| 1-
History & Object
2- The
Essentials (Offense & Defense,
Scoring, Etc.)
3- Field Diagram and
Positions
4- Fouls
5- Glossary
of Lacrosse Terms
Field of Play
Lacrosse is played on a large
rectangular grass field. The
field has markings with specific
functions:
Midfield line: Divides
the field into equal halves.
The X centered on this line
is where face-offs take place.
Also, the proper number of players
on each team must remain on
each half of the field to avoid
being called for offsides.
Sidelines and endlines:
Mark the boundaries. When a
ball or player goes out of bounds,
the opposing team takes possession.
Following a shot, the player
closest to spot where the ball
went out of bounds has possession.
Therefore, a teammate should
always be in a position to back
up a shot.
Goal: Points are scored
when the ball passes through
this six-foot by six-foot square.
Crease: Circle surrounding
the goal that the offense cannot
enter. Players can reach into
the crease with their stick
to gain possession of a loose
ball, but cannot touch the goalie.
Crease violations result in
a penalty.
Attack area/defense clearing
area: The offense has 10
seconds to move into this area
after crossing the midfield
line. Once the defense has possession
of the ball, it has 10 seconds
to advance out of this area.
Also, attackers and defenders
must remain in these areas during
the face-off.
Penalty box: Used as
a holding area for players to
wait out their penalties. It
is also the access area for
substitute players entering
and exiting the field for on-the-fly
substitutions.
Wing area: Two of the
three midfielders must remain
in the wing area until the face-off
starts.
Positions
Two teams compete with 10
players on the field. Players
fall into four categories:
 Attack:
Offensive-minded players who
possess great stick skills that
allow them to shoot with precision
and fake.
They use speed and agility to
elude defenders. Attackers also
endure punishing hits from opponents.
 Midfield:
Always on the move, these players
advance the ball up the field
and play both offense and defense.
Help defenders and tally assists
by taking the ball from defensive
area to attackers. They are
fast, durable, and stick savvy.
Also called “middies.”
 Defense:
Defenders use size, speed, strength,
and skill to keep attackers
from scoring. An aggressive
mindset is beneficial, but playing
under control and selecting
the proper angle to prevent
close range shots are more critical
skills.
 Goalie:
Uses lightning-fast reflexes,
quick decisions, and courage
to stop a barrage of high-velocity
shots. Body must handle punishment
from the ball, and mind has
to quickly recover from mistakes.
The goalie directs the defense
by calling for checks and relaying
locations of the ball and attackers.
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