Lacrosse - The Game

Lacrosse is a team game where players pass the ball to each other using a stick with a net. Goals are scored by shooting the ball into a goal net.

Lacrosse is an athletic, physical and skilful game played by males and females.

Men’s Lacrosse is played by teams of ten players a side and substitution is normal. Men wear protective equipment including helmets, gloves and arm padding which means that, although physical, injuries are unusual.

Women’s Lacrosse is non-contact and a graceful and skilful sport. Until very recently the playing field for women’s Lacrosse did not have fixed boundaries which reflected the native American origins of the game.

In the 1980s the game of POP Lacrosse was introduced. This is a non-contact game which uses inexpensive plastic- headed sticks. POP Lacrosse has become very popular with primary schools and is particularly suitable for delivering Key Stages in the National PE Curriculum.

The ELA has recently introduced LAX which is a transitional non-contact game using proper Lacrosse sticks. LAX makes the transition between POP and men’s and women’s field Lacrosse.

LAX is being increasingly played, particularly in colleges and universities, as Mixed Lacrosse.

Facilities requirement

Lacrosse demands on facilities are less onerous than those made by many sports. Lacrosse requires good grass surfaces and a number of Lacrosse clubs have moved onto fields which have been vacated by hockey and other sports.

Lacrosse can be played on artificial surfaces and the last two men’s championships have been played on them.

POP Lacrosse is ideal for school PE as it can be played on a variety of surfaces either indoor or outdoor.

Basically, Lacrosse has the potential for considerable expansion without requiring much expenditure on facilities provision.

History

Lacrosse was originally played by Native Americans and was called “Lacrosse” by Jesuit missionaries who first observed the game.

The game was first codified and organised in Canada. Canadians introduced the game to the UK in 1867.

Clubs soon began to form and the North of England Lacrosse Association was formed in 1879.

England’s first international games were played against Ireland (1881), Canada (1883) and USA (1884).

The English Lacrosse Union was formed in 1892 as the National Governing Body for Men’s Lacrosse.

The Governing Body for Women’s Lacrosse, The All England Women’s Lacrosse Association was founded in 1912.

In 1996, under the guidance of Sport England , the ELU and AEWLA amalgamated to form the English Lacrosse Association.

During the amalagamation process the association was chaired by a Sport England Officer.

Further information can be obtained by contacting the English Lacrosse Association via their website: www.englandlacrosse.co.uk

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