Lacrosse - Field
Background
Lacrosse is a sport rich in Canadian history and tradition. The initial forms of lacrosse were documented as early as the late 1700’s and are best detailed in the history of our First Nations people. Lacrosse is “Canada’s National Summer Sport” and recognized as the “Fastest Game on two Feet”. Lacrosse - Field is one of the fastest growing sports in North America.
Lacrosse - Field offers a men’s and women’s version. It is played in the fall and spring in clubs and high school leagues. Men’s Lacrosse - Field athletes wear protective gear and play a contact version of the game. Lacrosse - Field is played outdoors on a natural grass or turf field 60 yards wide by 110 yards long.
Lacrosse - Field is best known as a collegiate game and provides a great opportunity for Canadians to attend U.S. universities on athletic scholarships or Canadian universities in club programs. Colleges are perfect recruiting grounds for National and professional teams. The North American professional Lacrosse - Field league, Major League Lacrosse (MLL), is played in five US cities and Toronto, Ontario.
Lacrosse - Field is played internationally in over 20 countries including Scotland, Australia, Finland, Japan, Wales, Germany and South Korea to name a few. A World Cup of Lacrosse is held every four years with Canada and the USA being perennial powerhouses.
Athlete Development
The British Columbia Lacrosse Association (BCLA) offers club level youth and senior Lacrosse - Field opportunities ranging from Novice (Under-10) to Senior Men’s and Masters. Provinces host youth national championships every year with the Alumni Cup for Under-16 athletes and the First Nations Trophy for Under-19 athletes. The P.D. Ross Trophy and the Victory Cup are the Senior Men’s national titles. BC teams continue to compete at a high level at these championships.
Canadian lacrosse athletes are highly regarded in the world of lacrosse. Early development of Lacrosse - Box skills, coupled with knowledge of the Lacrosse - Field discipline, make these athletes well-rounded “hybrid athletes” with two skill sets that are characteristc of some of the world’s best players. The Canadian Men’s National Lacrosse - Field team were crowned World Champions in 2006 and will defend their title in 2010.
How to Watch Lacrosse - Field
Lacrosse - Field is played with 10 players per team; the players are called attackmen (3), midfielders (3), defenders (3) and a goaltender. Attackmen tend to play in the offensive half of the field; midfielders play the full field; the defenders tend to play in the defensive half; and the goaltender minds the goal in the defensive zone. There are a maximum of 23 players per roster.
The object of lacrosse is to outscore your opponent. A goal is worth one point. Play can continue freely in all zones of the field. Off-sides are called if less than four players of the same team are located in the defensive half or less than three players in the offensive half of the field. Offensive players pass the ball amongst teammates and make plays (i.e. picks, dodges and screens) to maneauver the ball into a scoring position. The defensive players defend their goal area to deter the offense a good scoring opportunity. Bodychecking is permitted provided the opponent is in possession of the ball or is within nine feet of a loose ball on the ground or in flight. Penalties are called for rule infractions; one minute (personal) fouls and 30 second (technical) fouls.
Competition at the Games
For the second time in BC Summer Games history, the BCLA will have teams competing in Lacrosse - Field. Lacrosse - Field will feature the best 14 and 15 year old Lacrosse - Field athletes in all-star teams from zones 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8.
Many lacrosse athletes that compete at the BC Summer Games continue the long-term athlete development process and compete at a high level provincially, collegiately, professionally and internationally.
For more info on Lacrosse - Field, contact the BC Lacrosse Association at
www.bclacrosse.com or (604) 421-9755.