Lacrosse

Lacrosse is an exciting team sport played with a special stick and a small ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with roots going back to the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. Over time, European colonists changed some rules to make the game safer and we now have several different versions of lacrosse.

Players use the top part of their lacrosse stick to move, pass, catch, and shoot the ball into the opponent’s goal. There are five main types of lacrosse: field lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, box lacrosse, lacrosse sixes, and intercrosse. In men’s field and box lacrosse, players can touch each other, so they wear helmets, gloves, and pads for protection. In women’s lacrosse, players cannot use their bodies to hit each other but can tap sticks. Women only need eye protection, though goalies wear more gear. Lacrosse sixes is played on smaller fields and is common in multi-sport events. Intercrosse is a mixed-gender game where no body contact is allowed.

World Lacrosse is the group that oversees the modern sport and includes First Nations and Native American tribes as official members. They organize big international tournaments like the World Lacrosse Championship, the Women's Lacrosse World Cup, and the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship, held every four years. Lacrosse was part of the Summer Olympic Games in 1904 and 1908 and will return in 2028 as part of the lacrosse sixes format. It has also been shown as a demonstration sport in several other Olympics.

History

Main article: History of lacrosse

Lacrosse started as a game played by many Native American communities as early as 1100 AD. By the 1600s, it was a popular game in what is now Canada. These games were very big, with teams of hundreds of players and could last for days. They were played for special ceremonies, to show strength, or to thank the Creator.

The game changed over time. In 1637, a French missionary named Jean de Brébeuf saw Huron people playing and called it la crosse, meaning "the stick" in French. Later, in 1860, a Canadian man named William George Beers made new rules. He made the games shorter and used fewer players. This helped lacrosse become popular around the world. Women started playing in the late 1800s, and today, lacrosse is played in many places, including the United States.

Versions of lacrosse

Field lacrosse

Main article: Field lacrosse

Field lacrosse is a game played outdoors by men. Each team has ten players: three attackers, three midfielders, three defenders, and one goalie. Players use special sticks to handle the ball. Attackers and midfielders use shorter sticks, while defenders use longer ones. The goalie uses an extra-large stick to block shots.

The field is shaped like a rectangle, measuring 110 by 60 yards. Goals are placed at each end, 80 yards apart. Games last 60 minutes, split into four 15-minute parts. Players start each part and restart after a goal with a face-off, where two players fight for the ball using their sticks.

Box lacrosse

Main article: Box lacrosse

Box lacrosse is played indoors on a smaller space, like an ice rink without the ice. Teams have five runners and a goalie. The goals are smaller, and players wear more protective gear. The game moves faster, and there is a shot clock that forces teams to shoot within 30 seconds. Players can check opponents more, so they wear extra padding.

Women's lacrosse

Main article: Women's lacrosse

Women's lacrosse has different rules than men's. There is less physical contact, and players wear less protective gear. The field has special lines and zones that players must follow. The first women's game was played in Scotland in 1890.

Lacrosse sixes

Lacrosse sixes is a newer version of lacrosse made to be faster and easier to watch. It has six players per side and shorter games. It will be played in the Olympic Games starting in 2028 in Los Angeles.

Intercrosse

Main article: Intercrosse

Intercrosse is a gentle form of lacrosse without rough contact. It uses softer sticks and a bigger ball. It is popular in Quebec and some European countries. It is great for young players learning the sport.

International lacrosse

Further information: List of national lacrosse organizations

Lacrosse is mostly played in Canada and the United States, but there are also small groups of players in the United Kingdom and Australia. Recently, lacrosse has started to grow around the world, especially in Europe and East Asia.

World Lacrosse

Main article: World Lacrosse

In 2008, the groups that managed men's and women's lacrosse worldwide joined together to form a new organization called the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL). In 2019, this group changed its name to World Lacrosse. Today, World Lacrosse has 62 countries that are members.

Tournaments

World Lacrosse organizes five big tournaments every four years: the World Lacrosse Championship for men, the Women's Lacrosse World Championship for women, the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship, and the Men's Under-20 World Lacrosse Championships and Women's Under-20 World Lacrosse Championships.

The World Lacrosse Championship started in 1968 with just four teams. By 2014, it had grown to include teams from 38 countries. The United States has won most of these tournaments, with Canada winning the others.

The Women's Lacrosse World Championship began in 1982. The United States has won most of these, with Australia winning a few. Canada and England have always been among the top teams.

The first World Indoor Lacrosse Championship was in 2003, with Canada winning. They have won all the tournaments so far.

The Iroquois Nationals are the men's team from the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. They joined international lacrosse in 1987 and have done well in many tournaments.

