Lacrosse Rules: How To Play, Equipment, Players, Fouls

Lacrosse is the fastest game on two feet! So, do Lacrosse rules? Well, speed, agility, and physicality are what make it so popular. Owing to its explosive nature, it has reached new heights in the modern era. It’s a privilege to play and a treat to watch, but there is something far more fascinating about this game. The roots of the game can be dated back to Native American history—to the 12th century. It was obviously more aggressive and brutal in nature back then.

However, countless changes have been made over the years to give the world lacrosse as we know it today. In fact, there are different variations of the game with varying rules, grounds, and equipment. Field lacrosse rules are different from box lacrosse rules (indoor lacrosse). Women’s lacrosse also has rules that are different from men’s lacrosse. In this article, we shall explore the rules and regulations of the original lacrosse sport – field lacrosse, to be specific.

Lacrosse How To Play?

The primitive version of lacrosse was a dangerous one as it was a form of training for tribal warriors. Sometimes, the number of players would reach thousands. Thankfully, it’s a more controlled game these days.

In the modern-day version of this game, two teams compete against each other to score the highest number of goals in a match. The players have to rely on teamwork and tactics to pass a ball using sticks with nets while following Field Lacrosse rules. Amid this, they have to defend their own goals while also trying to slip past the defenders of the other team so that they can score a goal.

Objective

In lacrosse, each team plays to win. This means every team tries to score more goals than the other team. To accomplish this, teams need to work together to get the ball into the opposing team’s net, past their players and the goalkeeper.

What Are The Rules Of Lacrosse?

Now we’ve come to the fun part– knowing the rules but the right way! Knowing the rules allows you to ‘bend’ them a little to your advantage. Also, to play any game to its fullest potential, you need to know the rules of the game. So, what are the rules of Lacrosse? Let’s find out more about how to play lacrosse and what the rules are for this game:

General Field Lacrosse Rules

In this section, we shall talk about the general Rules Of Lacrosse. That includes how long a game lasts, what the regulations are for breaks, etc. The general lacrosse rules are listed below:

• A typical lacrosse game lasts about 60 minutes (1 hour) and is divided into four equal halves of 15 minutes each. However, the duration varies based on the mode of the game- whether it is played in college or school.
• According to lacrosse rules, two-minute breaks are allotted between the first and second quarters, and a 15-minute break is given at halftime.
• Timeouts last about 4 minutes, meaning a lacrosse game may last about 78 minutes.
• A face-off will happen when:

a) Starting the game

b) Re-starting after a goal

c) Beginning each quarter of the match.

• During the face-off, one player from each team lays their sticks beside the ball horizontally.
• After the referee blows the whistle, both players compete to get possession of the ball.
• After a player successfully gets possession of the ball, that team must ensure that the ball progresses up the field (beyond the midfield line) within 20 seconds. This is encouraged to ensure that the game is fast-paced and fast-flowing.
• Only the goalkeeper or the goalie on each team is allowed to touch the ball. All other players in lacrosse must use their sticks to pass, catch, shoot, and carry the ball.
• According to Lacrosse Rules, a clearly demarcated area around the goal is called the crease. Here are the regulations for crease violation:

1. Attacking players or attackmen cannot cross into or step on the crease line.
2. Only defenders or defensemen are allowed to step inside or on the crease line.
3. Goalies need to clear the ball within 4 seconds of a shot.

• According to the Rules Of Lacrosse, when a ball or a player goes out of bounds with the ball, the other team gets possession of the ball.
• If the ball goes out of bounds after a shot, the team whose player was closest to it when it went out gets possession of it.

Body Check

A body check is when a player uses his stick to push an opponent off their path physically. It is a form of tackling in lacrosse. However, owing to the possible injuries due to the nature of the action, there are certain lacrosse rules in place when it comes to body checks. They are as follows:

• A player can only body check if his opponent has the ball and is within 5 yards of that player.
• A body check must only be initiated from the front or the side.
• A legal body check is above the waist and below the shoulder.

Stick Check

A stick check occurs when a player uses his stick against the opponent’s stick to knock the ball out of the opponent’s stick net or away from it.

Scoring

The aim of every team should be to score (when attacking) and defend (when defending) as many goals as possible. To score a goal, a player has to throw or toss the ball into the goal. For it to be a legal goal, the ball has to have crossed the goal line. However, if a player’s body crosses the crease before the ball enters the goal line, the goal will be disallowed.

Winning

Simply put, score more goals than your opponent if you want to win. However, there is a more elaborate strategy behind winning, following Lacrosse rules. It takes teamwork, coordination, and individual skill to win a lacrosse match. The ideal winning strategy is twofold: score as many goals as possible (at least 1 goal more than the opponent) and defend as many goals as possible (ensure that you concede the least number of goals). At the end of the game, the team with the higher number of goals wins the game.

Fouls

Let’s face it – lacrosse is a contact sport, which means that fouls are just part of the game. But this also extends to the fact that the nature of the game can lead to injuries unless regulated. Here are some lacrosse rules and regulations for the two kinds of fouls in the game – personal and technical fouls:

Personal Fouls

A personal foul is penalized far more strictly than a technical foul. This is so because a personal foul involves two players clashing or creating contact between themselves. The regulations around personal fouls are:

• If a player commits a personal foul, then they will be suspended from the game for anywhere between 1 and 5 minutes.
• During this time, the suspended player will be inside the penalty box.
• Then, the possession of the ball is given to the other team.
• However, per lacrosse rules, a player is suspended/removed from the game if he or she commits five personal fouls.

