Lacrosse is a unique, fast-paced team sport. Men's and women's lacrosse are similar, but they also have important differences, including the amount of physical contact allowed during a game. The women's game prohibits pushing. However, men's lacrosse allows it under certain conditions.
Rules
The objective of lacrosse is to score more goals than your opponent by shooting the ball into your opponent's net. To score, the entire ball must cross over the goal line. Players are allowed to run with the ball in their stick or pass to teammates. The use of hands is prohibited. Opposing players can try to dislodge the ball by using their stick to poke or slap opposing players' hands or sticks. If the ball goes out of bounds, the opposing team gains possession. If the ball goes out of bounds on an attempted shot, the player closest to the ball when it goes out gains possession.
Logistics
Lacrosse is played with 10 players on each team. This includes three forwards, three midfielders, three defenders and a goalie. By rule, a team must always have four players on the defensive half of the field and three on the offensive half. Fields vary in size, depending on the players' age, although most lacrosse fields are 60 yards wide and 110 yards long. Goals are located 15 yards in front of the end line with a 9-foot circle surrounding each goal. No offensive player is allowed inside this area.
Pushing
The amount of physical contact allowed is different in men's and women's lacrosse. In the women's game, pushing, or body checking, is prohibited. Players are allowed to use their sticks to try to knock the ball away from their opponent, but cannot make contact with the opposing player's body. Men's lacrosse allows for body checking under certain conditions. Body checking is only allowed if your opponent has the ball. In addition, all contact must be from the front or side, and it must be above the waist but below the shoulders.
Fouls
There are two types of fouls in lacrosse, personal and technical. Illegally pushing an opponent is a personal foul. A personal foul results in a player being suspended from the game for one to three minutes. During this time, the team must continue with only nine players. Other examples of personal fouls include slashing, tripping, unsportsmanlike conduct and playing with an illegal crosse. Technical fouls result in a 30-second suspension if the team that 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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