Olympic Games

Lacrosse was an official sport in the Summer Olympics in 1904 and 1908. In 1904, teams from Canada, the Iroquois Confederacy, and the United States competed, with the Canadian team winning. In 1908, Canada beat a team from England.

Later, lacrosse was shown as a demonstration sport in the Olympics in 1928, 1932, and 1948, but it was not an official medal sport during those years.

There have been efforts to bring lacrosse back to the Olympics. In October 2023, it was approved to be included in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Other

The European Lacrosse Federation (ELF) started in 1995 and holds tournaments every four years. England has won most of the men's and women's tournaments.

The Asia Pacific Lacrosse Union was founded in 2004 and holds tournaments for both men and women every two years.

Lacrosse was included in the World Games for the first time in 2017, with only women's teams competing. The United States won, with Canada taking silver and Australia taking bronze.

Both men's and women's lacrosse tournaments were held in the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. The women's tournament will return in the 2025 World Games.

Lacrosse in the United States

College lacrosse

Main article: College lacrosse

Men's college lacrosse

Collegiate lacrosse in the United States is played at different levels, including NCAA, NAIA, and club levels. There are many teams across the country, with some playing in the northeastern United States and others in places like Ontario and Quebec in Canada.

The first U.S. intercollegiate men's lacrosse game happened on November 22, 1877, between New York University and Manhattan College. The NCAA began sponsoring a men's lacrosse championship in 1971, with Cornell winning the first title.

Women's college lacrosse

There are many women's lacrosse teams at the college level, with Maryland, Princeton, and Northwestern being some of the successful teams over the years. The NCAA started sponsoring a women's lacrosse championship in 1982.

Professional lacrosse

Active leagues

National Lacrosse League

Main article: National Lacrosse League

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men's semi-professional box lacrosse league in North America. It has teams in both the United States and Canada, playing games in ice rinks during the winter months.

Premier Lacrosse League

Main article: Premier Lacrosse League

The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) was created in 2018 and focuses on traveling to different cities in the United States with the best players. Each player earns a good salary and has benefits.

Women's Lacrosse League

Main article: Women's Lacrosse League

A new professional women's league called the Women's Lacrosse League will start playing lacrosse sixes in 2025.

Defunct leagues

Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse

Main article: Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse

Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse was a women's lacrosse league that operated from 2021 to 2024.

Major League Lacrosse

Main article: Major League Lacrosse

Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was a semi-professional field lacrosse league that started in 2001. It merged with the Premier Lacrosse League in 2020.

United Women's Lacrosse League

Main article: United Women's Lacrosse League

The United Women's Lacrosse League (UWLX) was a women's lacrosse league that operated from 2016 to 2020.

Women's Professional Lacrosse League

Main article: Women's Professional Lacrosse League

The Women's Professional Lacrosse League was a professional women's lacrosse league that started in 2018 and closed in 2020.

Equipment

Stick

A lacrosse stick has two main parts: the head and the shaft. The head includes three parts: the scoop, sidewall, and pocket. The scoop is the top part of the stick used for picking up the ball, passing, and shooting. The sidewall is the side of the head, and the pocket is a piece of leather or nylon mesh where the ball sits. A wider pocket makes catching the ball easier but gives less control, while a narrower pocket makes catching harder but helps with accuracy.

Shafts are usually made of hollow metal and are shaped like an octagon (eight-sided) to give a better grip. They can be made from materials like aluminum, titanium, scandium, wood, plastic, carbon fiber, or fiberglass.

Ball

The lacrosse ball is made of solid rubber. For men's lacrosse, it is usually white, while for women's lacrosse, it is often yellow. However, the ball can be made in many colors.

Men's field protective equipment

Men's field lacrosse players wear gloves, elbow pads, shoulder pads, a helmet, a mouthguard, and cleats. The size and protection level of the pads depend on the player's position and preference. For example, attack players often wear larger elbow pads for extra protection, while defenders may wear smaller pads. Goalkeepers wear a large chest pad and a plastic neck guard to protect their neck and chest. Male goalkeepers also wear a protective cup.

Men's box protective equipment

Players in men's box lacrosse wear more protective gear than field players because the game has more physical contact. Runners wear larger elbow pads, stronger shoulder pads, and often rib pads. Box goalies wear equipment similar to ice hockey goalies, with smaller leg blockers but bigger shoulder pads.

Women's field protective equipment

Women's field lacrosse players are only required to wear eyewear and a mouthguard. The eyewear is a metal cage that covers the eyes and is attached with a strap around the back of the head. Recently, there has been talk about adding padded headgear to help protect against head injuries. Women goalies wear a helmet, gloves, and a chest protector.

Variants