Basic Rules
Below are some of the rules that you may see most during play. Keep in mind, there are LOTS of rules,
and for a complete listing, go to your favorite lacrosse store and grab a rule book! Also note that rules
differ between youth, high school, and college play, and greatly differ between girls and boys!
Basic Rules
BOYS
Boys' lacrosse is a contact game (except for the youth team) played by ten players: a goalkeeper, three
defensemen, three midfielders and three attackmen.
Boys wear full protective gear which includes: helmet, mouthpiece, arm pads, shoulder pad/chest
protector, and gloves.
Generally, high school games are 48 minutes long, with 4, 12-minute quarters. Middle school & youth
plays 4, 10-minute quarters. Each team is given a two minute break between the first and second
quarters, and the third and fourth quarters. Half-time is ten minutes long and may be shorter if coaches
agree to it prior to the start of the game.
Teams change sides between periods. Each team is permitted two time-outs each half. The team
winning the coin toss chooses the end of the field it wants to defend first.
Boys' lacrosse begins with a face-off. The ball is placed between the sticks of two squatting players at the
center of the field. The official blows the whistle to begin play. Each face-off player tries to control the ball.
The players in the wing areas can release; the other players must wait until one player has gained
possession of the ball or the ball has crossed the goal line. Center face-offs are also used after a goal
and at the start of each quarter.
A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from an opponent's crosse with a stick check,
which includes the controlled poking and slapping of the stick and gloved hands of the player in
possession of the ball.
Body checking is permitted only if the opponent has the 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 "checked" if it
is within five yards of a loose ball or ball in the air.
If the ball or a player in possession of the ball goes out of bounds, the other team is awarded
possession of the ball. If the ball goes out of bounds after an unsuccessful shot on goal, the player
nearest to the ball when and where it goes out of bounds is awarded possession.
An attacking player cannot enter the crease around the goal, but may reach in with his stick to scoop a
loose ball.
GIRLS
The girls game is a non-contact sport comprised of 12 players on the field: one goal tender, four attack
(offense), three midfielders, and four defense. Attack and defense are allowed to play only up to the
opponent's 35 yard line. Midfielders roam all over the field and play both attack and defense.
Although non-contact, incidental contact does occur. Stick checking is permitted at the high school level
while modified stick checking is permitted at the middle school level. No checking of any sort is permitted
at the youth level. Stick checking is basically an "art" and has many rules set on how to properly check so
that injury is avoided as much as possible. You will notice, however, that the college game is very
controlled and is not all about looking for stick checks and is played with finesse and skill.
Below is a list of some of the basic rules; the actual rule list is lengthy.
The girl's game is played in two halves, 25 minutes each in length, with a 5-10 minute halftime. Each
team is permitted two timeouts per the entire game, which includes overtime. Times differ at the JV and
youth/middle school levels.
Girls are only required to wear eye goggles and a mouthpiece. Other than soft gloves, and specific soft
headgear, no other protective gear is allowed (with the exception of goalie).
Before the game begins, the umpires check every stick for legality. The most common illegality in a stick
is that its pocket is too deep. The strings at the bottom of the stick's head can be pulled to tighten the
pocket. The girls are not allowed to have a pocket such as the boys.
The game begins with a "draw" in the middle of the field to determine first possession. Draws are also
done after each goal in the game. Think of "draw" as a "face-off".
If a player commits a foul, the umpire blows the whistle and play stops. The player fouled wins or retains
the ball, while the player who fouled her is moved four meters behind or to the side of the player she
fouled.
If a major foul is committed in the arc by the defense, the umpire blows the whistle, and a "free shot" on
goal is taken by the player fouled. All of the defense players are required to clear the arc to the border
closest to which they were standing when the whistle blew. The attack player who was fouled takes her
place at the hash mark closest to which she was standing when she was fouled. The defense must
move away at least four meters from the fouled player. When the umpire blows the whistle again, the
player can take a shot on goal or pass while the defense moves in.
The girls usually play within the soccer boundaries (yellow line around the field), but they also may play
within the football lines. This is decided at the beginning of the game. When a ball goes out of bounds,
the player who retains it or is closest to it (if the ball has been grounded), at the umpire's whistle wins it.
The player then waits for the second whistle to begin play again, either by running with or passing the ball.
When the umpire blows the whistle because a foul has occurred, or the ball has gone out of bounds, all
players must stop and check all forward movement. Play resumes and the players can move when the
umpire blows the whistle again.
Defensemen may not remain in the arc without closely marking another player for more than three
seconds.
When the ball is grounded, covering it with the back of a stick's net, and preventing play by another player
is prohibited. Raking and kicking the ball are also not permitted.
Checking -- the method by which a player knocks the ball from another's stick -- is prohibited when it is:
directed toward the face; uncontrolled; holding down the other's stick, or when the checker's stick is too
close to the head or face.
