How do you Play Lacrosse?

Lacrosse is considered the oldest organized sport, played by the Northern American Indians that dates back to the 1600s. It is a team game, similar to hockey as it is played with sticks. It is basically an easy game for many people as the rules are quite simple. The basics, history, equipment, and the answer to how do you play lacrosse will be discussed in this article.  

1. What is Lacrosse?

Lacrosse is a team sport that is played using a lacrosse stick and a ball. There are different variations and versions of lacrosse how to play, but the main goal is to score more than the opposing team. The game of lacrosse is similar to a game of hockey as the scoring system and the goalpost are the two commonalities between these two games but are different in terms of equipment and rules. (See What is the Best Martial Art?)

2. What is the History of Lacrosse?

Before you learn how do you play lacrosse, know about its history. This game was originally called stickball and was first played by the Algonquian tribe in the St. Lawrence Valley area. Other tribes in the eastern half of Northern America and the western Great Lakes then followed them. The game used to take place for multiple days and was celebrated as one of the grand events. This sport was played for religious as well as training purposes. And people used to often place bets on the outcome of the game. (See What is Marathon Distance?)

3. Who coined the Name of the Game?

French European missionaries first noticed this game during the 1630s while working in the St. Lawrence Valley. Later, Jean de Brebeuf wrote about the sport in 1636 and he was the one who coined the name lacrosse. As a result, Canada developed an interest in the game and it became Canada’s national game by 1860. Queen Victoria also recognized it in 1867 as one of her most liked sports. Then as the century went by, lacrosse became a very popular game in other countries too. It was a part of the Summer Olympics in 1904 and 1908. The next segment will tell you how lacrosse was played in the earlier times and how do you play lacrosse now. (See When was the Unicycle Invented?)

4. How it was Played in the earlier times?

You can also ask about lacrosse how to play in the earlier times? The rules are given below:

• There was no limit on the number of players as it started from 100 people and went over to 100,000 or even more at times.
• The fields on which the game was played were spread over 50 acres.
• The open areas between villages and trees were used as the goalposts. (See Learn How to Zentangle)
• The player was not allowed to touch the ball by hand.
• The game used to start when the ball was tossed into the air, but unlike other games, there weren’t any boundaries on the fields.
• The game involved a five feet long wooden stick with a net in front to hold the ball.
• In the earlier days, there was no fixed game duration. It could be a whole day or a week, and the players might be given breaks or sometimes not. Must read about the 7 Facts About Dog Sled Teams.

5. How do you play Lacrosse now?

Like many games, throughout history, lacrosse also has had many variations. Though nowadays the rules changed

• The number has been fixed to ten players with exceptions for some events and special games that are held over years or a specific period of time.
• Lacrosse, in the modern era, begins with the ball thrown into the air as an indication to begin the game.
• The lacrosse stick has a net in front and is used to carry the ball to the goalpost or pass it to the other player.
• The main aim is to score as much as possible and more than the opposing team by throwing the ball into the goalpost.
• Now, it has a fixed duration. It is played in four quarters of twenty minutes with ten minutes of breaks, making the game roundabout for two hours. (See Why do rich people like to play golf?)

6. What Equipments were used?

As you read how do you play lacrosse, you must take note of its required equipment. Lacrosse is played with a stick and a ball. However, for every version of the game, the size and the length of the lacrosse equipment change. As an estimate, the smallest size of the stick is around 90 cm and the longest stick goes up to 180 cm. The ball is made of hard elastic rubber-like material. It is made not too heavy or too light, in a way that a lacrosse stick can hold, and the player can comfortably move around with it on the field. The game also has protective gear like chest gear, gloves, headgear, etc. to guard players from any harm. Must read about the 7 Different Curling Sport Equipment.

7. What are the Different parts of a Lacrosse Stick?

A lacrosse stick or a crosse consists of two parts, i.e., a head and a shaft. The head itself has three parts on its own: the pocket, the sidewall, and the scoop.

• The scoop is responsible for picking, passing as well as shooting the ground ball.
• The sidewall present on the side of the head manages the depth and density of the head.
• The pocket is the main net or mesh that is usually made of leather or nylon. The more the width of the pocket, the easier it will be to catch the ball. Also, check out What is a Baseball Made of?

8. What are the Different versions of Lacrosse?

There are a variety of versions of how do you play lacrosse. It is mostly dependent on the gender of the player playing it as different rules are provided accordingly. However, there are four main versions of lacrosse, and below are the different rules of how do you play lacrosse:

• Field lacrosse is the most common one. It is the outdoor version of the men’s lacrosse. It consists of ten players, but every player’s position is usually determined. There are three attackmen, three midfielders, three defensemen, and one main goalie. The field in this version is about 100 meters by 55 meters. (See What is a Slam Dunk?)
• The second version is played on the field of an ice hockey where the ice is removed. This game is also played by men only, but this version has only five players and a goalie. The small playing field is called a box and is about 54 meters by 26 meters.
• The third version is women’s lacrosse. In this version of the game, the number of players changes to 12, and certain rules are provided that are not present in men’s lacrosse. The field is a little bigger than that of box lacrosse.
• The fourth version is the intercross. This game includes both men and women, and the rules are the same as the box lacrosse. However, the equipment is the same as the women’s lacrosse. (See How many Miles is 5k?)