Lacrosse Rules & Positions

According to U.S. Lacrosse, lacrosse is a sport originating from Native Americans that exposed European settlers to a game played with sticks and balls. A racket-like cup was mounted to one end of a stick and used to pick, throw and catch a ball. Unlike other contact sports, the ball was not to be touched by the hands. Now, lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports, ranging from youth to professional adult levels.

Field

Lacrosse is played on a field that provides playing area that measures 110 yards long and 60 yards wide, according to the book "Lacrosse: Fundamentals For Winning." The field is then split into regions where different parts of the game take place. Goals are set 80 yards apart, with 15 yards of play-area behind each goal. Surrounding each goal is a circle 9-feet in diameter, called the crease, and serves as the spot from which most players want to take a shot. The field is split into two halves, with each half containing a rectangular box, 35 by 40 yards, called the goal area. Parallel to the sidelines, 20 yards in length, are the wing lines, where wingmen tend to set up offensive and defensive plays. Lastly, there is an area marked by two lines near the sidelines, called the substitution box.

Fouls and Penalties

There are two types of fouls, personal and technical, that occur in lacrosse. Personal fouls are more severe and carry a one-minute session in the penalty box. Personal fouls fall under the following categories: slashing, tripping, illegal bodychecking, cross-checking and unsportsmanlike conduct. Slashing is hitting an opponent on any part of his body other than his gloved hands; tripping is using your stick, hands, feet, arms or legs to obstruct an opponent at or below his knees; illegal bodychecking is hitting an opponent from the rear, below his knees, when he is without possession of the ball and above his shoulders; cross checking is hitting an opponent with a part of the stick that is between his hands; and unsportsmanlike conduct is an act deemed unsportsmanlike by the referee. Technical fouls are less serious and are penalized at the discretion of the official.

Goalie

One of the most important defensive players is the goalie. Similar to a goalie in soccer or hockey, lacrosse goalies defend the goal using their body, hands and a stick designed specifically for the position. The goalie faces different types of shots from opponents using low-skimming shots, high-bouncing shots or linedrive-type shots. While in the goal-crease area, a goalie can stop a shot or bat a ball away, but cannot catch the ball with his hands. No opposing player may make contact when the goalie is in her goal-crease area, whether she is in possession of the ball or not.