What do I need to play lacrosse? Boys Stick (crosse) Helmet
Shoulder Pads
Elbow Pads
Gloves
Mouth guard (These should be colored and attached to their helmet)
Protective Cup
Rib Pads are optional but recommended
There are lacrosse specific cleats but soccer or football cleats are fine.
Girls Eyewear
Stick (crosse)
Gloves Mouthguard You can get lacrosse equipment at the following: Velocity Lacrosse - West Chester,OH www.velocitylacrosse.com Any sporting goods store in the area.
Tuesday, September 8 The Game. What is it?
BOYS Lacrosse is a full contact sport played using a stick with a net on the end, called a crosse, which consists of usually a separate metal or wooden shaft, connected to the "head" of the crosse. The object of the game is to toss a rubber ball into the goal. Lacrosse can be played outdoors or indoors. Outdoors it is played on a field of grass or artificial turf. Indoors it can be played on turf. Indoor or box lacrosse is played on covered or melted ice hockey rinks. In the Netherlands, only outdoor Lacrosse is played. Lacrosse is also one of the oldest sports in the world. Fanatic Lacrosse players claim Lacrosse is the oldest and fastest game on two feet! The rules for outdoor men's lacrosse Outdoor men's lacrosse involves two teams, each competing to project a small ball of solid rubber into the opposing team's goal. Each team starts with ten players on the field: a goalkeeper or "goalie" who stays inside the crease; three defenders in the defensive end; three midfielders free to roam the whole field; and three attackers attempting to score goals in the offensive end. Players scoop the ball off the ground with their stick and may run carrying the ball in their stick, pass the ball through the air to other players, or throw it at the goal. In men's lacrosse, players may kick the ball, as well as cover it with their sticks, provided they do not withhold it from play. Play is quite fast and fluent, with considerably more goals scored than are in soccer or hockey, with typical games totaling ten to twenty goals. Face-off Each quarter starts with a “face-off” in which the ball is placed on the ground and two “face-off-men” lay their stick horizontally next to the ball, head of the stick inches from the ball and the butt-end pointing down the midfield line. Face-off-men scrap for the ball, often by “clamping” it under their stick and flicking it out to their midfielders, who start on the wing restraining line near the sideline and sprint in when the whistle is blown to start play. Attackers and defenders cannot cross their “restraining line” until one player from the midfield takes possession of the ball. A face-off also restarts the game after each goal. Full contact sport Lacrosse is a full contact sport. A full contact sport is a sport where there is significant physical contact between the athletes involved. This does not mean there is any fighting with each other or whacking each other with sticks on the head. What is does mean is that there is stick checking and body checking. Stick checking is hitting the stick of the opponent with your own stick. Stick checking is allowed, provided that only the stick or hands of the opponent are hit. Body checking is the act of hitting a player with your own body. Body checking is allowed only if the opponent is hit with two hands next to each other on a stick (no pushing with the stick) and only below the shoulders and above the hips. Stick checking and body checking is only allowed on players with the ball or near a loose ball. Rules on this are very strict and the safety of the players is very important. Referees will always consider the safety of players number one priority. Fouls If a rule has not been obtained a foul has been made. This can be either a "technical" foul or a "personal" foul. Technical fouls are light in nature and are usually fouls that are technical (could be a team that commits the foul), like delay of the game or warding off. Personal fouls are more serious fouls and are committed by one person. Hitting someone on the head with the stick, illegal body checking, tripping and unsportsmanlike conduct are examples of a personal foul. Technical fouls are punished by awarding the ball to the offended team if the offending team had possession or in a loose ball situation or sending someone from the offending team to the timebox for 30 seconds if the offended team had possession. Personal fouls are always a time-serving penalty with the offending player being put on the time box for 1 to 3 minutes depending on the seriousness of the foul. Gear Because of the speed balls could be thrown with in mens lacrosse and because its a full contact sport, outdoor mens lacrosse requires to be played with a helmet, gloves and shoes at a minimum. Usually players wear chest protection, elbow guards and a cup too. Kidney/back protection and a mouth guard is common too.
