Installing a High Pressure Defense

with Dennis Short, Rollins College Head Women's Lacrosse Coach;
Took Rollins from startup program to Division II Final Four in just five years; In 2012 Rollins had the #2 Scoring Offense and #4 Scoring Defense in the country

Dennis Short has used the attacking, doubling defense detailed in this video to take the Rollins women's lacrosse program from a startup in 2008 to a perennial Division II power. Coach Short walks you through everything needed to implement his two aggressive pressure defensive schemes; Zone Pressure and Man Pressure.

This signature defense forces offenses out of their comfort zones and allows defenders to:

• Dictate play to the offense, rather than reacting
• Disrupt any offense's timing and rhythm
• Create turnovers and get into transition
• Take advantage of the defense's natural "man-up" advantage by getting the goalie into the play

This defensive concept is built on a few straightforward concepts and drills that can be implemented at the high school level -- and even the youth level.

Coach Short begins with whiteboard overviews of both man-to-man and zone versions of the pressure defense, and then proceeds to live on-field demonstrations. Coaches with athletic goalies will really enjoy seeing the way Short turns his keepers loose and encourages them to defend out of the crease.

After providing the overview of these defenses in action, Short's squad demonstrates four small-side practice drills you can use to develop the skills and knowledge required to implement the defenses effectively. The drills operate at a variety of tempos with the focus alternating from technique and fundamentals to team concepts. The drills break down the defenses into key elements and provide repetition that will help train your players in a number of areas including:

• Doubling the ball
• 'Pushing' the slide
• Sliding from different spots on the field
• Recovering from the double
• Triangles to teach the zone defense

Having seen the defenses in action and then looked at half field drills, Coach Short then takes you through individual skills and fundamentals required to effectively implement these defenses. How do you approach? What do you want to give an attacker, and what do you take away? How do you maintain disciplined defense from the trail position? Even coaches using a conventional help defense will find this segment beneficial.

The video then switches to a classroom environment with Coach Short talking through the defensive systems on the whiteboard. This detailed coverage of the Xs and Os, along with comprehensive explanations puts everything into context.

Coach Short provides the details necessary to implement an aggressive, fast paced defense that will dramatically reduce your opponent's offensive threat. By showing you how to consistently double the ball and changing the way your players slide to the ball, you will be able to create significantly more turnovers and greatly reduce the number of shots on goal.

93 minutes. 2013.