90-Minute Tryout Defensive Fundamentals Practice Plan

Jog the perimeter once, then dynamic movement on the sideline (high knees, butt kicks, side shuffle, open/close the gate). Keep sticks in hands the whole time so you can correct spacing early.

Finish with 60 seconds of “ready position” holds: knees bent, chest up, stick out front (no waving it around). Tell them today is poke/lift only—if you wind up, the rep stops.

• Cues: “Hips low.” “Hands in front.” “Stick is a tool, not a bat.”
• Watch for: players who can listen, reset fast, and keep their stick under control—those are tryout traits.

Set two 10-yard lanes with discs. Put players in pairs facing the same direction; one is the leader, one mirrors 3 yards away in a defensive stance.

On your whistle, the leader moves laterally and diagonally for 6–8 seconds; the defender mirrors with shuffles and drop-steps (no crossing feet). Switch roles every rep.

• Cues: “Nose over toes.” “Short steps—don’t click your heels.” “Stay square, don’t turn your back.”
• Common issue: defenders stand tall after two shuffles. Fix: stop the group and do a 5-second squat hold, then immediately restart the rep.

Adjustment: if they’re lost, reduce to pure side-to-side shuffles; if they’re handling it, add a quick change of direction on a second whistle.

Build an “approach lane”: start cone, then a 2-yard chop box (two cones), then a ball-carrier cone. Offense stands still with a ball; defense starts 7–8 yards away.

Defender sprints to the chop box, takes 3 choppy steps to slow down, then finishes in a good stance one stick-length away. After the breakdown, defender throws a controlled poke to the glove side and freezes.

• Watch for: the defender’s feet stop under their hips (no leaning/falling) before the stick goes forward.
• Cues: “Sprint, chop, sit.” “Hands back, then poke.” “Arrive under control.”
• Common issue: fly-by because they never decelerate. Fix: make them start 2 yards closer and require a full stop in the chop box before continuing.

Rotate fast—two lines if you can. This sets the foundation for the 1v1s later.

Partner up 5 yards apart. One player cradles slowly in place; defender works poke and lift at 50–70% speed. No running yet—this is form and safety.

1. Poke: straight line to the gloves, quick tap, stick returns to ready position.
2. Lift: bottom hand lifts up through the opponent’s bottom hand area (no slashes), then reset.

• Cues: “Straight line.” “No wind-up.” “Touch and back.”
• Common issue: big swing across the body. Fix: have them put their stick on the ground and mime the poke with their top hand only, then pick the stick up and repeat.

Adjustment: if they’re clean, add one step of approach before the check; if it’s messy, keep them stationary and slow the cadence.

Water. While they drink, set expectations for the live 1v1s: reps are short, effort is non-negotiable, and we’re grading approach control more than big checks.

• Coach script: “Win with your feet first. If you swing, the rep is over.”

Set two alleys about 10–12 yards wide from top to GLE area using discs. Offense starts at the top cone with a ball; defense starts 5 yards away inside the alley. One coach feeds/starts each alley.

On whistle, defender approaches and breaks down; offense gets one dodge to try to get to the middle or the end line. Defender’s job: turn them away, stay square, and finish with body position (no cross-checking).

• Watch for: defender’s hips stay between the dodger and the middle; stick stays in front, not wrapped around.
• Cues: “Top foot to the sideline.” “Hands back—feet first.” “Poke, recover, run.”
• Common issue: reaching and getting spun. Fix: tell them to take one extra shuffle step before any poke; if they still reach, remove checks for one rep and make it pure footwork.

Keep it tryout-paced: 6–8 seconds per rep, rotate immediately. Track who improves rep-to-rep.

Go 3v3 in a box (about 20x25 yards). Put one ball on offense. One defender is on-ball; the adjacent defender is the “helper.” Start with offense stationary so you can teach the movement once.

Run it like this: offense dodges from the top; on-ball defender plays 1v1. If the dodger gets a step, the adjacent defender slides to stop the ball (two hard steps, body in front). After contact/stop, the slider recovers back out to their original man on your whistle.

• Cues: “Show help early.” “Two steps then sit.” “Help, hit, get out.”
• Common issue: everyone slides and leaves two guys open. Fix: freeze the rep, point to the adjacent spot, and restart with only the adjacent defender allowed to slide.

Adjustment: if they’re getting it, let offense move the ball once before the dodge; if not, keep it dodge-only so the reads stay simple.

This is here even though we’re defense-focused because tryouts aren’t just stops—defenders have to turn a stop into a clear and make a decision under pressure.

Set a 30x40 yard area with a cone “clear gate” at midfield. Play 4v4 with pinnies. Defense starts with the ball (simulate a ground ball or save outlet). Score 1 point by passing or carrying through the gate under control.

• Constraint: 3-second carry rule—if you cradle longer than 3 seconds without moving it, it’s a turnover. This forces quick outlets and spacing.
• Watch for: heads up before the catch, quick first pass, and players relocating after they pass (don’t stand).
• Cues: “Catch, look, move it.” “Find the easy outlet.” “Pass and replace.”
• Common issue: players run into pressure and get stripped. Fix: stop and show the ‘back door’ option—reverse the ball to the far side instead of forcing up the same sideline.

Light jog to a walk, then quick stretch circle (quads, hip flexors, calves). Keep sticks down during stretching so nobody is swinging around tired.

Finish with a 2-minute huddle: tell them exactly what you scored today—stance/feet, approach control, safe checks, 1v1 compete, slide/recover effort, and clearing decisions.

• Coach script: “If you want to jump tomorrow, win your approach: sprint, chop, sit. Then be the loudest helper and the fastest recover.”

Collect pinnies/balls and dismiss by position group so exits stay organized.