Importance and Use of Rake in Lacrosse

Lacrosse is a fast-moving game that requires significant athletic skills. If you are going to have any ability to help your team win, you need speed to run to open areas, the ability to catch and throw the lacrosse ball with your stick and a talent for coming up with loose balls. When a ball is on the ground and you can quickly come over and pick it up and start a play, this is known as raking.
Rake
When a player can rake a lacrosse ball, he knows how to place the head of the lacrosse stick over the ball, then pull the stick backward over the ball while applying downward pressure. This gets the lacrosse ball to roll right into the pocket of the lacrosse stick. A players who is skilled at this maneuver can pick up a ball easily and help create a scoring opportunity for his team.
Gaining Possession
When you can rake the lacrosse ball, you are gaining possession for your team. While this is a practiced skill, one of the keys to being successful in this maneuver is to get to the ball first. If you get the head of your lacrosse stick over the ball before an opponent, you can pull the ball toward you and get it in the pocket of your stick. The next maneuver after that is often a spin move that allows you to get your body between the opponent and the ball; this prevents him from knocking the ball out of your stick.
Physical Contact
Raking a ball often involves a lot of physical contact. Getting to the ball first is an advantage, but your opponent will come with force as he tries to stake his claim for the ball. His shoulder is likely to go into your midsection as the battle ensues. Physical contact is allowed in the battle to gain possession, but a player cannot elbow or slash with his stick in an attempt to gain possession. Both actions can result in penalties that will force that player's team to play shorthanded.
Alternate Methods
While you can rake the ball to pick it up when it is on the ground, the preferred way to pick it up is scooping it. If you have a relatively clear path to the ball and you believe you can pick it up on the move, you can place the head of the stick near the ground and also have the handle nearly parallel to the ground. This will enable you to scoop the ball off the ground, then sharply angle the stick upward to make sure you retain possession. This is an effective way to pick up the ball that will allow you to maintain momentum as you move toward the goal, SimplyLacrosse.com explains.