Lacrosse is a unique game that is quickly gaining popularity in America. It is a game that has complex rules. Further complicating the game are the rule differences among genders. Men's and women's lacrosse have some significant differences, but the general rules and regulations of the game remain the same.
Field Regulations
Lacrosse fields can vary in size depending on the level of play. However, it is usually played on a field 60 yards wide and 110 yards long. Each goal is placed 15 yards in front of the endline. Surrounding each goal is a circle with a 9-foot radius. This circle is a restricted area in which no offensive player can step inside. Each team has 10 players on the field: a goalie, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards. A team must have at least four players on the defensive half of the field and three players on the offensive half at all times.
Game Rules
Lacrosse games begin with a faceoff, in which the ball is placed between two players' sticks on the ground in the center of the field. This is also how games are restarted after a goal. Once a team has possession of the ball, they can try to move the ball up the field. This is done by running with the ball or passing it to a teammate. Defensive players are allowed to try to dislodge the ball by poking or slapping an opposing player's hands or stick with their own stick. Body checking is allowed in men's lacrosse but prohibited in the women's game. A body check is legal as long as the opposing player has the ball, the hit is from the front and is in the player's midsection. If a team throws the ball out of bounds, possession of the ball is given to the opposing team. If a team shoots the ball and misses, and the ball goes out of bounds, the team with a player closest to the ball when it went out gains possession.
Fouls
In lacrosse, there are two types of fouls: personal and technical. Each results in a different penalty. A personal foul forces the player who committed the player to be taken out of the game for one to three minutes. During this time, the team plays with only nine players. Personal fouls include slashing, tripping, unsportsmanlike conduct, cross-checking, playing with an illegal stick and illegal body checking. Technical fouls result in a 30-second suspension if the team who committed the foul is in possession, or a change of possession if the team that was fouled did not have the ball.
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