Footwork and Conditioning Drill Inside the 8-Meter with Kayla Treanor

The 8-meter arc is one of the liveliest areas on the lacrosse field. Defensive players battle attackers and midfielders, trying to prevent shots on the goal.

For an offensive player to find success through all the congestion, they need to come ready with proper footwork and strong conditioning.

“As an offensive player, you are so close to the cage every time you are getting shots and dodging,” says Kayla Treanor, a former collegiate All-American and professional lacrosse all-star. “So we want to make sure our footwork is at its best inside the 8-meter.”

To work on these important skills, Treanor recommends this footwork and conditioning drill. Here’s what to do:

• Set up four cones in a rectangle

• Start at the cone on the bottom right and explode off the line until you get to the next cone

• Plant with your left foot and come back to the cone where you started

• Push your left foot again, but this time, head across the middle of the box to the cone diagonally across from the start

• Plant your right foot facing the outside of the box

• Sprint to the cone opposite from where you started

• Finish by running through this last cone

Work on this drill for three sets. You can then switch the cone you start with and run through the drill again.

By working on this drill regularly, you can help prepare yourself to work in front of the net until the final whistle.

Looking for more lacrosse drills? Try the Ground Ball to Shooting Drill with Kayla Treanor and the Lacrosse Shooting Drill with Jerome Thompson.