How to play lacrosse: An intro to lacrosse rules

Lacrosse is a fast-growing sport that&rsquo;s usually played at the professional or collegiate levels and requires endurance, speed, teamwork and skill.
Lacrosse is a fast-growing sport that’s usually played at the professional or collegiate levels and requires endurance, speed, teamwork and skill. (BestReviews)

Lacrosse rules

One of the oldest organized team sports in the U.S., lacrosse comes from the indigenous people of North America. In the modern era, it’s now played at the college and professional level. Two of the most popular versions of lacrosse today are field lacrosse (played outside) and box lacrosse (played inside).

Each game comes with its own rules and regulations, which can vary, based on the level that it is played. Below, learn about the most common rules and essentials of the game.


Field lacrosse for beginners

Lacrosse is a sport that uses a stick, or crosse and a ball. It is played by two opposing teams with the goal of scoring the most points by the end of the game.

The teams in field lacrosse consist of 10 players, each with their own role and purpose. On each team there is a goalie or goalkeeper, three attackers, three midfielders and three defenders. Every player wears protective gear such as a helmet, shoulder and elbow pads, gloves, and uses a stick unique to their position.

  • The goalie's stick can be anywhere from 40-72 inches long with a 12-inch-wide head.
  • Attackers and midfielders' sticks can be 40- 42 inches in length.
  • A maximum of four players on each team can have a stick from 52-72 inches long.

Defenders (or defensemen) protect the goal along with the goalkeeper and can block or deflect passes. Attackers (or attackmen) have the goal of getting the ball from midfielders and scoring goals. Midfielders can play offense or defense. The goalkeeper is the final defense for a team and does not usually leave the goal area (or crease).

Typical gameplay

The game of lacrosse is played on a 110 by 60-yard field. On either end of the field is the goal, a 6 by 6 feet netted area, which each team defends.

In the middle of the field is the midfield line, which separates the defensive and offensive zones. Each team is required to always have four players in the defensive zone and three in the offensive zone. Midfielders are given more range and can play on either side once the game begins.

To begin a game, one player from each team must place their crosse on the field parallel to the midfield line with the ball in between them. This is called a “face-off.” The referee blows a whistle to signal the commencement of the game and both players fight for control of the ball. The player that gets possession of the ball scoops it up and brings it to the offensive zone where the rest of the team works to get a goal.

A goal is worth one point, unless scored from behind the two-point line. In this case, a successful shot is worth two points. The two-point line rule is mainly used in professional lacrosse.

The game is played in four 15-minute quarters and lasts a total of an hour. At the end, the team with the most points wins.

Other rules and regulations

Here are a few other rules to keep in mind when getting started with lacrosse.

  • A goalie may touch the ball with their hand to block it, while other players cannot.
  • Opposing players cannot touch the goalkeeper's stick while the goalkeeper is in the goal crease. The opposing players' sticks also must not enter the crease.
  • For out of bounds shots, the ball is usually awarded to the team who did not make the shot.

There may be some rule variations in youth games.

Fouls and penalties

If any player fails to adhere to the rules, they or their team will receive a penalty or foul. In lacrosse, there are technical fouls and personal fouls.

Personal foul: This includes slashing (when one player hits another with their crosse somewhere other than their gloves), cross-checking and illegal body checking. A personal foul can also happen when there is a safety concern on the field. In most cases, the player who broke the rules is penalized by having to leave the field for at least one minute. Their team must play on without them during this time, making them one player short.

Technical foul: A technical foul may occur when a player is found holding the ball or pushing. A player who leaves their zone during the game is also penalized by having their team lose the ball if they are currently in possession of it. If that player's team does not have the ball, the player must remove themselves from the field for at least 30 seconds.

Penalties can also happen due to any other rule violation.

Box lacrosse for beginners

Played indoors on a hockey-style rink with artificial turf instead of ice, box lacrosse is a more physical game than other variants. Each team has six players (one goalie and five runners) playing at any given time. However, they can have a total of 19 players (two goalies and 17 runners). These players switch out during games.

The runners consist of defenders, forward players and transition players. The entire game is played in an enclosed “box.” Aside from the goalkeeper, all players use short sticks. Additionally, because the play area is limited, the pacing of the game is usually quicker than in field lacrosse. Each game still takes place in four quarters that are each 15 minutes in length.

Typical gameplay

The game begins with a "face-off," similar to field lacrosse. Box lacrosse allows more physical contact, such as cross-checking, than field lacrosse, so players are required to wear more protection than in other games. This includes a hockey-style mask for the goalie, as well as a chest protector, shin guards, mouthguard and armguards.

Any player who assumes control of the ball must take a shot within the first 30 seconds. This rule is enforced with a shot clock. During gameplay, players from each team can switch out or change from offense to defense and back as needed.

Each team can take a 45-second timeout per half. The game ends when the final quarter runs out. In the event of a tie, the game goes into sudden-victory overtime and continues until the final goal is made.

Standard penalties

There are minor and major penalties in box lacrosse. These can result in loss of possession of the ball or timeouts that typically last 2 or 5 minutes.

While cross checking and body checking are both allowed in box lacrosse, there are several illegal actions that can occur during the game. Among these includes fighting, high sticking, holding and elbowing. The player with improper conduct is sent to the penalty box to wait out the duration of the penalty. During this time, their team is considered “man-down” because they are missing a player.

A penalty can end early if the opposing team scores points — one point for a minor infraction and two points for a major one.

Other variants of lacrosse

Besides field and box lacrosse, there are two other types: intercrosse and women’s lacrosse. Intercrosse is an indoor, non-contact version of the game in which gender of the player does not matter. Women’s lacrosse is played by female players only and has its own set of rules. Overall, the rules, area of play and equipment changes between games and levels.




Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.