About the Game

Lacrosse is considered to be America's first sport. It was born of the North American Indian, christened by the French, and adapted and raised by the Canadians. An exhilarating sport, lacrosse is fast-paced and full of action. Long sprints up and down the field with abrupt starts and stops, precision passes and dodges are routine in men's and women's lacrosse. Lacrosse is played with a stick, the crosse, which must be mastered by the player to throw, catch, and scoop the ball. The sport of lacrosse is a combination of basketball, soccer, and hockey. Anyone of any size can play lacrosse. The game requires and rewards coordination and agility, not necessarily brawn. Quickness and speed are two highly prized qualities in lacrosse. 

Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing team sports in the United States. Youth participation in the sport has grown by leaps and bounds since 1999 to nearly 800,000 in 2016. No sport has grown faster at the high school level over the last 10 years with lacrosse becoming an officially sanctioned IHSA sport in 2018.  

 The game is played with 10 players on a field for each team: a goalie, 3 at defense, 3 at midfield and 3 at attack. For younger teams (U10 & U8), the game is played with 7 players per team: a goalie, 2 at defense, 2 at midfield and 2 at attack. Ideal team size is 18-22 players. This ensures ample playing time for all involved as well as plenty of rest. The official field size for 10v10 play is 110 yards by 60 yards per this field diagram. The field size for 7v7 play is 60 yards by 30 yards. 

The US Lacrosse website is a great resource we recommend to parents and coaches who are are interested in learning more about lacrosse.