Important Qualities of Lacrosse
An exhilarating sport, lacrosse is fast-paced
and full of action. Lacrosse is a combination
of basketball, soccer and hockey. 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. Today's field lacrosse is
played with 10 players per side on a field 60
yd wide and 110 yd long, including 15 yd of clear
space behind each goal. The rules for women's
lacrosse stipulate no boundaries, but a field
of 120 by 70 yards is preferable. The games generally
last about an hour.
Quickness is a highly prized quality in lacrosse.
The cardinal rule in all varieties of lacrosse
was that the ball, with few exceptions, must not
be touched with the hands. The object of lacrosse
is to send the ball, using the sticks, through
the goal posts of the opposing team.
Men's lacrosse rules allow some degree of stick
and body contact, although violence is neither
condoned nor allowed. Along with some different
rules and equipment, men's lacrosse tends to be
more of a contact sport, unlike the women's. Field
lacrosse is sometimes perceived to be a violent
and dangerous game, however, injury statistics
prove otherwise. Field lacrosse is sometimes perceived
to be a violent and dangerous game, however, injury
statistics prove otherwise.
Men's and women's lacrosse remain derivations
of the same game today, but are played under different
rules. Sprints up and down the field with abrupt
starts and stops, precision passes and dodges
are routine in men's and women's lacrosse. At
that time, men's lacrosse began evolving dramatically,
while women's lacrosse continued to remain true
to the game's original rules. English girl's schools
used lacrosse as a springtime sport for their
field hockey players. The rules for women's lacrosse
stipulate no boundaries, but a field of 120 by
70 yards is preferable.
Today, a multimillion-dollar industry, lacrosse
is played by colleges and high schools, amateur
clubs, and two professional leagues. By the 1900s,
high schools, colleges and universities had begun
to adopt lacrosse as a league sport. There are
currently over 600 college and 2,000 high school
lacrosse teams coast to coast. With club teams,
private schools, and states not yet having sanctioned
lacrosse, high school-aged participation is actually
much higher. At many schools, lacrosse is a club
sport that is run by students independently of
the athletic department. Today, the game of lacrosse
is played in a continuously growing number of
countries across the globe.
About the Author:
Rob Daniels works in marketing at Lacrosse Shop
http://www.lacrosse-shop.com
and Hockey Games http://www.hockey-games.net
leading portals for lacrosse players and hockey
fans.
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