PracticePlan Coaching Team · Published June 2026

1.How This Tryout Practice Is Scored
2.What We’re Teaching vs. What We’re Testing
3.The 90-Minute Practice Plan
4.What You'll Need
5.Run The Pressure Stickwork Period Like A Tryout
6.Breakdowns You’ll See (And The Fix In The Moment)
7.Adjustments For Numbers, Space, And Equipment
8.What To Do Next Practice
9.Frequently Asked Questions

Practice context: Lacrosse · high school · 90 minutes · Goal: evaluate who can catch/throw under pressure, win ground balls into space, and play fast without panicking.

How This Tryout Practice Is Scored#

Tell them up front: we’re not “grading lacrosse IQ” today. We’re grading repeatable habits you can control in a tryout setting—hands, feet, effort, and response to mistakes. Every period has a quick way for coaches to spot it: who catches clean, who throws on time, who gets low on ground balls, who can stay in front on defense, and who can make one good decision in transition.

Effort standard: first three steps are a sprint on every loose ball and every change of direction.
Skill standard: two hands on the stick unless you’re switching; step to your target; catch with soft hands.
Decision standard: when you’re unsure, get the ball to space or to a teammate’s stick—don’t cradle into traffic.

What We’re Teaching vs. What We’re Testing#

We’ll teach the “how” in short bursts, then immediately test it with a little pressure. That’s intentional for tryout week. The stickwork block is where you’ll see natural hands and who can use their off-hand without freezing. The ground-ball-to-break period shows who can scoop and go (or scoop and stop). The defensive footwork block is about approach, body position, and not swinging the stick wildly. The ride/clear period is kept simple—just enough structure to see who can communicate and move to open space.

How To Keep Lines Short And Reps High#

Plan on two groups running the same thing on two lanes whenever possible. If you have a big turnout, split by endline to midfield and mirror the drill. If you’re short on players, shrink the space and go continuous—no one should be standing for more than 20–30 seconds during skill periods.