According to the Rules of Lacrosse, personal fouls include the following actions:

• Slashing – When a player uses their stick to strike the opponent anywhere other than the gloved part of the hand and the stick.
• Tripping – This is when a player tries to obstruct an advancing opponent by tackling or obstructing below the waist, the hands, the crosse, the feet, and the legs.
• Cross-checking – When a player uses the handle of their stick to strike or push an opponent.
• Illegal body Checking – Illegal body checking is when a player:
  • Checks from the back
  • Checks below the waist
  • Checks above the shoulders
  • Checks after a shot
  • Checks after a goal
  • Checks an opponent player who doesn’t have the ball
  • Checks an opponent player who is more than 5 yards away from a loose ball.
• Using Unnecessary Force – This foul happens when a player uses unnecessary aggression and force when striking an opponent during a game.
• Unsportsmanlike conduct – This foul happens when players use vulgar language or gestures or demean the opponent by behaving in an ‘un-gentlemanly’ manner.
• Illegal Crosse – This is when a crosse of a player doesn’t follow the specifications of the game equipment regulations and specifications mentioned later in the article).
• Illegal Gloves— This happens when the gloves worn by the players don’t comply with the game’s requirements or specifications, per lacrosse rules.

Technical Fouls

Now, as you know, what are the rules of lacrosse, Do you know about its technical fouls? According to the official Rules, a technical foul is a minor foul that is not penalized as heavily. Technical fouls don’t involve body contact between the players. Lacrosse rules state that in case of a technical foul, a player is sent to the penalty box for 30 seconds if that player’s team is in possession of the ball. If the ball wasn’t in possession of any team, then the ball is awarded to the other team (the team whose player was fouled). Let’s find out which fouls can be labeled as ‘technical fouls’:

• Holding – Preventing a player from advancing or restricting their movement unfairly is called holding, and it is a technical foul.
• Interference – When a player causes unfair and undue hindrance to an opponent’s advances who doesn’t have possession of the ball.
• Pushing – Shoving or pushing from behind is a technical foul.
• Screening – When a player uses his body to prevent the opponent’s defensive player from defending his target player.
• Offsides—According to the official Rules Of Lacrosse, a team can only have 6 players on the attacking end and 7 players (including the goalie) on the defensive end. If more players are there, then it is termed a technical foul.
• Stalling is a technical foul committed when a player wastes time keeping possession of the ball without showing any intention of scoring or letting the game flow.
• Warding off is when a player uses one hand (usually the one not holding the stick) to push, shove, or clear the opposing players from their path while in possession of the ball.

Players

Two teams compete against each other in lacrosse. Each of the teams consists of 10 players (exact numbers may vary depending upon the leagues or the nature of the game). The positioning of these players are as follows:

• Attackmen – Each team has three attackmen. Their job primarily is to score goals for the team. They play most of the game on the offensive end of the field.
• Defensemen – Each team has three defensemen. Their job is to defend against oncoming attacks from opponents and prevent the other team from scoring goals. To be more precise, these players play on the defensive ends of the respective teams.
• Midfielders – Every team in lacrosse has three midfielders. They do the job of both attackmen and defensemen but in a more generalized fashion. Their job is to defend, score, and pass the ball to the attackers from the defensemen.
• Goalie – Each team has one goalie/goalkeeper. The goalkeeper represents the last stand of defense. They are allowed to touch the ball with their hands.

Equipment

No game of lacrosse or professional lacrosse, at least, can be played without the appropriate equipment. However, the regulations aren’t restricted to the gameplay. There are lacrosse rules and protocols that dictate the size of the field that the game needs to be played in, the size of the sticks, the count, etc. But let’s learn about the other aspect of this amazing game:

1. Sticks—Lacrosse sticks can be of two types: long sticks or short sticks. The short stick can measure between 40 and 42 inches, whereas the long stick can measure between 52 and 72 inches. As for the goalkeeper, his/her stick can measure between 40 and 72 inches (15 inches wide). However, only four other players are allowed to carry long sticks (four excluding the goalkeeper). Others have to carry short sticks.
2. Ball – The ball used in lacrosse is usually made of solid rubber and has a diameter of 8 inches.
3. Field – The field’s dimensions vary for men’s lacrosse and women’s lacrosse. Let’s find out the dimensions of each:

• Women’s Field: The width can be between 60 and 70 yards, and the length can be between 100 and 120 yards.
• Men’s Field: The men’s lacrosse field can measure 110 yards in length and 60 yards in width.

In addition to the equipment used above, all players wear helmets, shoulder pads, mouthpieces, gloves, and arm pads during a lacrosse game.

Did you know?

A game that is so ancient that its roots can be traced back to the Native American ages – that might just be one of many interesting facts about lacrosse that you will have learned today. Let’s learn a couple more:

• In ancient times, lacrosse was used to settle disputes as well as to heal sick people.
• In 1994, lacrosse was declared to be the national summer sport of Canada.
• There is a no-conflict version of lacrosse called inter-crosse.
• Lacrosse was played as an Olympic sport for two years (1904 & 1908). Interestingly, Canada won gold in both years, and America won silver.
• American lacrosse player Zack Dorn hit the fastest shot in lacrosse. The shot, which clocked 119 miles per hour, was recorded in 2010 at the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship.

FAQs

Conclusion

Lacrosse is a game that has evolved over the ages. Still retaining its exhilarating nature, modern-day Lacrosse has become far more enjoyable than its predecessors. With the lacrosse rules explained above, you will be able to play the game like a professional. Also, if your friends don’t know how to play lacrosse, you can now introduce them to one of the oldest games in North American history. So learn the rules and try your hand at it!

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