How to Catch a Lacrosse Ball: Soft Hands in 3 Steps

To catch a lacrosse ball, do three things in order: present a target with the stick head up beside your head, give with the ball by drawing the stick back a few inches the moment it arrives, then cradle immediately to lock it in the pocket. That middle step, the give, is what coaches call “soft hands,” and it is the single reason a beginner either catches cleanly or watches the ball rebound off the mesh onto the turf.

Catching is the skill that makes a player useful. You can cradle and run all day, but a team moves the ball through passes, and every pass ends in a catch. Here is the soft-hands technique in three steps, plus the drills that build it fastest.

The three steps to catching a lacrosse ball

Catching is not about snatching the ball out of the air. It is about receiving it, letting the stick absorb the pace so the ball settles instead of bouncing. Think of catching an egg: you move your hands with it, you do not stab at it.

Step	What to do	Why it matters
1. Present the target	Hold the stick head up beside your ear, face open toward the passer, top hand relaxed	Gives the passer a clear box to hit and puts the pocket in the catching position
2. Give with the ball	As the ball reaches the pocket, draw the stick back a few inches, letting it absorb the pace	Kills the rebound; a stiff stick pops the ball straight back out
3. Cradle immediately	Roll straight into the cradle the instant the ball lands, without pausing	Secures possession and stops a defender checking the ball loose

Practise the three steps as one flowing motion, not three separate stops. The whole sequence should take a fraction of a second once it is grooved.

Why “soft hands” is the whole game

USA Lacrosse teaches the give as the core of catching, and it is the step beginners most often skip. A new player instinctively holds the stick rigid and reaches at the ball, so the ball hits a hard, static pocket and bounces off. Giving with the ball, drawing the stick back on contact, turns the pocket into a cushion.

You can feel the difference in a single session. Hold your stick still and have someone toss you a ball: it kicks out. Now catch the same toss while pulling the stick back an inch or two: it settles and stays. That absorbing motion is soft hands, and it works the same on a soft toss or a hard feed from across the field. A well-strung pocket helps the give feel natural, which is why the best lacrosse mesh choice matters even for catching, not just throwing.

Present a target the passer can hit

Half of catching happens before the ball is thrown. Give the passer a still, obvious target: stick head up beside your head, top hand relaxed, the face of the head open toward them. Move to the ball rather than waiting for a perfect pass, and keep the target up until the ball is in the pocket.

The box target beside your head is the standard for a reason. It keeps the pocket in the natural catching and throwing position, so you can catch and release without repositioning. Dropping the target low or holding it out front forces an awkward scoop and invites a check.

Drills that build a reliable catch

Catching improves through volume, and the fastest volume comes from wall ball. Throwing against a wall and catching the rebound gives you hundreds of reps a session with no partner needed, and it forces the give because the ball comes back with pace.

• Wall ball, both hands: Throw and catch against a wall, dominant hand first, then force your off hand. Aim for 100 catches a side.
• Give-and-take partner passes: Face a partner five yards apart and focus only on drawing the stick back on each catch. Step back a yard each round.
• Rebounder reps: A lacrosse rebounder returns your own throws at game speed, so you can drill catching solo and vary the angle of the return.

Our lacrosse drills for beginners guide sequences these into a full session that layers catching with cradling and cutting, which is how the skill shows up in a real game.

The one thing you cannot do: use your hands

Field players may not touch the ball with their hands at any point. The ball is caught, carried, and thrown only with the stick, and a deliberate hand ball hands possession to the other side. The lone exception, set out in the World Lacrosse rules, is the goalkeeper inside the crease, who may block or bat the ball but still cannot pick it up by hand. So the catch is not optional or replaceable, the stick is your only tool for receiving the ball, which is exactly why soft hands are worth drilling until they are automatic.

Groove the give first, add your off hand second, and let the cradle follow the catch without a pause. Do that against a wall for a couple of weeks and clean catching stops being something you think about and starts being something you just do.

Freshness note: catching technique is stable; the hand-ball and goalkeeper rules are set by World Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse and reviewed each season, so confirm current wording before coaching.