The 90-Minute Practice Plan#

9-period beginner high school practice · 90 min

Customize This Plan →

Time	Period	Coaching Notes
0:00–0:08	Warm-Up And Stick Safety	Start on the sideline with sticks in hands and balls in buckets—no one throws until you say go. Jog to the far cone and back, then add side shuffle, backpedal, and two 10-yard accelerations. Quick safety/organization: where balls live, how to rotate lines, and the freeze command (one whistle = stop, two whistles = take a knee). Cues: “Two hands when you run.” “Heads up—sticks down in lines.” “Freeze means freeze.” Watch for: who listens and adjusts fast—coachability matters in tryouts.
0:08–0:20	Partner Passing Under Pressure	Set two long lanes (10–12 yards) with discs. Partners face each other; one ball per pair. After 2 minutes, slide pairs one step closer and demand quicker release. Progression: 2 minutes strong hand catch/throw, 2 minutes off-hand only, 2 minutes “quick stick” (no cradle), then finish with 2 minutes where a coach or extra player jogs through the lane as light pressure. Cues: “Show a target.” “Step to your teammate.” “Catch soft—throw hard.” “No cradle on quick sticks.” Common issue: players catch with one hand and their stick drifts behind their head. Fix: stop one rep, have everyone clap both hands together on the shaft, then restart with a slower feed for 3 reps. If you have a big group, mirror this on both halves so nobody stands.
0:20–0:30	Quick Stick Finishing In Tight	Use one goal. Put two cones at each pipe about 5 yards out. Two lines: feeders at GLE extended, finishers on the cones. One goalie if you have it; if not, shoot to corners and count “on cage” as a win. Feeders throw firm to the near-side finisher for a quick stick. Next rep goes to the far-side finisher. After 4 minutes, switch to off-hand quick sticks (finishers must catch/finish with the off-hand side). Watch for: hands stay back and the stick moves like a “catch and push,” not a big wind-up. Cues: “Hands back by your ear.” “Catch it—push it.” “Feet quiet, hands fast.” Adjustment: if they’re missing everything, allow one cradle then shoot; if they’re clean, add a light stick check from behind after the catch.
0:30–0:33	Water Break And Tryout Notes	Water on the sideline. Coaches quickly write down names: clean catchers, off-hand attempts, and anyone struggling with safety/spacing. Give one reset sentence before you send them back out: “Next block is ground balls—first three steps are a sprint.”
0:33–0:45	Ground Balls To Fast Break	Set a 20x25 yard box with cones. Start 3 lines on one end (left, middle, right). Coach rolls a ground ball into the box; first player in wins it and must exit through a cone gate, then hit an outlet pass to a teammate filling wide. Run it continuous: roll, scoop, two steps through, pass, next roll. Rotate who is the outlet so everyone catches on the move. Cues: “Get low—top hand to the ground.” “Scoop through, don’t stop.” “Chin over the ball.” “First look is out, not back.” Common issue: players try to rake or one-hand scoop and the ball pops out. Fix: make them do 3 perfect “trap and lift” scoops in place, then re-enter the live line. To raise pressure, add a second player chasing from behind after the scoop to force a quick outlet.
0:45–0:55	Defensive Footwork And Approach	This is here even in an offense-heavy tryout because new players will get exposed on defense fast; we need to see who can move their feet and stay under control. Set 4–6 short lanes (10 yards). Offense carries at half speed to a cone; defender starts 5 yards away and works approach: sprint, break down, shuffle to stay in front for 3 seconds, then release. Watch for: defender’s hips stay square and feet keep moving—no lunging. Cues: “Run, then break down.” “Nose on chest.” “Hands together, stick to gloves.” Common issue: defenders swing the stick and cross their feet. Fix: take away checks for 2 reps—only footwork—then add the stick back with the rule ‘no slap checks.’ Adjustment: if they’re lost, make the ballcarrier go in a straight line; if they’re solid, let the ballcarrier add one hard change of direction.
0:55–1:08	Simple 4v3 And 5v4 Clear/Ride	Set half-field from endline to midfield with cones marking two wide outlets and one middle outlet. Start with 4 clear players (including a goalie or coach passer) vs 3 riders. After a few reps, bump to 5v4 if numbers allow. How it runs: ball starts with goalie/coach, must hit an outlet in 5 seconds, then clear group tries to cross midfield under control. Riders try to force one bad pass or trap near a sideline. Cues: “Get wide early.” “Show your hands.” “One more pass beats pressure.” “If you’re covered, cut through—don’t stand.” Watch for: clear group creates triangles (three passing options) instead of everyone running to the ball. Common issue: the outlet catches and immediately runs into the middle. Fix: put a cone ‘no-go’ zone in the middle for 2 minutes—force the next pass before entering. Keep it simple: we’re not installing a full clear, we’re evaluating spacing, communication, and composure.
1:08–1:26	Competitive Small-Sided Games	Play 4v4 or 5v5 depending on numbers in a shortened field (box it in with cones). Use one goal if that’s all you have; if you have two, run two games at once to keep lines short. Rules that create tryout moments: shots must come off a pass (no solo runs through traffic), and every turnover is an immediate fast break the other way—no jogging back. Coaches restart instantly with a ball from the sideline. Cues: “Move after you pass.” “Head up—find the open man.” “Sprint on the change.” Watch for: who plays fast without throwing it away—quick decisions, not hero ball. Adjustment: if it gets sloppy, require two passes before a shot; if it’s too easy, add a 10-second shot clock.
1:26–1:30	Cool Down And Tryout Wrap	Light jog to the endline and back, then circle up on the sideline. Quick recap of what mattered today: clean catches, off-hand attempts, ground-ball effort, and defensive feet. Coach script: “If you want to stand out next time: win one more ground ball than the guy next to you, and throw one more on-time pass than you did today.” Collect balls, pinnies, and confirm next tryout time before they leave.

What You'll Need#

Lacrosse balls (30–50 if possible)
Flat agility discs (20–30) for lanes and gates
Tall cones (8–12) for break points and sidelines
Two goals (or one goal plus 2 cone goals)
Pinnies in two colors (at least 12)
Two buckets or ball bags (one per half)
Whistle and stopwatch

Run The Pressure Stickwork Period Like A Tryout#

This is the make-or-break evaluation block because it looks like “just passing,” but it exposes everything: catching, throwing mechanics, urgency, and composure. Keep it moving and keep the pressure realistic without turning it into chaos.

