Rules

Positions

ATTACK
# of players on field at one time: 3
Purpose of Position: Score Goals
Essential Qualities for this position:Superior stick-work and fast feet.

MIDDIE
# of players on field at one time: 3
Purpose of Position: Play offense and defense
Essential Qualities for this position:superior stick-work, fast feet, well-conditioned, and well-roundedness.

DEFENSE
# of players on field: you guessed it...three.
Purpose of Position: Defending the goal to prevent other team from scoring, create turnover
Essential Qualities: Toughness, controlled aggression, vigilance, quick and coordinated footwork.

GOALIE
Each team has one goalie-no more nor less.
Purpose of Position: Stop goals, clear the ball
Essential Qualities: Superior hand-eye coordination, quick reflexes, and big time bravery.

How the game is played

The ball begins at the center of the field. One player from each team participates in what is called the face off, in which both teams try to achieve control of the ball and thus maintain possession. One player from each team is designated to face-off. The opposing players crouch down across from each other in the center of the field with their sticks held parallel to each other. After the official blows his whistle,the facing off, players attempt to scoop the ball and maintain possession before the other. 

While this is happening, players from the wing areas can run towards the face off fray to assist their teammates in this short-but-intense battle for the ball. A face-off occurs  at the beginning of each quarter and after every goal. All field players use their lacrosse sticks, to  pass, scoop, catch, and run with the ball, using a cradling motion (similar to the arm-wrist movement used when weight lifting), which makes the ball more secure in the stick and thus easier for you to control and harder for opposing players to dislodge; in addition, the stick is used defensively as well to perform stick checks, stick pokes, and body checks.  A stick check involves controlled slapping and jabbing at the opponents stick in efforts to dislodge the ball or take their stick out of play. You may body check another player only under two conditions: if they have the ball or are within 5 yards of the ball. A body check is performed by placing both hand together on the stick (hands separated on the stick cause not only penalties, but injury to other players also.)  ramming into the player from the front or side, above the waist and below the shoulders of the opposing player-overaggressive body checking is discouraged, and can result in a penalty. 

If a player is knocked out of bounds, possession is awarded to the other team; likewise, if a player shoots out of bounds, possession is granted to the player on the opposing team closest to where the ball was shot out. An offender is not allowed to enter the crease (the circular region surrounding the goal); doing so will result in a penalty. Throughout the game, players will fight for ground balls, run clearing patterns, and run different plays. The defense will likely stick to one style of play (zone or man-on), but may switch at any point (provided they are familiar with the other style) in order to be more effective in whatever circumstance they may be in. The team who wins most of the ground balls has the upper hand that will likely lead them to victory. The team with the most goals by the end of the game wins.

Stick Regulations

When playing lacrosse it's important to know the different rules that apply to your stick configuration.  Some of the basic rules are:

• Stick must have a butt/rubber stopper on the end for safety; also reccomended for better grip and full shooting power.
• The top of the ball must not hang lower than the sidewalls on the head of the stick when sitting in your mesh.  To test this, hold your stick horizontally at eye level with a ball in the pocket.  If the top of the ball sags lower than the sidewalls, then you must adjust your mesh.  This rule does not apply to goalies.
• The ball must be able to fall out of the pocket when it is held vertically with head pointing down.
• The ball must be able to fall out of the pocket when the stick is held horizontally and the open side of the stick's head is face down.
• You must not touch the head or "thumb" the ball while playing.

Differences at Each Level of Play

At each level of play, 10 players from each team (including the goalie) are allowed on-field at any given time; also, there two minute breaks between quarters and a ten-minute halftime; however, the length of each quarter varies among each level of play:

A youth game consists of four 8-minute quarters.

A high school game consists of four 12-minute quarters.

A collegiate game consists of four 15-minute quarters.

Also, certain moves are allowed only at higher levels of play (beyond high school).

For a complete list of rules, please visit:
www.uslacrosse.org