The Art of Picking Up Little Edges: How Analytics Can Sharpen Your Lacrosse Program

The word "analytics" can feel intimidating at first. You might picture spreadsheets, math formulas, or people rattling off confusing percentages. But when you break it down, using analytics is really just about asking better questions — and finding small edges that can make a real difference for your team. 

Recently, we hosted a webinar with Zack Capozzi, the founder of Lacrosse Reference, to help coaches and players rethink how analytics can actually fit naturally into their process. Read on below and check out the full webinar in our coaches community if you want to dive in more deeply.

How You can use analytics in a practical and tactical way

first, Start with a simple question.

One of the biggest lessons Zack shared was this: "Don’t start by collecting data. Start by asking a smart question."

For example:

• Which offensive sets are actually producing good shots?

• When do we tend to give up goals during possessions — early, late, unsettled?

When you focus on one question at a time, analytics becomes way less overwhelming — and way more useful.
You’re not tracking random stats hoping for an answer. You’re gathering just enough info to make a better decision.

Rate Stats Matter more than Totals

Another big point: Friends don’t let friends use "goals per game."

It sounds funny, but it’s true. Total goals, total ground balls, total saves can all mislead you without context.

What you want are rate stats:

• Goals per possession instead of goals per game

• Turnovers per possession instead of total turnovers

• Shot percentage on shots on goal, not just total shots

Rate stats tell you how often something good (or bad) happens, not just how much.

When you start thinking this way, your coaching adjustments become sharper and your practices can focus on the right things.

Possession Efficiency moves the needle

If you remember nothing else, remember this:

Per possession efficiency, how often you score per possession, is the single strongest stat tied to winning in lacrosse. (based on men's D1 analysis)

It’s not total shots, not total goals, not even faceoffs (though those matter too). Teams that score more efficiently per possession almost always win.

So if you're just starting to track anything, start here. It'll tell you more about your team than almost anything else you could measure.

You can start simple

One of the best parts about Zack’s talk was how he emphasized you don’t need a fancy setup.

If you have:

• A clipboard

• A simple tracking sheet

• Maybe an injured player or parent willing to help track sets or shots

You can start gathering better insights immediately. The goal isn’t to be perfect. The goal is to start small, focus on what matters, and stack little improvements over time.