Possession allows teams to dominate action
By: Bob Nuse
In girls’ lacrosse, it’s all about possession. If you have possession of the ball, you can score. If you don’t have the ball, you can’t score. Seems simple enough.
The key then becomes getting the ball. In basketball, when you score a basket, your opponent then gets the ball. In softball, once you get three outs in the field you get a chance to hit. In lacrosse, theoretically, you could never see the ball on offense. That’s why every team needs to be able to win the draw.
"It’s great if you have a center that can direct the ball, but the key is having someone who can then scoop it," West Windsor-Plainsboro North coach Beth Mitchell said. "It’s great to be able to direct it, but it doesn’t do you any good if you can’t pick up the ball."
So winning the draw is actually a two-part play. First, you need a center who is able to direct the ball to where you want it to go. Then you need players who are able to control the ball and get the offense started.
"This year with the rule change where there is one center and then just the four players around the circle, you need to have players that can pick up the ball," Stuart coach Cheryl Wolf said. "There isn’t as much of a crowd around the ball now as there used to be because the other players are outside the restraining line.
"But you still have to come up with the ball. It’s an advantage if you’re able to control the draw."
In girls’ lacrosse, a good combination on the draw means dominating possession, and that usually leads to winning the game. It’s the lacrosse version of possession being nine-tenths of the law.
"I always look at two stats," Princeton Day School coach Jill Thomas said. "I tell the kids if we’re up on draw possessions and ground balls, we’ll win the game 90 percent of the time. Draw possessions are possessions. You have the ball and if you have the ball you can score. It also means that the other team can’t score."
There is certainly a technique to being able to control the draw. And there is a technique to picking the ball up as well. When you have a combination of two players working well together, it makes for a great tandem. Having a player who is aggressive when the ball is on the ground certainly helps.
"We have a player, Tarah Kirnan, who is very aggressive," Hun School coach Lauren Provenzano said. "As soon as it’s released, she’s all over it. I want to put one of my most aggressive players in it. Once you get it, it determines how the flow will go. Once you get it, it’s such an advantage. Most of the goals are scored on fastbreaks, and can come right off the draw."
And now, with less players around the circle, the player who can scoop it up and get the offense going is as valuable as ever. Once they gain control of the ball, the offense kicks into gear and the opportunity is there to score.
"I think there is a little trick to it and there are different ways you can do it," WW-P South coach Kris Javick said. "You just can’t take anyone and throw them in there. There is some strategy involved with where you want the ball to go and who you want to pick it up. It’s a key part of the game. I have a couple players who are good at directing the ball."
Usually it’s the center that is trying to direct the ball on the draw. And that’s just one aspect of a very difficult position.
"The center position is very demanding," Princeton coach Joyce Jones said. "If you have a player that is strong on the draw you’re able to control the game. You get most of the possessions and that leads to more chances to score. You want to control the ball and that starts with controlling the draw."
And if you control one draw after another, the chances are your team is going to be in for a pretty good afternoon. Likewise, those who have trouble on the draw know their offensive opportunities may be few and far between.
"The draw is the key," Montgomery coach Jeremy Beardsley said. "When you control the draw you control the game. We’re getting better at it. The real good teams are able to dominate the possessions."
And in turn, they’re often able to dominate the games.