How To Play Lacrosse

How do you play lacrosse? The two most common methods of playing lacrosse are to participate in an organized lacrosse game or to practice lacrosse on your own.

To play lacrosse as part of a team you need a lacrosse stick and all the required lacrosse gear. You should also decide which position you will play. There is 1 goalie, 3 defenders, 3 midfielders, and 3 attackmen on the field at the same time. The object of the game is to put a small rubber ball into your opponent's net with a stick with a triangular shaped pocket at the end. Games typically have four, 15-minute quarters. Lacrosse is played on an open field with goals at both ends. Players carry their sticks and can roam behind the net, attempting to score by setting picks and running patterned offenses.

Attackmen are goal scorers. They have to stay on the offensive half of the field and their primary role is to put the ball in the back of the net to ensure their team's victory. The glory comes with a price though, as they are the primary targets of defenders looking to dish out punishment.

Defenders are essentially "enforcers" on the lacrosse field. They must stay on the defensive end of the field. Their main responsibility is to try to knock the ball out of their opponents' sticks with body contact or by checking their opponents stick as they carry the ball. Defenders are allowed to use lacrosse sticks twice the length of other sticks so that they can poke, check, and slap their opponents with great force and try to jar the ball loose.

Midfielders are the "utility men" in the lacrosse game as they play both offense and defense. Since they get to play both sides of the field, midfielders get to see the most "action" but also are frequently substituted in and out of the game as running from one end of the field to the other becomes tiring.

To play lacrosse by yourself (or with friends), the minimum you need is a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. To be a successful lacrosse player, you need to become good with a lacrosse stick. The lacrosse stick is made up of two distinct parts: the metal shaft and the plastic head. The head has a small net, the pocket, strung to the head to allow the player to catch and throw the lacrosse ball. To be a good lacrosse player, it's important to spend lots of time practicing and become comfortable with YOUR lacrosse stick, as each stick is different.

Your lacrosse skills will improve only by practicing with your lacrosse stick. Practicing will improve your stick control, maneuverability, and overall adeptness. Your ability to score goals, cradle the ball while avoiding defenders who will try to check the ball away, scoop up groundballs while swarmed by players of the opposing team, and many other skills will all quickly improve with practice.

Even when you aren't practicing, the more time you spend with your lacrosse stick, the more your stick skills will improve. Many coaches encourage their players to carry their lacrosse sticks with them wherever they go; in the house, at school, in the car, around town, and even in the shower and in bed at night! Many players follow their coaches' recommendations and they come to find that the extra time they spend with their lacrosse sticks actually does make them a better lacrosse player! Some players have an extra pillow on their bed solely for their lacrosse stick, while others take their lacrosse sticks into the shower as they bathe because "lathering up the pocket with shampoo keeps the mesh pocket clean and soft". They say the clean, soft pocket gives them better ball control while cradling... Seriously!?! "Yes!" they say.