A QUCK & BASIC I NTRO TO H IGH SCHOOL LACROSSE H igh School 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. 4 players (usually 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. Each team must keep at least
H igh School games are 48 minutes long, divided into 4 quarters, each 12 minutes in length. Teams change ends of the field at the beginning of each quarter. Each team is permitted 4 regular timeouts per game but can only use 2 per half. For the start of each quarter and generally after every goal, players take their positions with defensive clearing area, 1 player at the center, 1 player in each wing area, and offensive goal area.
4 players in the
3 players in the attack or
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 tr ies to control the ball. The players in the wing areas can move to t ry to gain possession. The attackmen and defensemen can maneuver in their respective areas but must wait to leave the restraining box until one player (signaled by the official) has gained possession of the ball or the ball crosses into either goal area. Players can run with the ball in their crosse (stick) for as long as they want or 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, which includes the controlled poking and slapping of the stick or 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 a loose ball. However, all contact must occur from the front or side, above the waist and below the shoulders. An opponent’s crosse may also be stick checked if it is within
5 yards of a loose ball or a ball in the air.
Unl ike 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 and where the ball goes out of bounds. Attacking players may not enter the crease (circle) around the goal, but can reach in with their crosse to scoop up a loose ball.
More information & rules can be found by visiting www.uslacrosse.org
PENALTIES
There are personal and technical fouls in lacrosse. The penalty for a personal foul is a 1 to 3 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 30 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 no 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 or with deliberate viciousness. Tr ipping occurs when a player obstructs his opponent below the waist with his crosse, feet or legs. Cross Checking occurs when a player uses the handle of his crosse to contact an opponent. Unsportsmanlike occurs when any player or coach commits an act which is considered unsportsmanlike by the official, including taunting, obscene language or gestures, baiting, celebrating and arguing. Unnecessary Roughness is striking an opponent with his crosse or body using excessive force. I l legal Crosse or Equipment occurs when a player uses a crosse or any other equipment that does not conform to required specifications. I l legal Body Checking is checking a player not within 5 yards of the ball, a late hit, or contact from behind, above the shoulders or below the waist.
TECHN ICAL FOULS HOLDING occurs when a player impedes the movement of an opponent or an opponent’s crosse. I N TERFERENCE occurs when a player interferes with the free movement of an opponent. OFFSIDES is when a team does not have 4 players on the defensive side of the idfield or 3 playrs on the offensive side of the midfield. PUSHING occurs when a player thrusts or shoves a player from behind. SCREEN ING occurs when an offensive player moves into and makes contact with a defensive player. STALL ING occurs when a team intentionally holds the ball, without advancing toward the goal. WARDING OFF occurs when a player with the ball uses his free hand to direct an opponent.
Game Statistics A complete set of team game statistics is important for many reasons. Current Coaches use the information to identify the game’s best players & commend good play, identify strengths & weaknesses, improve individual and team skil ls & play, and to plan for upcoming contests.
Players who aspire to play lacrosse at the Collegiate Level can submit team stats as part of a College Coach’s evaluation process. The most common stats are defined below: A SHOT is a ball propelled toward the goal by an offensive player, either by being thrown from a crosse, kicked or otherwise physically directed. A shot can be awarded only when possession of the ball can be reasonably said to have occurred, by r icochet or when a controlled effort can be construed (similar to a controlled tip in basketball). A ball that enters the goal as a result of being propelled by the offensive team must be credited as a shot. A ball that r icochets off another player and scores wil l be awarded as a shot by the player deemed to have scored the goal. In the case of an own goal, no shot is awarded. GOALS are scored when the ball crosses the plane of the goal into the goal area. The goal wil l be awarded to the player who shoots the successful shot. An ASSIST is any one direct pass by a player to a teammate who then scores a goal without having to dodge or evade an opponent, other than the goalkeeper who is in the crease. There can be only one assist on any goal scored. GOALIE SAVES is recorded any time a ball is stopped or deflected by the goalkeeper’s body or crosse in such a manner that had the ball not been stopped or deflected, it would have entered the goal. A GROUND BALL is awarded when any ball not in the possession of one team comes into the possession of the other team in l ive-ball play. This may occur on an intercepted pass (the ball does not have to hit the ground) or from a ball checked loose onto the ground. Further, the ball must be obtained under pressure (another opposing player must be within 5 yards of the loose ball). When such a ground ball is obtained, the player gaining the ground ball must be able to perform immediately the normal functions of possession (shoot, pass, cradle). Should any of these condit ions not be met, a ground ball may not be awarded. A player cannot drop the ball of his own volition, pick it up again, and be credited with a ground ball. Ground balls should be awarded as part of the faceoff play; however, a ground ball is not always awarded when an official signals possession on a faceoff play, since his definition of possession does not r ise to the standard of that of a ground ball. FACE-OFF POSSESSION is awarded to the team who controls the ball following the face-off. Possession is signaled by the official. A CLEAR is the attempt by one team to move the ball from its defensive end of the field into its offensive end of the field. A clear fails when this attempt is unsuccessful. A failure to clear should not be recorded when the defending team fails to clear when it is playing extra-man defense. A successful clear should be awarded only when the clearing team crossed the center l ine with the ball and is clearly able to init iate an offensive attempt from the play. Advancing the ball across the center l ine does not automatically mean a clear should be awarded if the clearing team loses possession of the ball almost immediately.