ABOUT REBELS BOX LACROSSE
Box lacrosse is on the rise across America for both boys and girls. The biggest reason for this growth is that it allows young players to be exposed to a quicker pace and more continuous flow of the game. In Box lacrosse, the ball never goes out of bounds, which leads to a more rapid pace of play and quicker decision-making. This is a significant part of the Box lacrosse game, and why so many college coaches are advocating for more youth and high school players to play this up-tempo version of the game.
There are three key reasons that coaches want their players experienced in box lacrosse:
1. Player Development: Box lacrosse is excellent for developing everything from stick skills, to game intelligence, and much more. With Box lacrosse goals being 4' x 4' and goalies wearing large hockey equipment, practically covering the entirety of the goal, players must focus on developing pinpoint accuracy with their shots. Players must also consider shooting angles and timing and how these factors play into their shots on goal. Also, since everyone on the field uses short sticks and are forced to play both ways, players must excel at dodging, getting ground balls, and catching and throwing through traffic in order to be successful. Box lacrosse also develops a player's ground ball skills, as the game is played in tight spaces and with traffic coming towards players from all sides. Plus, with a short 30 second shot clock, Box lacrosse players learn quicker decision making and are fast to recognize game situations.
2. Fast Pace of Play: With a short shot clock and no actual out-of-bounds, the ball is constantly in play. With the speed of the game being this way, along with not having as many players on the field, all players touch the ball more frequently, and what better way to develop your stick skills than having the ball in your stick? There aren't many times where will you see a player standing still, since every player is constantly moving and providing some sort of action throughout the play.
3. Importance of Physicality & Creativity: When it comes to increased physicality, it's important to remember that the Box lacrosse field of play is surrounded by boards, which often act as an extra defenseman, translating to more contact between players. On the offensive side of the ball, players must learn the art of protecting their stick with their body, and running through stick checks and crosschecks. Spacing & cutting is also a big factor in the creative part of the game, which can give your teammates areas to dodge to and out without another defender jumping them. This skill also goes hand in hand with stick skills such as faking shots/passes, using your eyes to communicate, and deceiving the goalie on where they are shooting. On the defensive side, players must use their body and footwork to keep the offensive player in front of them. You can bang the offensive players around at all times (legally). The game's physicality comes with some adjustments, but ultimately depends on the age of the players on the field. Learning to deal with this amount of contact ultimately improves the player's balance and anticipation of being hit and crosschecked.
Box lacrosse is all about having fun, and grinding through the ups and downs of the game with your teammates. It brings the most competitive nature out of all players, as they all try to win every groundball, drive through traffic to get to the cage, defensively body up on a man, and not giving me an inch towards the goal. No matter the outcome of the games, the main goal is to have some fun, develop your skills, and learn how to play box lacrosse.