Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a summer team sport of Native American origin played with netted sticks.
The game is popular in Canada (chiefly in southern Ontario and British Columbia) and in New England and other areas in the northeast United States. The colleges, high schools and "pee wee" leagues in the United States support many teams. Cornell University's "Big Red" and other Ivy League schools tend to be the best teams in the collegiate ranks, while the American teams have won recent World Championships for both men and women. The Iroquois nation is also allowed to enter at team in the World Championships.
The game is also played in Australia, and in England.
The Game
Outdoor lacrosse involves two teams of 10 players each competing by projecting a small solid rubber ball into the opposing team's goal. The field of play is approximately 110 yards (100 m) long and 40 yards (37 m) wide. The goals are 6 feet (1.8 m) by 6 feet and contain a mesh netting similar to an ice hockey goal.
Players line up based on 3 offensive players called "attackmen", 3 "midfielders", 3 "defensemen", and 1 goaltender. Each player carries a stick (the French settlers on seeing the Native Americans using the stick called it la crossier (crozier) hence the name "Lacrosse") of varying length from 40 inches (1.0 m) to 72 inches (1.8 m). The sticks have a metal shaft and a plastic head with a string and leather basket called the "pocket".
Players scoop the ball off the ground and hurl the ball in the air to other players. Players are allowed to run carrying the ball. There are a number of complicating rules for positioning and offsides of players, but, in general, to the uninitiated, think a combination of soccer and hockey. Games consist of 4 fifteen minute periods. The scores of games typically consist of a total of twenty or so goals being scored.
Canadians most commonly play box lacrosse, an indoor version of the game played on hockey cushions or pads (hockey rinks with the ice taken out). The goal is smaller than in outdoor lacrosse (and the goaltender usually bigger).
Indoor lacrosse is a less violent version of box lacrosse played professionally during the winter not only in regions where summer lacrosse is popular but in regions where lacrosse is rarely played in summer.