Hello Lacrosse Fans,

My name is Mike Accursi and I play for the Syracuse Smash. In my eighteen years of lacrosse experience I have developed many skills. Often, there is one skill which is overlooked by coaches and that is faceoffs.

Faceoffs are important for several reasons; ball controll and possession time, both of which are important for the success of any lacrosse team.

I have faced-off against some of the best draw-men in the world, and I have learned many useful techniques and fundamentals from them. These techniques and fundamentals have helped me become one of the best draw-man in the game. I will now explain some basic fundamentals.

1. Initial Position of Hands & Feet - Feet should be placed shoulder width apart, and slightly towards the ball. This position will give you a good centre of balance and allow you to maximize your strength. **Foot position may vary with the individual. Generally feet should be placed shoulder width apart for maximum power.

Your right hand should be placed at the top of the shaft near the throat of the head. The left hand should be approximately shoulder width apart with both hands firmly gripped to the shaft. **Your hands should not be too close together as it will minimize your power.

2. Motion of Hands & Feet - As the whistle is blown your left hand should twist the stick towards the ball and drive forward. While your right hand remains firmly in the same position. It is important to position your feet correctly since the power of the draw comes from your legs. The right foot remains in the same position, and acts as a pivot while stepping forward with the left foot.

3. Final Motion - A good draw-man always has several options to where he can draw the ball. Here are three effective options:

I Draw the ball forward
	II Draw the ball between your legs
III Draw the ball directly backwards       towards your goal

** It is important for a draw-men to notify his teammates where he will be drawing the ball so that they may position themselves properly on the face-off.

Final Note:
It may be advantageous to allow your opponent to win the first few draws, so that you may figure out which technique they are using to win the draw. You then can counter-act their draw technique to beat them. Good luck and remember practice makes perfect.

Yours in Lacrosse
Mike Accursi