The sport of lacrosse originated from Native American tribes, who played the game along with many other types of stick-and-ball games. Specifically, tribes in the eastern half of North America played lacrosse, with the game spreading west during the 1800s when Native Americans were forced to migrate to reservations. Lacrosse equipment has come a long way from the early days of the game, developing over the centuries for safety and function. The basic rules of lacrosse are the same, however.
Origin
The game of lacrosse became known when European missionaries began visiting North America in the 1600s, US Lacrosse states. The very first lacrosse equipment used by Native Americans included a wooden carved stick with a small pocket at the end, according to LacrosseCentral.com. Many designs of lacrosse sticks were used, including some with curved shafts and larger triangular pockets. Some early lacrosse sticks even had webbed leather pockets that resemble modern-day sticks. The ball that Native Americans used in lacrosse was typically made from baked clay or wood, or they were simply stones. The basic rules of early lacrosse involved scoring goals while not touching the ball with the hands.
Development
The rules, equipment and playing style of lacrosse differed between various tribes in North America, according to US Lacrosse. Native American tribes in the southeastern U.S., including the Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw played a double-stick version of lacrosse. The player held a 2 ½-foot-long stick in each hand, cupping the deerskin ball between the two sticks. The Potawatomi, Miami, Winnebago, Ojibwe, Menominee and other tribes in the Great Lakes region used a carved wooden ball and a single 3-foot-long stick with a round, closed pocket that was barely larger than the ball. The Iroquois used crooked sticks that were more than 3 feet long and had a large webbed triangular pocket, which most resembled the lacrosse sticks used today. The goals also differed among Native American tribes, ranging from a tree, rock or pole to two goalposts made especially for the lacrosse game, notes the European Lacrosse Federation or "ELF."
Significance
Europeans began playing lacrosse during the 1800s, spreading at first through French missionaries stationed in North America, according to the ELF. Europeans residing in Canada caught onto the game during this time, forming teams through the Montreal Olympic Club to play lacrosse games against Native American teams in 1844, 1848 and 1851. In 1856, the Montreal Lacrosse Club was established and produced the first official rules for the sport. A dentist named George Beers revised the rules in 1867, and also refined the lacrosse stick's design and introduced the use of a hard rubber ball instead of one made from deerskin stuffed with hair. Throughout the 1900s, lacrosse equipment continued to evolve in leaps and bounds, with the emergence of aluminum sticks with plastic pocket frames and protective pads for players, notes LacrosseCentral.com.
Modern Day
By 2005, lacrosse was deemed the fastest-growing sport in North America for all ages, the ELF says. Today, lacrosse's popularity is spreading in a variety of countries aside from Europe and the U.S., such as in Argentina, Japan and South Korea. Modern-day lacrosse equipment is far more technologically-advanced than ever before. Lacrosse sticks vary in design for different player positions, made from titanium alloys and various plastic or composite materials, according to LacrosseCentral.com. Lacrosse players also wear protective equipment, such as helmets, pads, gloves and mouth-guards.
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