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An Overview of Field Lacrosse
Photo from Canada vs Iroquois game at the 2006 World Field Lacrosse Championships.
Field lacrosse is played with 10 players on the field – 1 goalie, 3 defenders, 3 midfielders, and 3 attackers. The attackers must always stay on the offensive side of center, and the defenders must always stay on the defensive side of center. The midfielders can go all over the field. If a team has less than 3 players in the attacking zone, or less than 4 in the defensive zone (3 defenders plus a goalie) the team is off-side and possession will be awarded to the other team.Players may substitute any time during the game and may change “on the fly”. There is a special substitution area and a “gate” marked on the field where players must enter and exit when substituting. The player must exit the field first before the substitute can enter the field. A team may have up to 13 substitute players (23 players in total).The nets in field lacrosse are 6 feet wide and 6 feet tall (1.83 meters). The net is placed about 15 feet from the end of the field, so players can run behind the net and around the net and still be in-bounds. The goal crease is a circle with a radius of 9 feet. Only the goalie may play the ball in the crease.Body checking is allowed against any opponent who is within 9 feet (2.74 meters) of a loose ball. Body checks may be thrown from the front or side and must be between the neck and the hip. Checking from behind, checking too high (above the neck) and checking too low (below the hip) will draw a penalty. A player must not body check an opponent who has fallen down or is on his knees.When a player runs out of bounds, or a pass or shot travels out of bounds, the other team will be awarded a free play. The referee will give the ball to the player closest to the point where the ball went out of bounds. On a free play, the other team must allow the player with the ball 5 yards (4.57 meters).
History:Perhaps the first sport in North America, "baggataway” was played by Native Americans as far back as the 1400s, often with thousands of people participating and goals spread miles apart. French colonists referred to the stick used to play as a “crosse” — French for a “bishop’s staff” — and lacrosse was created. A Canadian dentist, W. George Beers, established the rules in 1867 that formed modern lacrosse. Traditionally an East Coast sport, Field Lacrosse has experienced recent growth at the high school and college levels, and the game has expanded across the country. | |