GIRLS The rules for outdoor women’s lacrosse The rules of women's lacrosse differ significantly from men's lacrosse and are specifically designed to allow less physical contact between players. As a result of the lack of contact, the only protective equipment required is eyewear and a mouth guard. The pockets of women's sticks are shallower than those of the men, making the ball harder to catch and more difficult to shoot at high speed. Women play with three attackers (or "homes"), five midfielders (or "middies"), three defenders (starting from the back, called "point", "cover point", and "third man"), and one goalie. Seven players play attack at one time and seven defenders are present. There is a restraining line that keeps the other four players (plus the goalie) from going into the attack. If those players cross the line, they are considered offsides and a penalty is given. To sum it up a little: - Women’s lacrosse is not a full contact sport - It is played by teams of 12 instead of 10 - There is no face off but a draw (ball is thrown into the air between two players) - There are no "technical" and "personal" fouls but minor and major fouls - Punishment differs if a foul is made (generally speaking no time serving but cards are drawn)
Men's Lacrosse Field & Rules A Basic review of the sport's rules.
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR OUR NEW FANS
Men's lacrosse is a true Native American sport played by 10 players on each team. This includes 1 goalie, 3 defensemen, 3 midfielders, and 3 attackmen. The object of the game is to shoot the ball into the opponent's goal while preventing your opponent from scoring in your goal. The goals are 6 feet by 6 feet and are set 80 yards apart. The team scoring the most goals wins.
Each team much keep at least 4 players, including the goalie, in its defensive half of the field and 3 players in the offensive half at all times. The 3 midfielders may roam the entire field.
High school varsity games are divided into 4 12-minute quarters. Junior varsity quarters are 10 minutes long. (Quarters in college games last for 15 minutes.) Teams change ends at the beginning of each quarter. The teams are permitted 3 regular timeouts and one 20-second timeout per game, they cannot use more than 2 per half.
At the start of each quarter and generally after every goal, players take their positions with 4 players in the defensive clearing area, 1 player at the center, 1 player in each wing area, and 3 players in the attack goal area.
The game begins with a face-off. The ball is placed between the sticks of the 2 face-off men at the center of the field. The official blows the whistle to start play. Each face-off player tries to control the ball. The players in the wing area can move, the other players can maneuver around in their respective areas, but must wait until one player has gained possession of the ball or the ball crosses into either goal area.
Players can run with the ball in their stick for as long as they want or they can pass the ball to a teammate. The ball movement is similar to basketball.
A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from the opponent's stick with a stick check. (A stick check is the controlled poking & slapping of the stick and gloved hands of the player in possession of the ball.)
Body checking is permitted if the opponent has the ball or is within 5 yards of the ball. However, all contact must occur from the front or side, above the waist and below the shoulders. An opponent's stick may also be stick-checked if it is within 5 yards of a loose ball or a ball in the air.
Unlike any other sport, after an unsuccessful shot, if the ball goes out of bounds, the ball is awarded to the player closest to the ball when & where the ball goes out of bounds.
Attacking players may not enter the crease [circle] around the goal, but can reach in with their stick to scoop up a loose ball.
Lacrosse Penalties
There are personal and technical fouls in lacrosse. The penalty for a personal foul is a one to three minute suspension from play and possession to the team that was fouled. Players with five personal founds are ejected from the game. The penalty for a technical foul is a thirty-second suspension if the team is in possession of the ball when the foul is committed, or possession of the ball goes to the team that was fouled if there was not possession when the foul was committed.
PERSONAL FOULS SLASHING: Occurs when a player's stick contacts an opponent in any area other than the stick or hands.
TRIPPING: Occurs when a player obstructs his opponent below the waist with his cross, feet or legs.
CROSS CHECKING: Occurs when a player uses the handle of his stick to contact an opponent.
UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT: Occurs when any player or coach commits an act which is considered un-sportsmanlike by an official, including taunting, obscene language or gestures, baiting, celebrating and arguing.
UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS: Striking an opponent with his stick or body using excessive force.
ILLEGAL CROSSE EQUIPMENT: Occurs when a player uses a cross that does not con-form to required specifications or any of his other equipment.
ILLEGAL BODY CHECKING: Checking a player not within 5 yards of the ball, a late hit, or contact from behind, above the shoulders or below the waist.
TECHNICAL FOULS HOLDING: Occurs when a player impedes the movement of an opponent or an opponent's stick.
INTERFERENCE: When a player interferes with the free movement of an opponent.
OFFSIDES: When a team does not have 4 players on the defensive side of the midfield or 3 players on the offensive side of the midfield.
PUSHING: Occurs when a player thrusts or shoves a player from behind.
SCREENING: Occurs when an offensive player moves into and makes contact with a defensive player.
STALLING: Occurs when a team intentionally holds the ball without advancing toward the goal or when a team fails to advance the ball from its defensive zone or into its offensive zone within 10 seconds.
WARDING OFF: Occurs when a player with the ball uses his free hand to direct an opponent.
