Beginner's Guide to Lacrosse

Lacrosse combines elements of basketball, soccer, and hockey for a fast-paced contact sport enjoyed by many. Watch this beginner's guide to lacrosse and improve your game right away.

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Learn basic rules & positions
Legal checks are below shoulders & above waist
Equipment includes a stick, helmet, shoulder pads, arm pads, & protective cup
Can't touch ball with hands

About this Author

James Taylor is the founder and president for the Portland State Lacrosse Club at Portland State University in Oregan. James has played on several club teams throughout his thirteen plus years of involvement of the sport. He has also coached youth lacrosse for over three years.

JAMES TAYLOR: This is James Taylor of Portland State University in Oregon, Portland State Lacrosse Club and this is the beginners guide to lacrosse. Lacrosse is played on a field, roughly the size of a soccer field with ten players on each side, three midfielders, three attack men, three defense men, and a goalie. Goal is scored by one. Four quarters are played at fifteen minutes stop clock time. That means anytime the ball rolls out of bounds or there's a penalty if the clocks going to stop and restart once it begins play. Essentially, it is all checks are legal to the body, below the shoulders, and above the waist, as long as you are trying to go for the stick controlling hand, which is anytime the hand lets go, try to go for the stick or the hand controlling the stick. The essential equipment to play lacrosse consist of a helmet, shoulder pads, arm pads, gloves, protective cup, and a stick. Stick consist of a head, a pocket, and a shaft. Sticks vary in size from short pole to long pole, which can be up to six feet in length. Goalies have a much larger stick with a much larger head to help them to stop the ball from going through the net. And of course, the game is played with a ball, which is roughly in the same diameter of a baseball. They're made of hard, solid rubber. It bounces on contact with the ground. The game is played through a series of passes and ground balls. Essentially what you want to do is keep the ball in the air, making pass to pass to pass from player to player. If the ball hits the ground, you're allowed to kick the ball or pick the ball up with your stick. You are never allowed to touch the ball with your hands. And once the ball is picked back up, it goes back into a series of passes. The game flows a lot like a basketball with a little bit of a hockey aspect with, in consideration of the stick and body checks, but as far as setting picks and movement of ball, it sets up a lot like a basketball would.

Beginner's Guide to Lacrosse Video

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