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3 Off-Ball Concepts from X
Stop standing in the parking lot. Use these three concepts to put pressure on the defense.
Matt Dunn & Deemer Class
March 29, 2026
Happy Sunday, Coach.
Welcome back to FCL’s Coaches Corner. Our quote of the day is from an interview following Jordan Davis’s Pro Bowl snub this year.
When asked if it was surprising to him when he did not make the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl, he talks about how he can only feel that way if he is being selfish.
He talks about his teammates being the guys he plays for.
"When you take a step back, and you play selflessly. I’m satisfied, I’m more than satisfied, because I know I’m adding and I’m contributing, and I’m being a force, and I’m being dominant, and I can sleep at night with that"
Jordan Davis
Let’s rock,
Matt Dunn & Deemer Class
(Missed the last Coaches Corner? Catch up here.)
Today’s Quick Links for Coaches:
🤓 The Principles Office
3 ways to be a threat from X without the ball
Great offensive players put pressure on the defense both with and without the ball.
So much of lacrosse happens without the ball. We harp on this constantly to our players. Some get it instantly and others… well, they're works in progress.
I always find it's helpful to give concrete examples of how to be dangerous off the ball rather than just saying "cut," "move," "spacing."
Abstract words get mixed results.
Today's Principles Office focuses on how offenses can put pressure on defense from X, the area below GLE in between the hashes. We'll focus on three concepts:
The sprint fade
The front swing
The sneak
Most players at X stand and watch. These concepts are the alternative.
Watch our YouTube video on this concept here.
I/ The Sprint Fade
Sprint Fade by Ryan Goldstein at X.
The Concept: Sprinting toward the back pipe as the dodge initiates toward X. Similar to the fade above the cage, players will move away from the ball when using this cut.
For comparison’s sake, here is a normal fade above the cage. Notice how here, it is more of a back pedal.
The Tactical Leverage: This is most lethal when the X defender is “showing” to the ball. By fading at the same time as the dodge, the recovery angle for the defender gets increasingly challenging.
Leo Johnson puts the Princeton defender in a difficult spot where he is not able to recover to the ball in time to affect the shot.
Why it stresses the defense: If executed with the right timing, defenders will become hesitant to show to the dodger. They will be more worried about their own responsibility than showing to the ball.
Because this happens at full speed, the attacker often catches on the move, allowing them to immediately put pressure on the defense to rotate or slide.
Here, UMass must slide quickly to the ball, but their second slide is not able to get into the backside in time.
II/ The Front Swing / Jump Cut
By cutting toward the ball, the Duke attacker uses the cage to "screen" his defender, creating a massive window for the feeder.
The Concept: A hard cut toward the ball carrier around the ball side of the crease.
‘Cuse utilizing multiple cutters to disguise the front swing.
The Tactical Leverage: This is a great counter when a defender is trailing the attackman or attempting to support the backside above GLE.
By using the goal frame itself as a natural pick, the attackman disguises their cut until the defender must take a sub-optimal path around the goal.
Watch the ND defender's helmet. The moment he looks at the ball, the attacker cuts to the "front" side for the game-winner.
Why it stresses the defense: This cut punishes hesitation. Unlike the sprint fade (which often becomes a footrace), the front swing is about posture and change of pace.
If the defense is caught ball watching, or relaxing their stance even for a moment, they will not be able to react in time to the cut and feed.
Just like the sprint fade, this forces the defense to worry about their man responsibility more than help defense, which will open opportunities up above the cage.
III/ The Sneak
Classic "hide and seek." The moment the defender's helmet turns to the ball, the X-attackman vanishes to the front pipe.
The Concept: A timed cut, typically to the back pipe, used the moment a defender turns their head towards the ball. It hinges on cutting '“behind” the defender’s eyes.
The Tactical Leverage: This is the ultimate punishment for a defender with poor eye discipline.
It thrives on the chaos of a dodge. As the defense collapses toward the crease to support a slide, the X-defender almost always feels the urge to plug in or show.
Here the Michigan X defender looks to plug to the middle, and his attackman cuts to the back pipe.
The sneak exploits that moment by disappearing into the defender's blind spot.
Why it stresses the defense: When the defense must be conscious about covering a sneak, it means skip lanes, the crease, or the throwback are going to open up when the defense is sliding and recovering.
The Penn State attackman notices his man looking to show on the ball-side, and he gets to the back pipe above GLE and scores an easy goal.
Defenses are taught to play inside out. By just having a presence near the back pipe, defenses must collapse. This in turn can create longer and more rushed approaches on the backside.
IV/ Don’t be in “the parking lot”
My coach used to always talk about offensive players that were “out in the parking lot getting a hot dog”. What he meant was they were so far wide that they were barely in the play.
Often players at X will sit in the parking lot and watch the play unfold.
Sure, sometimes the offense might just need a deep X outlet, but leveraging these concepts makes you dangerous and puts pressure on the defense.
Great offensive players put pressure on the defense with and without the ball. Period.
Until Next Time
Thanks for stopping by the office. If you are looking for a deeper dive, we have posted numerous videos on our Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube channels.
Stay tuned for more content and email us at [email protected] with any questions and let us know your thoughts.
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This week’s freebie is from our webinar with Coach Phil Barnes. Coach Barnes delivered a webinar centered around women’s college defensive film review.
It is an extremely insightful webinar where Coach Barnes dives into everything from playing angles on ball to the technique of playing the Rover spot in a zone.
We wanted to highlight a segment where Coach Barnes breaks down a Woman Down clip of Army vs Northwestern!
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