Field lacrosse information

Lacrosse is the oldest team sport in North America.

The sport originated among the Indigenous Americans, and the modern rules of field lacrosse were initially codified by Canadian William George Beers in 1867.

According to Indigenous Americans, playing lacrosse is a spiritual act used for healing and giving thanks to the "Creator."

The name "lacrosse" describes players' sticks as like a bishop's crosier - la crosse in French.

Variations in the game were not limited to the name. In the Great Lakes region, players used an entirely wooden stick, while the Iroquois stick was longer and was laced with string, and the Southeastern tribes played with two shorter sticks, one in each hand.

Early lacrosse balls were made out of deerskin, clay, stone, and sometimes wood.

The field of play is 110 yards (100 m) long and 60 years (55 m) wide. The goals are 6 feet (1.8 m) by 6 feet (1.8 m). The goal sits inside a circular "crease," measuring 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter.

Men's field lacrosse is played with ten players on each team: a goalkeeper, three defenders in the defensive end, three midfielders free to roam the whole field, and three attackers attempting to score goals in the offensive end.

Women's field lacrosse is played with twelve players on each team: a goalkeeper, three defenders in the defensive end, five midfielders free to roam the whole field, and three attackers attempting to score goals in the offensive end.