Lacrosse is one of the oldest sports originated in North America. Rudimentary forms of the game were played in the early part of the 19th century but the first written rules came from the Montreal Lacrosse club, which was founded in 1856. It is a physically demanding game that requires top-level conditioning and excellent hand-eye coordination. Players shoot, catch and throw a lacrosse ball with a stick that has a mesh basket for holding the ball. The field is divided into the attack area, midfield and defensive zone.
Object of the Game
The object of lacrosse is to a propel a hard rubber ball with a lacrosse stick into a goal that is protected by a goaltender. The ball can be thrown into the goal directly or it can be bounced into the net. The team that puts the ball in the net more than its opponent over the course of a 60-minute game wins--48 minutes for high school games. Each team has 10 players on its team. The team is comprised of three attack players, three midfielders, three defenders and one goaltender. The attack players stay on the offensive side of the field, the defenders stay on the defensive side of the field and the midfielders can roam anywhere on the field.
Lacrosse Field and Equipment
A lacrosse field is 110 yards long and 60 yards wide. The goal area is placed 15 yards from each end line in the center of the defensive area. Each player has a lacrosse stick. The stick varies in size depending on the position that is played. Attack players and midfielders typically use a stick that is between 40 and 42 inches long. Defensive players use a longer stick that is between 52 and 72 inches long. No stick may be wider than 6 1/2 inches at its head.
Penalties
Players may not use their sticks to attack one another. The stick may be used for passing, shooting or defending but players may not hit each other with their sticks. They may also use the stick to knock the ball out of an opponent's stick. Penalties are called for cross-checking, roughing and high sticking. Additional penalties are called when players venture out of their zone. When a team is penalized it plays short-handed, giving the opponent an advantage. These penalties last for one minute or longer. Technical violations such as offsides or venturing outside the prescribed zone result in a 30-second penalty.
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