Lacrosse Clearing: How to Move the Ball Up the Field
Clearing in lacrosse is the coordinated process of moving the ball from your defensive end past midfield and into the attack zone after your team gains possession. A clean clear turns a save or a takeaway into fast offense, and it starts the moment your goalie or defender controls the ball. The keys are simple: spread the field wide, get the goalie the ball, and advance in numbers before the other team can set its ride.
Most youth turnovers happen right here, in the 6 to 10 seconds after a possession change. Master the clear and you protect your goalie, cut down easy transition goals against you, and hand your attack the ball with time and space to work.
What exactly is a clear, and why does it matter?
A clear happens any time your team wins the ball in the defensive half and needs to advance it. That includes a goalie save, a ground ball off a shot, a caused turnover, or the ball rolling out of bounds to your team on the end line. Once you have possession, your goal is to get the ball across midfield and into a settled offense without giving it back.
The other team is not standing still. Their attackers and midfielders will pressure you in what is called a ride, trying to force a bad pass or a stall. A clear is really a race against that ride. If you move the ball quickly and keep passing lanes open, the ride breaks down and you attack with numbers. If you panic, you hand them a short field and an easy scoring chance.
How does the goalie start the clear?
In men's lacrosse the goalie has 4 seconds to leave the crease with the ball, so the outlet has to be fast and decisive. The goalie should step out to the strong side, keep the stick up and ready, and look for the first open defender pushing wide. If nothing is open, the goalie carries the ball behind the net to reset and buy an extra beat of time.
The most common mistake is throwing across the middle of the field in front of the goal. A pass that gets picked off there leads directly to a point blank shot. Coach your goalie to favor the sideline outlet and to never force a low percentage feed through traffic.
How should players spread the field on a clear?
Width and depth beat pressure. A good clear stretches the ride from sideline to sideline so no single rider can guard two passing lanes. A simple, reliable shape for youth and high school teams is a banana or ladder look: defenders push to the sidelines, midfielders climb to open space, and one player stays high near the midline as a safety valve.
The dashed lines show the ball moving up one sideline in short, safe passes rather than one long heave up the middle. Every catch should come with the receiver already turning up field, ready to pass again or push the ball on the ground toward open grass.
What are the steps of a clean clear?
Which drills build a reliable clear?
Give the defense a one man advantage and a full field. Players learn to read the ride, find the open man, and finish the clear over the midline against real pressure.
Goalie makes a save, then hits a sideline outlet on a whistle. Rapid repetition builds the 4 second habit and trains sharp, sideline first decisions.
Roll a loose ball, have a defender scoop it, and immediately transition into a live clear. This connects the two skills that so often happen back to back in a game.
Players form a wide ladder and move the ball up field with quick catch and turn passes. No pass may travel straight through the middle, reinforcing safe angles.
Run these drills at game speed and add a ride when your players are ready. The pressure is what turns a walkthrough into a habit they can trust under stress.
Custom Lacrosse Clipboard (2 Sided)
Draw up your clears, rides, and transition looks on a full field diagram, then flip to a blank half field to install your settled offense. Custom printed with your team colors and logo.
What goes wrong on a failed clear?
A failed clear almost always comes from one of three things: a rushed pass across the middle, players bunching together instead of spreading out, or a ball carrier who stops moving and lets the ride catch up. When a clear fails inside the box, the defense usually stays on and the other team gets a settled attack against tired legs.
Fix it by drilling spacing first and speed second. A patient clear with good width beats a fast clear with everyone crowded on one hash. Teach players that when in doubt, they carry the ball toward open space and reset rather than forcing a hero pass.
Lacrosse clearing FAQ
In men's field lacrosse the goalie has 4 seconds to leave the crease with the ball. Once out, normal possession rules apply, so the outlet needs to be quick and decisive.
The clear is the team with the ball trying to advance it past midfield. The ride is the team without the ball trying to stop them and force a turnover in the defensive half.
A failed clear is any turnover before the ball is settled in the offensive end: an interception, a ball out of bounds, or a stall that gives possession back to the riding team.
Pass first when a safe sideline outlet is open. If everyone is covered, the goalie carries behind the net to reset and buy time rather than forcing a risky feed.
Avoid long passes straight across the middle in front of your own goal. Those are the highest risk throws and lead to easy transition goals when picked off.
Spread the field wide, use the goalie behind the net as a release, and be willing to carry the ball into open grass. Width and patience break down pressure.
Install your clear on a board your team can see
The fastest way to teach a clear is to draw it. A full field board lets you show the outlet, the wide spacing, and the ball path up the sideline so every player knows exactly where to sprint. Build your clears and rides once, and reuse them all season.
