The C.A.R.E. (Contagious Attack Riding Effort) Riding System

with John Galloway,
University of Jacksonville Head Coach; former Providence College Assistant Coach;
Team USA Co-Captain; Goalie - 2018 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) Men's World Championship (Gold medal);
Chrome Lacrosse Club goalie (PLL);
Dallas Rattlers Goalie (2011 - present); 3x Goaltender of the Year Award (2014, 2016 & in 2018 shared the award with Niko Amato):
2x First Team All-American Goalie at Syracuse University, Goalie on 2008 & 2009 NCAA Championship teams (Syracuse);
2x Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Award winner (nation's best goalkeeper), Galloway is the second goalkeeper in history to be named a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy; recorded most wins for a goalie in NCAA history (59), ranks seventh in the NCAA history in goals against average (7.33)

The riding game is more than just your attackmen swinging their sticks at long pole defenders. A truly effective ride requires a full-field effort from all of your players, from your attackmen to your close defenders.

In this video, the University of Jacksonville's John Galloway presents an aggressive ride high on energy and long on team effort. Coach Galloway ensures that the attackman, the midfielders and the close defenders all know their jobs and work together from one end of the field to the other.

Phase 1 - Prevent the Breakout

In Phase 1, immediately after the clearing team gains possession of the ball, the riding team must do everything it can to prevent transition going the other way. Here, Galloway first walks you through the job of the attackman, emphasizing their need to immediately get in the face of the ball carrier and cover the floater and the clearing midfielder opposite the substitution box. Then, he shows you how the three midfielders drop to the midline, led by the Honcho, and the substitution pattern for getting the LSM onto the field. Finally, Galloway shows how the close defenders "cover the jersey" of the clearing attackman and take them out of the play.

Phase 2 -Seesaw Technique

Phase 2 begins after the initial ball carrier passes out of trouble and the clearing team sets up its clear. The attackmen drop back to the midfield line in thirds, with the near-ball attackmen jumping the ball carrier with an Ace Approach. The midfielders, meanwhile, also back covering thirds, begin their seesaw technique. The near-ball midfielder jumps up with the defending attackman, as the two try to catch the ball carrier in a double team along the sideline and force a turnover or pass. The other two midfielders, working in unison with the on-ball midfielder, get heavy and deep to prevent any transition, seesawing back and forth as the ball crosses the field.

Phase 3 - Getting Back In

In the event the clearing team gets across the midfield line, Phase 3 kicks in with a "Fire" call. The midfielders and close defenders drop back into the hole and must match up quickly to defend from the inside-out and pipes up. Any poor off-ball pressure can be made up for with strong on-ball pressure as the defense tries to snuff out any odd-man scenarios as quickly as possible.

Coach Galloway's approach to riding makes the difficult task of putting together a full-field ride easy for any coach to learn and team to implement. If you're searching for answers for your team's riding effort, look no further!

62 minutes. 2019.