Starting Lacrosse - How to Play

Starting Lacrosse: How to Play

More and more Americans are discovering the sport of lacrosse. A recent NCAA study found that lacrosse has been the fastest-growing sport in America over the past 15 years. With five pro leagues and a substantial increase in youth teams, it's a great time to join the fun. If you're new to the sport, our beginner lacrosse guide will help you get started.

Types of Lacrosse

There are two types of lacrosse. Field lacrosse, a.k.a. outdoor lacrosse, is what most school and local leagues play. Box lacrosse is an indoor version typically played on converted hockey rinks with a faster, more physical play style. In this article, we will focus on field lacrosse.

Lacrosse Field

The standard outdoor lacrosse field measures 110 yards (100 meters) long and 60 yards (55 meters) wide. The lacrosse goal measures 6 feet by 6 feet, and each team's goal is centered between the sidelines and placed 15 yards inward from the endline.

Fields are divided into three sections: the attack, midfield and defensive zones. There is a circular area around each goal called the crease, and a player cannot be inside the crease while shooting at the goal. Last but not least, there are horizontal lines on the field 10 yards from the sidelines. Teams must remain within these lines while on offense to prevent a stalling penalty.

Lacrosse Balls

At its core, the object of lacrosse is to shoot a small rubber ball into the goal using a lacrosse stick. Current NCAA regulations require that lacrosse balls have a circumference of 7.75-8 inches and weigh between 5 and 5.5 ounces. When a ball is dropped on the floor from a height of 72 inches, it must bounce between 43 and 51 inches high. Typically, men's lacrosse uses a white ball while women's lacrosse uses a yellow ball.

Lacrosse Positions

Boys' field lacrosse has 10 players per side: a goalie, three attackers (offensive players), three midfielders and three defensemen. The attackers and defenders stick to their sections of the field while the "middies" can cover the entire field. In girls' lacrosse, there are 12 players per side with five midfielders instead of three. Two of the midfielders focus on offense and two focus on defense with one center.

Lacrosse Helmet & Equipment

The basic lacrosse player equipment includes a stick, gloves, mouth guard and cleats. Typically, attackers and midfielders use a shorter stick for cradling the ball while defenders use a longer stick to help break up passes. Goalies have a special stick with an oversize pocket.

Since men's lacrosse is a contact sport, all players wear a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads and rib pads. Women's lacrosse is a non-contact sport, so the goalie is typically the only one who wears this equipment. Many women's leagues require protective goggles.

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