Set a rep clock: every rep is 20–25 seconds, then rotate. If the ball hits the ground, it’s an instant scoop and finish the rep—don’t stop to talk.
Coach one cue only per rep: pick one thing (hands together, step to target, stick to ear on quick stick) and let them play.
Track it: have an assistant tally clean catches in traffic and off-hand attempts. In tryouts, “tries off-hand” matters almost as much as “perfect off-hand.”

Breakdowns You’ll See (And The Fix In The Moment)#

Quick sticks turn into wind-up passes. It happens because new players don’t trust the release and they want to “aim.” Fix: freeze them after the throw and physically show “hands back by the ear, step, snap.” Then run a rule: if you cradle on a quick-stick rep, it’s an automatic extra sprint to the back of the line (short—5 yards—just enough to matter).
Ground balls: scoop and stop. They’re worried about dropping it, so they stand up and cradle in place. Fix: require a run-through: scoop while moving, two steps through the ball, then either pass or dodge to a cone gate. If they stop their feet, blow it dead and re-serve immediately.
Defense: lunging and stick swinging. New defenders chase the stick instead of the hips. Fix: take the stick out of their hands for 2 reps (hands behind back), just shuffle and cut off the cone. Then give the stick back and demand “stick to gloves, body to hips.”
Clears: everyone hides near the goalie. They don’t understand spacing yet. Fix: paint three simple pictures: one outlet wide, one up the middle, one over the top. If two guys stand on the same cone, stop and physically move one—then restart with a 5-second count.

Adjustments For Numbers, Space, And Equipment#

8–10 players: run 3v2 instead of 4v3 for ride/clear, and play small-sided 3v3 to two mini-goals (cones) so nobody sits. For stickwork, go partner passing with a “pressure runner” who jogs through lanes to force quick decisions.
12–14 players: standard setup—two lanes for stickwork, one GB-to-break lane, then 4v3/5v4 with quick rotations. Keep goalies involved as passers even if they’re new.
16–20+ players: mirror everything on both halves. For games, run two fields of 4v4 (or 5v5) with a coach as the feeder to restart instantly.
Limited balls: put one bucket per half and assign a “ball boss” (injured player or manager). Any ball outside the drill gets returned immediately—no casual shooting between reps.
Players who can’t catch yet: don’t sit them. Put them in a closer passing lane (5–7 yards) with a tennis ball for 2 minutes, then bring them back to a normal ball. They still rotate through the same periods.
When it gets chaotic: blow one whistle, everyone freezes and takes a knee. Give one sentence: “We restart in 10 seconds, next rep is off-hand only.” Then restart—no long speech.

What To Do Next Practice#

Next practice, keep the same skeleton but add one layer: catching/throwing on the move (lead passes) and a clearer defensive rule for approach (stop at 2 sticks away, then break down). The first thing that will break down is still ground-ball exits under pressure—so keep a short “GB + outlet” block every day until it looks automatic.

Frequently Asked Questions#

What if I only have one goalie (or no goalie) for the clear/ride period?

Use a coach as the “goalie” passer behind the endline and start every rep with a roll-out pass to an outlet. If you have one goalie, run half-field reps so the goalie isn’t taking 30 straight clears without a break.

How do I keep tryout reps fair when skill levels are all over the place?

Rotate partners and lines every 2–3 minutes, and keep the rules consistent (same rep clock, same off-hand requirement, same restart). Don’t let the best players stay together for the whole practice.

I have 20+ kids and not enough sticks/helmets yet—what do I do?

Anyone without full gear can still do footwork, approach, and ground-ball body positioning with a short stick or even no stick for a few reps. For stickwork, create a 5–7 yard “learn lane” with tennis balls so equipment-sharing doesn’t stop the whole group.

How many live reps should I run in the small-sided games?

Aim for 6–10 short games to 2 goals (or 90-second rounds). Restart immediately from a coach or goalie so you’re evaluating transitions, not watching kids chase balls.

What should assistants be watching during this practice?

One coach tracks catch/throw consistency (especially off-hand attempts), one tracks ground-ball wins and first three steps, and one tracks defensive approach (breakdown, stick position, no lunges). Write names down during water breaks so it doesn’t turn into guesswork later.