Lacrosse Technical Rubric — U14
A coach-grade rubric for rating Technical stick skills — cradling, passing, catching, shooting — in U14 lacrosse players, with sideline-observable behavior anchors at every rating.
Use this rubric on the sideline today
- 1Watch three consecutive live-play possessions before rating anything — one highlight-reel rep is not a rating.
- 2Isolate stick mechanics from outcome: a good pass a teammate drops isn't a passing fault, and a lucky-bounce goal isn't a shooting strength.
- 3Note whether the anchor behavior happened at full speed under a check, or only in an unopposed drill — pressure context moves the rating a notch either way.
- 4Watch off-hand passing and shooting specifically, and log it separately, since dominant-hand-only play is normal and not a red flag at this age.
- 5Write down the exact observed behavior (e.g., "cradled through two checks, bobbled the third") before assigning a number, so the score always traces back to something you saw.
Rate each sub-skill 1–10
Anchors describe what a 3, 5, 7, or 9 looks like in practice. Use the anchor that matches what you saw — interpolate to 4/6/8 when the player sits between two anchors. A 1 or 10 should be rare.
Cradling & Ball Protection
Sub-skillHow the player carries and shields the ball while moving through traffic and pressure.
- 3
- Cradles with the stick out to the side at chest height; the ball pops loose the first time a defender lands a check or the player changes speed.
- 5
- Cradles close to the helmet with a compact wrist motion and keeps possession through a single check, but loses the ball when double-teamed or checked from behind.
- 7
- Shields the stick head with the off-arm on the pressure side, switches hands to protect the ball, and keeps possession through two or three consecutive checks while changing speed.
- 9
- Protects the ball with body and off-arm simultaneously at full sprint through traffic, absorbing checks from multiple angles without breaking stride or exposing the stick head.
Passing
Sub-skillAccuracy, mechanics, and timing of delivering the ball to a teammate.
- 3
- Passes only from a stationary, squared-up stance with a full wind-up; the ball frequently sails high or wide of a stationary target past 10 yards.
- 5
- Delivers accurate stick-side passes to a stationary or slow-moving teammate inside 15 yards but has to reset his feet before throwing.
- 7
- Throws accurately on the run in both directions to a moving target 15 to 20 yards away, and can deliver the pass in the same motion right after catching.
- 9
- Releases quick passes off either hand while being closed out on, hitting a cutting teammate in stride at 20-plus yards without telegraphing the throw.
Catching
Sub-skillSecuring incoming passes cleanly across a range of speeds, angles, and pressure.
- 3
- Catches only passes thrown directly into the pocket at chest height while standing still; the ball bounces out on any off-target or high-speed feed.
- 5
- Catches with two hands, giving with the pass, and secures throws that are slightly off target while stationary or jogging.
- 7
- Catches passes at full speed while moving off the ball, absorbing them straight into the cradle without a bounce, and adjusts the stick to poorly placed feeds.
- 9
- Catches contested passes in traffic with a defender's stick nearby, one-handing difficult feeds when needed and transitioning immediately into a cradle or shot.
Shooting
Sub-skillMechanics, power, and placement when finishing on cage from various positions and speeds.
- 3
- Shoots with an arm-only motion from a stationary spot with low velocity; shots go mostly at the goalie or wide of the cage.
- 5
- Shoots with hip and torso rotation from a stand-still or after one step, finding open cage from 8 to 10 yards with moderate pace.
- 7
- Shoots on the run and while shifting angles, varying release point between overhand, sidearm, and underhand, picking corners consistently from 10 to 12 yards.
- 9
- Shoots in one fluid motion straight off a dodge or a feed with no hitch step, disguising the release and scoring from tight angles or while falling away.
What's developmentally appropriate at U14
- Normal range
- A normal U14 middie cradles compact and protects the ball through one check, feeds a cutting teammate accurately inside 15 yards, and finishes routine 8-to-10-yard shots — but still bobbles high-speed or off-angle feeds under real pressure.
- Exceptional
- An exceptional U14 attackman threads a running feed to a cutter at 20 yards in traffic, shoots in one fluid motion off the dodge without a hitch step, and never exposes his stick head to a trailing check.
