Lacrosse Tip | Tagged: Goalies
Presented by MacKenzie Lurch, Camp Director
Goalie - Defending the 8-meter
Goalie instruction.
Defend your house
Defending the 8-meter (Fan) is like defending the yard of your home. You do not want anyone running through it or entering it. Remember though, it is not just the goalie that has to defend the yard - your defense is your family and they want the same thing as you. By definition, the 8-meter arc is a fan shape with lines that run from a point on each side of the goal circle. The lines will form a 43-degree angle to the goal line extended. The 8-meter entails a lot of movement with fast speed, given that the opposing team's goal is to score and discombobulate the defense.
The Set
Now the set up on the 8-meter is different for every team. Regardless of the setup, it's the goalie’s job to make sure the 8-meter defenders are in the right place defending the ball and communicating. As the goalie, you run the show. It is your job to let the defenders know when there are cutters, when there is a switch in the offense, and when there is someone driving to goal. The defensive set can be a zone or man-to-man. You have five defenders including yourself in the 8-meter fan.
Mind Set
Before games there is nothing that can prepare you for another team's offense other than watching film. Although, a team's offense can change given that each team prepares differently when watching film of you. I went into my games with a flexible mindset. You have to be prepared for any given scenario; each game is a new learning experience. Believing in yourself is everything: you are a wall, you will save every goal, and you will be feared. Confidence is key in each and every moment of the game.
Tips on defending
If your teammates can't hear you on the sidelines, then you are not doing your job as a goalie. Communication is everything when it comes to helping the defense navigate where the ball is. In the nature of defense, there are slip ups where at times as a goalie we need to interfere. In those cases, it could be defending a crease roll, going at a ground ball that rolls through the 8-meter, or when the other team is trying to move the ball around the 8 and you intercept it. In the end, it is the goalie's choice how to run the show, and it is the defense's job to enforce it. Help them defend the fan, help them defend the yard.
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