How to Play Field Lacrosse

HISTORY

Field Lacrosse is the oldest continually played sport in North America. The sport is rooted in Native American religion and was often played to resolve disputes, heal the sick and develop strong verile men. Ironically, lacrosse also served as a substitute for war. As many as 1,000 players per side played on a field as much as fifteen miles in length and games sometimes lasted for days. The first modern version of lacrosse began in 1636 when Jean de Brebeuf, a Jesuit missionary, organized a game in what is now southeastern Ontario, Canada. A lot has changes over the many centuries field lacrosse has been played and it is one of the fastest growing team sports in North America. Basketball inventor James Naismith said it best when he called lacrosse "the best of all possible field games".

PLAYING RULES

Lacrosse is a contact game played by two teams with ten players a side: a goalie, three defencemen, three midfielders, and three attackers.
The game is played on a soccer sized field 110 yards long.
The object of the game is to shoot the ball into the opponent's goal which is six feet tall and six feet wide.
Each team is required to keep at least four players in its defensive half of the field (usually the goalie and defensemen) and three in its offensive half (usally the attackers) at all times during the game. Three players (normally the midfielders) may roam the entire field.
Games are divided into four 12, 15 or 20 minute quarters (most of it running time). Teams change ends between quarters and are allowed two timeouts per half.
The game starts with a faceoff. The ball is placed between the sticks of two squatting players at the center of the field. When the referee starts play, both players try to gain possession of the ball and move towards their opponent's goal. Faceoffs only occur at the start of each quarter and after the scoring of a goal.
Players may not touch the ball with their hands. They may kick the ball, and even score a goal by kicking the ball into the net.

A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from an opponent's stick with a stick check. A stick check is the controlled poking and slapping of the stick and gloved hands of the player in possession of the ball.
Players may receive penalties ranging from loss of possession, 30 seconds to three minutes in the penalty area or expulsion from the game.
Body contact is permitted, however, any contact made must occur from the front side, above the waist, and below the shoulders. Unnecessary roughness is not tolerated in field lacrosse.
If the ball goes out of bounds as a result of a dropped ball or missed pass the other team is awarded possession. However, if the ball goes out of bounds as a result of an unsuccessful shot on goal, the player nearest to the ball when and where it goes out of bounds is awarded possession.

PENALTIES

TECHNICAL FOULS

Technical fouls are minor infractions of the rules such as offsides or illegal substitution. They result in loss of possession or a 30 second penalty depending on who has the ball.

Holding	impeding the movement of an opponent or his stick
Interference	interfering in any manner with the free movement of an opponent who is not in possession of the ball
Offsides	a team fails to have the required number of players in the defensive and offensive zones.
Pushing	a player thrusts or shoves a player from behind
Screening	an offensive player moves into a defensive player for the purpose of blocking him
Stalling	a team intentionally holds the ball from play for the purpose of running the clock
Warding Off	the ball carrier uses his free hand to push away a defender

PERSONAL FOULS

Personal fouls are more serious penalties and include such infractions as slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct. A player (including a goaltender) who receives a personal foul must go to the penalty area for one to three minutes.

Slashing	a player's stick hits an opponent in any area other than the stick or gloved hand
Tripping	hitting an opponent below the waist
Cross Checking	a player uses the handle of his stick to hit an opponent
Unnecessary Roughness	a player uses excessive or violent force when making contact with an opponent
Unsportsmanlike Conduct	a player or coach swears, argues, or makes obscene gestures
Illegal Body Check	avoidable body checking of an opponent after he has passed or shot the ball or hitting above the shoulders

FIELD POSITIONS

ATTACK

The attackman's responsibility is to score goals. The attackman generall restricts his play to the offensive end of the field although in certain situations he is allowed to enter the defensive end. A good attackman demonstrates excellent stick work with both hands and has good agility for moving around the goal. Each team should have three attackmen on the field during play.

MIDFIELD

The midfielder's responsibility is to cover the entire field, playing both offense and defence. The midfielder is a key to the transition game, and is often called upon to bring the ball from the defence to the offense. A good midfielder demonstrates good stick work including throwing, catching and scooping. Speed and stamina are essential. Each team should have three midfielders on the field.

DEFENCE

The defenceman's responsibility is to defend the goal area. The dfenceman generally restricts his play to the defensive half of the field, but on occasion will enter the attacking half. A good dfenceman should be able to react quickly in game situations. Agility and aggressiveness are necessary, but great stick work is not essential to be effective. Each team should have three defencemen of the field.

GOALIE

The goalie's responsibility is to keep the ball out of the goal . A good goalie also leads the defence by reading the situation and directing the defencemen how to react. A good goalie should have good hand-eye co-ordination and a strong voice. Quickness, agility, confidence, and the ability to concentrate are essential.

The above descriptions are basic outlines of the various field lacrosse positions. The skills and abilities noted in each position are simple guidelines. New players do not need to have these skills in order to play a particular position. Instead, these skills will be developed and worked on by the players throughout the season by playing the positions they are most interested in.

EQUIPMENT

Field lacrosse is one of the safest summer sports. Protective equipment is designed to ensure that players can play the game effectively and safely.

Players will need:

a stick (plastic heads only)
a helmet (C.S.A. approved, metal cages recommended)
a mouthguard
gloves (hockey or lacrosse gloves)
kidney guards (for competitive play)
shoulder pads (hockey pads are acceptable)
arm guards (good elbow pads are okay for younger players)
athletic supporter & cup
cleats (football, baseball, or soccer - no metal cleats)

Goalies will need:

gloves
helmet (metal cage only)
athletic supporter & cup
cleats
mouthguard
hockey pants (optional)

The goalie stick, chest protector, and leg pads will be provided by the league.