The Game

Lacrosse is touted as "the fastest game on foot.” The game is played on a field similar to soccer. Ten players for each team are on the field at any time (except in penalty situations); a goalie, three defensemen, three midfielders and three attackmen. The idea of the game is to score goals, worth one point. The methodology is a blend of basketball strategy (picks, back door cuts, etc.) and soccer (lots of running, speed, field movement). Players can 'stick check' or hit players who have the ball in their stick. Midfielders change on the fly (similar to ice hockey). Defensemen usually come from football teams (big guys, aggressive), attackmen are finesse players (great stick skills, quick feet, field sense) and midfielders are fleet of foot. Originally called baggataway, lacrosse was played by Native Americans for a variety of purposes: religious rituals, training of warriors, or to settle inter-tribal disputes. The game acquired its present name because the sticks originally resembled the staffs, or croziers, carried by the French Jesuit missionaries who first observed the game. Thus, we have lacrosse.