Lacrosse is one of the oldest sports played in North America. It is played by 10 players on each team with sticks that catch and propel a hard rubber ball. The idea behind the game is to work the ball up the field and score as many goals as possible to defeat your opponent.
Field of Play and Length of Game
The lacrosse field is 110 yards long by 60 yards wide. The field is divided in half by a center line and 15 yards from each end line is a circular goal area that has an 18-foot radius. The goal is 6 feet by 6 feet, and the object is to get the lacrosse ball past the goaltender by throwing it directly or on a bounce. A lacrosse game is divided into four quarters. At the high school level, the quarters are 10 minutes long. At the college and professional level, the quarters are 15 minutes long. Overtime periods are four minutes long.
Players and Positions
There are 10 players on the field for each team. Players can be removed from the game if they commit penalties, and substitutes are allowed. There are three defenders, three attackers and three midfielders in addition to the goaltender. The midfielders can roam all over the field, while the attackers can only stay on the offensive side of the field and the defenders are only on the defensive side of the ball.
Equipment
All players must wear protective helmets and lacrosse gloves, which are similar to the gloves worn by hockey players. Lacrosse sticks are 37 to 40 inches for attackers. Defensive players, midfielders and goaltenders can use sticks that are 37 to 72 inches long. Typically, defenders use the longest sticks because they can deflect balls thrown by offensive players and can cause other problems for offensive players.
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