No players, other than the goalie, may enter the circle around the goal cage if the goalie is present.
and for a complete listing, go to your favorite lacrosse store and grab a rule book! Also note that rules
differ between youth, high school, and college play, and greatly differ between girls and boys!
Basic Rules
BOYS
Boys' lacrosse is a contact game (except for the youth team) played by ten players: a goalkeeper, three
defensemen, three midfielders and three attackmen.
Boys wear full protective gear which includes: helmet, mouthpiece, arm pads, shoulder pad/chest
protector, and gloves.
Generally, high school games are 48 minutes long, with 4, 12-minute quarters. Middle school & youth
plays 4, 10-minute quarters. Each team is given a two minute break between the first and second
quarters, and the third and fourth quarters. Half-time is ten minutes long and may be shorter if coaches
agree to it prior to the start of the game.
Teams change sides between periods. Each team is permitted two time-outs each half. The team
winning the coin toss chooses the end of the field it wants to defend first.
Boys' lacrosse begins with a face-off. The ball is placed between the sticks of two squatting players at the
center of the field. The official blows the whistle to begin play. Each face-off player tries to control the ball.
The players in the wing areas can release; the other players must wait until one player has gained
possession of the ball or the ball has crossed the goal line. Center face-offs are also used after a goal
and at the start of each quarter.
A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from an opponent's crosse with a stick check,
which includes the controlled poking and slapping of the stick and gloved hands of the player in
possession of the ball.
Body checking is permitted only if the opponent has the 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 "checked" if it
is within five yards of a loose ball or ball in the air.
If the ball or a player in possession of the ball goes out of bounds, the other team is awarded
possession of the ball. If the ball goes out of bounds after an unsuccessful shot on goal, the player
nearest to the ball when and where it goes out of bounds is awarded possession.
An attacking player cannot enter the crease around the goal, but may reach in with his stick to scoop a
loose ball.
GIRLS
The girls game is a non-contact sport comprised of 12 players on the field: one goal tender, four attack
(offense), three midfielders, and four defense. Attack and defense are allowed to play only up to the
opponent's 35 yard line. Midfielders roam all over the field and play both attack and defense.
Although non-contact, incidental contact does occur. Stick checking is permitted at the high school level
while modified stick checking is permitted at the middle school level. No checking of any sort is permitted
at the youth level. Stick checking is basically an "art" and has many rules set on how to properly check so
that injury is avoided as much as possible. You will notice, however, that the college game is very
controlled and is not all about looking for stick checks and is played with finesse and skill.
Below is a list of some of the basic rules; the actual rule list is lengthy.
The girl's game is played in two halves, 25 minutes each in length, with a 5-10 minute halftime. Each
team is permitted two timeouts per the entire game, which includes overtime. Times differ at the JV and
youth/middle school levels.
Girls are only required to wear eye goggles and a mouthpiece. Other than soft gloves, and specific soft
headgear, no other protective gear is allowed (with the exception of goalie).
Before the game begins, the umpires check every stick for legality. The most common illegality in a stick
is that its pocket is too deep. The strings at the bottom of the stick's head can be pulled to tighten the
pocket. The girls are not allowed to have a pocket such as the boys.
The game begins with a "draw" in the middle of the field to determine first possession. Draws are also
done after each goal in the game. Think of "draw" as a "face-off".
If a player commits a foul, the umpire blows the whistle and play stops. The player fouled wins or retains
the ball, while the player who fouled her is moved four meters behind or to the side of the player she
fouled.
If a major foul is committed in the arc by the defense, the umpire blows the whistle, and a "free shot" on
goal is taken by the player fouled. All of the defense players are required to clear the arc to the border
closest to which they were standing when the whistle blew. The attack player who was fouled takes her
place at the hash mark closest to which she was standing when she was fouled. The defense must
move away at least four meters from the fouled player. When the umpire blows the whistle again, the
player can take a shot on goal or pass while the defense moves in.
The girls usually play within the soccer boundaries (yellow line around the field), but they also may play
within the football lines. This is decided at the beginning of the game. When a ball goes out of bounds,
the player who retains it or is closest to it (if the ball has been grounded), at the umpire's whistle wins it.
The player then waits for the second whistle to begin play again, either by running with or passing the ball.
When the umpire blows the whistle because a foul has occurred, or the ball has gone out of bounds, all
players must stop and check all forward movement. Play resumes and the players can move when the
umpire blows the whistle again.
Defensemen may not remain in the arc without closely marking another player for more than three
seconds.
When the ball is grounded, covering it with the back of a stick's net, and preventing play by another player
is prohibited. Raking and kicking the ball are also not permitted.
Checking -- the method by which a player knocks the ball from another's stick -- is prohibited when it is:
directed toward the face; uncontrolled; holding down the other's stick, or when the checker's stick is too
close to the head or face.
No players, other than the goalie, may enter the circle around the goal cage if the goalie is present.
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