Sports: Loco for Lacrosse
While most Americans might not pay attention to any sports other than the big three – football, basketball and baseball – there are hundreds of games that are immensely popular in other parts of the world. At the Healthy Life Network, we have created this series of articles to highlight some of the lesser-known sports played in other corners of the earth.
Lacrosse could be the oldest sport in North America, and is known all over the world for its speed and extremely rough game play.
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History
Lacrosse originated in North America among Native American Huron and Iroquois tribes somewhere around the year 1100. Games were played between opposing villages, and teams could consist of anywhere from 100 to 1,000 players. These games were considered major events and could last for several days at a time.
In 1867, the rules of the game were updated by Dr. William George Beers, member of the Montreal Lacrosse Club. These rules defined the modern version of the game and are still used today.
Equipment
Every lacrosse player is equipped with a long racquet called a crosse or lacrosse stick. These sticks consist of a long, lightweight handle with a loosely strung net at the end. Defensive players’ sticks typically have larger nets than offensive players.
Lacrosse players normally wear cleats, arm and shoulder pads, a helmet and face mask, mouth guard, padded lacrosse gloves and a uniform consisting of shorts and a short sleeved top.
A lacrosse field is 110 yards long and 60 yards wide – just slightly larger than an American football field.
The lacrosse ball is made of solid white rubber about 8 inches in circumference.
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Rules
Lacrosse games are played between two teams of ten players. Every team consists of a goalkeeper, three defensive players, three midfielders and three offensive players, called attackers. The object of the game is to move the lacrosse ball downfield and to score goals in the opposing team’s net.
The length of every game depends upon the level of competition. In college, international and Major League Lacrosse competitions, game play is divided into four 15-minute quarters.
Every game begins with a face-off, which involves placing the ball between two players on opposing teams at the center of the field. Players then use their sticks to catch, carry and pass the ball downfield as the other team defends.
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