Lacrosse Rules
Lacrosse is a game played as a team, team players pass the ball to each other with the help of a stick that has a net or mesh at one end. Lacrosse has a Native American origin. This game was played to train the tribal warriors and it dates back to more than a thousand years.
You might remember the movie ‘The last of the Mohicans’ starring Daniel Day-Lewis, where lacrosse was played. In early times, there were thousands of players in the game, playing on the side looking for victory. Early versions of the game were documented by French Jesuit missionaries where it becomes popular and got codifies in Canada in 1867.
There are lacrosse rules which needs to be followed while playing the game. The modern version of this game fast and frantic sport in which players were helmets and padding. After watching this sight, Mohicans might laugh heartily. Lacrosse can be field lacrosse or box lacrosse. Here, we will be talking about the filed lacrosse rules.
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The objective of the Lacrosse Game
The objective of this game is much similar to the sports that involve a ball, more specifically this game is similar to games where players shoot ball into the goal and opponents have to stop it. The lacrosse stick is known as ‘crosse’. It is used to carry, catch and pass the ball with the purpose of stopping your opponents from gaining points or score. When the opposite team has the ball, the team defending can try to divert them using crosse against opponents’ bodies or sticks.
The Lacrosse Game Play
Lacrosse is quite a simple game to play. All you need to have is a complete set of players.
Players: Each team must have ten players consisting of one goalkeeper, three midfielders, three defenders and three attackers.
Equipment: After players, before playing lacrosse, you need to have a complete set of equipment as well. The lacrosse sticks are divided into ‘long’ and ‘short’ sticks. The long stick must be 52 to 72 inches in length and the later must be between 40 to 42 inches in length. The head of the long stick must not be less than 6 inches and not more than 10 inches at the widest point.
The goal keeper’s stick is quite different. It must be 40 to 72 inches long and about 15 inches in width. Other than the goalkeeper, not more than four players are allowed to carry the long stick. The ball is made of hard solid rubber and it has a diameter of around 8 inches. Hence, players must wear helmets, mouthpieces, arm pads, shoulder pads, and gloves to keep themselves safe from injuries.
Once you have players and equipment, you must have the knowledge of lacrosse rules.
Lacrosse Scoring Rules
Scoring a goal in lacrosse is quite simple. Lacrosse rules of scoring a goal are quite similar to hockey rules. It is much similar to scoring a goal in the game of hockey. To score the goal, the team must hit the ball with such force into the goal that it crosses the goal line. A lacrosse stick is used to hit the ball forcefully.
Caution: While scoring the goal, the team must keep this mind that if any player enters the crease (goal line) before the ball has crossed the goal line, this will cause disqualification of the goal.
Overview of Lacrosse Rules
There are always some rules for playing a game. Likewise, Lacrosse also has a certain set of rules that needs to be followed. Below is the overview of the lacrosse rules:
- The lacrosse field is 60 yards in width and 110 yards in length.
- The teams score goals at either end measuring six feet by six feet.
- The goal point is surrounded by a circular line known as the crease. It has a diameter of 18 feet. A player must not step inside the crease to score a goal. From the middle, lacrosse filed is dissected by a line known as midfield line.
- The duration of the team is divided into four quarters. Each quarter is of 20 minutes. Either side can call team time-out, this is the time when the game is paused.
- Each player from both the teams carries a stick (known as crosse). Four players from each team are allowed to carry the long and rest of the players carry a short stick.
- Those players who do violations like stepping in the goal crease or holding an opponent are punished. They are sent out of the game usually for one minute or 30 seconds.
- During the match, any player can be substituted easily. The substitution cannot take place out of ‘the box’ according to the lacrosse rules.
- Whenever the game starts or restarts after each quarter, there is a face-off between the players. This face-off not like a fight. During a face-off, a player from each team places his stick right next to the ball until the referee blows the whistle, at which the lacrosse game begins to get the possession of the ball. During the face-off, only midfielders can move in the field for securing the ball. The defenders and attackers stay inside their restraining boxes unless someone has the hold of the ball.
- After gaining the possession of the ball, the team should make sure that the ball is taken to the midfield line within the first 20 seconds to make the commencement of a fast flowing game.
- In the last two minutes of the game, the highest scoring team must remain in the attack area otherwise the other team gets the possession of the ball.
- If a player hits the ball out of the boundary, the team that is closest to the player gets the possession of the ball.
Winning the Game
For winning the game, teams must keep the lacrosse rules in mind to avoid disturbance while playing the game. The team that scores the number of goals in the given time of the game, is obviously the winning team. If the scores of the teams are equal after the time is up, additional overtime is given to both the teams. In overtime, the team which scores the goal first wins the overall game.
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