How to Win Ground Balls in Lacrosse
To win a ground ball in lacrosse, get low, scoop through the ball with two hands and your bottom hand near the head, protect your stick, and explode away to open space before a defender can check you. Ground balls decide possession, and possession decides games. The team that consistently scoops the loose ball almost always controls tempo, shot count, and the scoreboard.
This guide breaks down the exact scooping technique, how to win a contested ground ball, the best drills to build the habit, and the mistakes that cost young players easy possessions.
Why Are Ground Balls So Important?
Every loose ball is a 50/50 possession up for grabs. In a typical game a team will contest dozens of ground balls, and each one you win is a shot you get to take and a shot your opponent does not. Coaches often say ground balls are the rebounds of lacrosse. They are the unglamorous, effort based plays that separate good teams from great ones.
Winning ground balls is also the great equalizer. A less skilled team that hustles to every loose ball can stay competitive against a faster, more talented opponent simply by controlling possession. That is why smart coaches track ground ball counts just as closely as goals, and why they build practice around the fundamentals of scooping and boxing out.
What Is the Correct Way to Scoop a Ground Ball?
The scoop is the single most important mechanic in the ground ball game. Break it down into repeatable steps so players build muscle memory and stop swiping at the ball with one hand.
How Do You Win a Contested Ground Ball?
Most ground balls in a real game are contested, with two or more players converging. Technique still matters, but body position and timing decide the battle. The key is to get your body between the opponent and the ball, much like boxing out in basketball.
As you approach, use your lower body and hips to shield the opponent while you scoop. If you cannot get to the ball cleanly first, box your man out and kick or nudge the ball to open space, then chase it down with leverage on your side.
Draw Up Ground Ball Battles on a Real Field
Players grasp box out angles and scoop lanes far faster when they can see them. A dry erase lacrosse board lets you diagram ground ball drills, clearing lanes, and riding assignments right on the sideline.
Custom Lacrosse Clipboard (2 Sided)
A two sided, full field dry erase board built for in game adjustments, so you can chalk up ground ball reps and clears in seconds.
What Drills Improve Ground Ball Skills?
Ground ball ability is built through high rep, game speed practice. Here are four proven drills that take only a few minutes each and pay off in every game.
Roll a ball between two players starting on a line. On the whistle they sprint, box out, and battle for the scoop, then the winner clears. Builds toughness and body position.
Players jog forward, scoop a stationary ball through cleanly, bring the stick to protect, then accelerate five yards. Pure technique reps at game speed.
Scoop balls rolled from different angles, left side, right side, and behind, so players learn to adjust their feet and hips instead of reaching.
Chain a contested scoop directly into an outlet pass and a numbers up break. Trains players to make the next play instead of admiring the scoop.
Common Ground Ball Mistakes to Fix
Most lost ground balls come from a short list of fixable habits. Watch for these and correct them early, especially with younger players.
One hand feels faster but loses control and gets stripped. Demand two hands on every rep until it is automatic.
Bending only at the waist instead of the knees leaves the stick too high. Get the hips down and the back low.
Jabbing at the ball and halting the stick leaves it behind. Scoop through and follow the stick up and forward.
Lacrosse Ground Ball FAQ
Yes. Driving the stick through and under the ball, then following up, is far more reliable than stabbing at it. Think of scooping sand with a shovel rather than poking at the ground.
Because each won ground ball is an extra possession and an extra scoring chance. Teams that win the ground ball battle usually win the shot count and the game.
Get low, box your opponent out with your hips and lower body, then scoop through and explode to open space. Body position beats raw speed.
Always two hands in a game. One handed scoops lose control and invite checks. Save one hand only for emergency reaches you cannot make any other way.
As early as kids pick up a stick. Ground ball technique is a foundational skill, so build the two hand, low body habit from the very first practice.
Plenty. Dedicate a block every practice, since ground balls are an effort skill that fades fast without consistent, game speed reps.
Chalk Up Your Ground Ball Game
Ground balls are won in practice, long before game day. Diagram your drills, box out angles, and clears on a custom two sided lacrosse board so your players see exactly where to go and what to do.
