A Quick Look at Box Lacrosse
Lacrosse is gaining popularity - here are some basics to know about the game.
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Editor’s Note: Since most of us here at ProSportsColorado.com are intrigued by lacrosse but lacking in knowledge, we’ve asked our newest writer, Melissa, to give us some introductory material – “Lacrosse 101″, so to speak. So as we start the new year, Melissa introduces us to the basics of indoor (box) lacrosse.
Although indoor and outdoor both have lacrosse in their name, they probably have just as many differences as they do similarities. Outdoor lacrosse still has very strong roots that harken back to when the game was played by the Iroquois whereas indoor lacrosse (aka box lacrosse) shares a lot of similarities with hockey and even basketball.
Introduced in Canada during the 1930’s, box lacrosse was intended as an off season sport for hockey, and is usually played in ice hockey rinks with artificial turf covering the ice, or on cement. As is typical with many sports leagues, there are slight variations in rules and regulations within each league. What is listed below applies to the National Lacrosse League (NLL).
The first thing you’ll probably notice watching an indoor lacrosse game is that it feels a lot like ice hockey. Eighteen players dress for a game, but just like in hockey, you have five players on the floor for each side plus their goalies. Unlike in outdoor lacrosse, box lacrosse goalies wear full pads and guard a net that is similar in size to a hockey goal, although offensive players are not allowed to step in the crease area that surrounds the net.
Also like in hockey, play continues while players sub in and out. Some players are strictly offense, others defense, but some players play transition and (as you would expect from the name) tend to play a bit of both. Teams with a strong transition game often like to try and get a breakaway goal while the majority of the opposing players are subbing out, which can make for an exciting game.
Because play is mostly continuous, games are typically very fast paced and a large lead can easily disappear in a matter of minutes, so it’s not usually wise for a team to try and sit on a lead the way teams do in other pro sports. Similar to basketball, teams face a 30-second shot clock to keep play moving. In order to get a reset, the ball must hit the goalie or the goal within that time, otherwise the ball is given to the other team. A player from each team faces off to initially gain control of the ball, and the winner must get the ball on their offensive side of the field within 10 seconds.
Games consist of four 15-minute quarters with 2-minute breaks between quarters and a 12-minute half-time. Each team has two timeouts per half. NLL games do not end in a tie. The game will continue with additional overtime quarters until a team scores to end it. The season consists of 16 games – 8 home and 8 away.
For the most part, the National Lacrosse League is pretty stable, but there is some fluctuation in the number of teams and their locations. Currently, there are eleven teams in the NLL: Boston Blazers, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Edmonton Rush, Minnesota Swarm, Orlando Titans, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, Toronto Rock and the Washington Stealth.
Although a professional sport, people are often surprised to find out that most NLL players maintain full-time jobs in addition to playing lacrosse. The league’s players run the gamut of professions, with several employed as teachers, some as firefighters and even a few as lawyers. The players you see on the field play for the love of their sport, not the money, and you can see them work hard every game.
Some useful terms:
Body Check – Using their stick, players hit or push their opponent between the waist and neck
Breakaway – A goal scoring opportunity caused by a one-on-one situation between the goalie and a shooter from the opposing team
Cross – Another name for the stick
Cradle – Players rock the ball back and forth in the pocket to maintain possession
Crease – The area around the goal where only goalies are allowed
Crease Violation – When an opposing player steps into the crease area with the ball. A crease violation will turn possession over to the opposing team or cancel out a scored goal
Crosscheck – When you use your stick to push on an opponent to impact their shot.
Loose Ball – When neither team has possession of the ball.
Major Penalty – Five minutes in the penalty box, often for high sticking, boarding or fighting
Minor Penalty – Two minutes in the penalty box, often for delay of game, too many men, holding, illegal crosscheck, slashing or tripping
Pocket – The mesh area of the head of the stick where the ball is cradled