- Behind
- A player behind for U14 still cradles with the stick held out away from the body, loses the ball to the very first check of a possession, and needs a full wind-up plus a stationary target just to complete a simple pass.
Rating biases to watch for
- Rating a big or fast U14 higher on Technical because his athleticism creates separation, which masks stiff stick mechanics that would fail against an equal-sized defender.
- Confusing lacrosse IQ — smart cuts, good field position — with stick skill; that belongs under Tactical, not Technical.
- Docking a player for not shooting or passing off-hand, when off-hand fluency is a 9-level trait at this age, not a baseline expectation.
- Anchoring the whole Shooting rating on one highlight-reel dodge-and-finish while ignoring inconsistent form on routine catches and passes in the same game.
- Lowering a player's catching or passing rating because a teammate threw a bad feed or dropped a good one, instead of isolating what the rated player actually did with the stick.
What to write in your evaluation
A rating without a note is half a rating. Use these phrasing templates so the parent reads a story, not a number.
- low rating
"Jamie still carries the stick out away from her body, so the first check of nearly every possession knocks it loose — we're drilling a tight, tucked cradle before she touches live defense again."
- mid rating
"Marcus catches and passes cleanly to a stationary target inside 15 yards but has to plant his feet first; next step logged in Vimasu is releasing the pass while he's still moving toward the cage."
- high rating
"Devon threaded a running feed to a cutter at 20 yards and finished a tight-angle shot in one motion with no hitch step — that release consistency is exactly what we're tracking week over week."
What this rubric does NOT measure
- —Recognizing slide packages and choosing the correct dodge, feed, or shot — that's Tactical decision-making, not stick mechanics.
- —Sprint speed and change-of-direction quickness that create separation before the ball even arrives — that's Physical.
- —Bouncing back and staying engaged after a turnover or a blown defensive assignment — that's Mental.
- —Communicating coverage, calling picks, or moving off the ball to get open for a feed — that's Tactical.
Questions parents and coaches ask
- What changed from the younger age band?
- Speed of play jumps hard at U14 — shooting and passing are now expected on the run and under a check, not from a stand-still. A stationary-mechanics 7 at U12 plays closer to a 5 once real game speed is added.
- Does a 7 last season mean a 7 this season?
- No. Growth spurts and the jump in speed of play raise the bar every season, so last year's 7 has to be re-earned against this year's harder anchors. Re-rate from current behavior, not the old number.
- Should I fold in other-pillar notes?
- No. Keep decision-making, conditioning, and attitude out of the Technical score. Rate only the stick mechanics you actually see, and log tactical, physical, and mental observations under their own pillars.
- How often should I re-rate technical?
- Every 4 to 6 weeks of live-play reps, or after a growth spurt or gear change alters stick feel. Re-rate more often in a season where a player's mechanics are being actively rebuilt in Vimasu.
Stop building rubrics by hand.
You just read how to evaluate Technical at U14. Vimasu runs this rubric for every player, every week — and turns each rating into the parent development report families re-enroll for.
Related in the Standard
- glossaryFour Pillars (Youth Sports Development)
The Four Pillars are the four domains of youth athlete development — Technical, Tactical, Athleticism, and Mental — used by academies to evaluate, plan, and communicate progress holistically rather than by score alone.
- glossaryPillar Rating
A 1–10 score on a single development pillar (Technical, Tactical, Athleticism, or Mental), anchored to age-appropriate behaviors so the same number means the same thing across coaches and seasons.
- glossaryAge Band
The age grouping a player falls into for the season — U8, U10, U12, U14, and so on. Anchored to birth year, age bands keep evaluations comparable across coaches and seasons.
- glossarySub-skill
A specific component within a development pillar — e.g. "first touch" inside Technical, or "lateral movement" inside Athleticism. Sub-skills give coaches the granularity to plan practice, without fragmenting the parent view.
- guideHow to evaluate a youth player without bias
Relative age, recency, the halo effect, and sheer physical maturity quietly distort youth evaluations. This guide shows how to anchor ratings to a rubric, reference them to age rather than the group, separate maturity from ability, and write evaluations down so they compound instead of resetting every season.