Lacrosse Addict

Unlike Girl’s lacrosse, Boy’s lacrosse is a contact game. There are ten players; a goalie, three on defense, three midfielders and three men on attack. The object of the game is score more goals than the opponent. Lacrosse gear for the boys will include helmet, stick, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, mouth guard, cup and cleats.

High school games are 48 minutes long, with 12-minute quarters, college games are 60 minutes long, with 15-minute quarters, and youth games are 32 minutes long, with eight-minute quarters. Each team is given a two-minute break between the first and second quarters, and the third and fourth quarters. Halftime is ten minutes long. Teams change sides between periods.

The lacrosse field is 110 yards long and aproximately 53 10 60 yards wide. Goals are 80 yards apart, with a play area of 15 yards behind each goal and an 18 yard diameter around each (also known as the crease). The center line is at mid -field and a rectangle measuring 35 yards by 40 yards is located around each goal area. The goal consists of two vertical posts, six feet apart and a top cross bar at six feet high. A line is drawn between the goal posts to represent the plane of the goal. Netting is attached to the goal and fastened to the ground aproximately 7 feet behind the goal. An illustration can be found at the US Lacrosse website.

Each team must keep at least four players, including the goalie, in its defensive half of the field and three in its offensive half. Three players (midfielders) may roam the entire field. Each team gets two timeouts each half.

The game begins with a face-off. The official blows the whistle to begin play. Each face-off player tries to control the ball. The players in the wing areas can run after the ball when the whistle sounds. The other players must wait until one player has gained possession of the ball, or the ball has crossed a goal area line, before they can release.

Players positions on the field - four in the defensive clearing area, two in the wing area, one at the center, and three in their attack goal area.
Body checking is permitted if the opponent has the ball or is within five yards of a loose ball. All body contact must occur from the front or side, above the waist and below the shoulders, and with both hands on the stick. An opponent’s crosse may also be stick checked if it is within five yards of a loose ball or ball in the air.

Center face-offs occur at the start of each quarter and after each goal is scored. Only the goalkeeper may touch the ball with his hands. A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from an opponent’s crosse with a stick check, which is controlled hitting of the stick and gloved hands of the player in possession of the ball.

If the ball or a player in possession of the ball goes out of bounds, the other team is awarded possession. If the ball goes out of bounds after an unsuccessful shot, the player nearest to the ball when and where it goes out of bounds is awarded possession.

There are personal fouls and technical foul penalties - for a personal foul - a one to three minute suspension from play and possession to the team that was fouled. Players with five personal fouls are ejected from the game. The penalty for a technical foul is a thirty-second suspension if a team is in possession of the ball when the foul is committed, or possession of the ball to the team that was fouled if there was no possession when the foul was committed.