How to play?

[RideRed53]

Not sure if this is the right forum to post this in but...I want to learn to play lacrosse. I've searched around but all i can find is The point of the game, who created it/when it was created...etc. I really would like to play this year, but have no clue how to play, what wich positions do, and the basic rules... if anyone could just give me the basics of everything there is to play lacrosse, that'd be great! :thumbsup:

[cali feeder]

Welcome to lacrosse, and welcome to The Lacrosse Forums.


Here is a link everything a beginner could possibly need to pick up a stick:
http://www.lacrosseforums.com/showthread.php?t=33741

This does NOT include basic offensive sets, stringing, etc....I'll try to find a link. While I'm doing that, you can do the same, by entering information you are looking for in the Search Bar, right below where it says "Log Out RideRed53". That search bar is your best friend.

For information on stick-tech and stringing, check out the "Stick Doctor's Lounge".

[sammyduelist]

On each team theres a goalie, defensemen, midfeilders and attackmen.
In feild, the d has to stay on the defensive half unless a midfeilder stays back for them. attackmen have to stay in the offensive half unless a middie stays in their position for them. Defensemen usually have long sticks used to help defend against the opposing offense
for box, i dont know as much about but the feild is much smaller, hockey rink size and there are no long sticks.
you try to catch the ball with your head and advance up the feild and score in the goal. Goalies have a bigger head to allow them to make saves.

[cali feeder]

On each team theres a goalie, defensemen, midfeilders and attackmen.
In feild, the d has to stay on the defensive half unless a midfeilder stays back for them. attackmen have to stay in the offensive half unless a middie stays in their position for them. Defensemen usually have long sticks used to help defend against the opposing offense
for box, i dont know as much about but the feild is much smaller, hockey rink size and there are no long sticks.
you try to catch the ball with your head and advance up the feild and score in the goal. Goalies have a bigger head to allow them to make saves.

Allow me to elaborate on his explanation in further detail:

As previously stated, there are four positions: Goalie, defensemen, midfielders (commonly referred to as "middies"), and attackmen. You can have 1 goalie on the field, 3 defensemen, 3 midfielders, and 3 attackmen, totaling 10 players.

The goalie, as one might guess, is the goalkeeper, much like in soccer. He is given different, more protective padding, and a larger stick head to save shots easier. The goal he is defending is 6x6 feet big. He is essentially the quarterback of the defense, calling out "slides" (you'll learn more about those by browsing the "Coaching" forum), who's "hot", where the ball is, etc. No team can succeed without a smart, intellegent goalie.

The three defensemen are the last line of defense for the goalie. They may only stay on the defensive half of the field, unless a midfielder runs on to the defensive half. They carry 6' long poles, as opposed to the 30" sticks that everyone else uses. They are generally very athletic, and have great footwork. These defensemen usually guard the attackmen, who I will get to next.

The attackmen are pretty much the opposite of defensmen. They are usually the ones distributing the ball from behind or the sides of the net. Attackmen tend to be VERY quick, amazing athletes, and have great footwork and field vision. I do not reccommend starting your first year of lacrosse playing attack. They can only stay on the offensive half of the field as well.

Finally, the midfielders, who I will divide up into 5 catagories; Defensive midfielders, offensive midfielders, Long-stick midfielders, do-it-all midfielders, and FOGO's. Before I get to these those, I'll tell you that midfielders run the whole field, and are allowed on both halves of the field.

Defensive midfielders, as you may have guessed, specialize in defense. Some of these guys are ex-defensemen, or ex-middies. They are usually very fast, and know defense very well. They don't play a lot of offense though; there job is to play solid defense and create turnovers to the offense can do their job. This isn't to say that defensive midfielders never play offense; sometimes they do, especially on fast breaks.

Offensive midfielders play mostly offense (duh). They are also quite athletic, and have great field vision. They do a lot of scoring and passing, and are vital to any team. They usually have great stick skills too. There job is to put the ball in the back of the net. Their defensive skills aren't as stout, but they sometimes find themselves playing defense when they turn the ball over.

Long-stick midfielders are defensive midfielders, except with a defenseman's stick, thus allowing 1 more longstick onto the field, which means better protection for the goalie. They also play on the wing on faceoffs, scooping up ground balls. While a team doesn't HAVE to have an LSM, its quite helpful to have one anyways.

Do-it-all midfielders are quite common, and as their name says, they do it all; offense, defense, faceoffs, everything. These guys have the attributes of both offense and defensive midfielders, plus extreme endurance. When starting out, I would reccommend playing this position; it will teach you most of the skills required to play.

FOGO stands for Face Off Get Off. These midfielders specialize in the art of facing off, which there is an amazing thread on. They face off, hopefully get the ball, and get off, as their name implies. They don't play much offense or defense, except for on fastbreaks. While most teams don't have FOGO's, and exceptional FOGO can mean the difference between a winning and losing season.

Well that pretty much covers the positions for you; mind you this isn't SUPER DUPER in-depth, but this should be plenty for a beginner.

[cali feeder]

As for rules, I'll just provide you with links to where you can find them:

For an explanation on what kind of stick is legal, go here: http://www.lacrosseforums.com/showthread.php?t=43861

For rules regarding the NCAA and NFHS, go here
http://www.lacrosseforums.com/showthread.php?t=39483

Here's a few basic things you should know:

When checking someone (hitting them with your stick), go for the stick. If you miss, you could be called for a slash, and get put in the penalty box, much like hockey. No hits to the head or from the back. Don't hit someone after the whistle. Keep control of your stick and keep two hands on it. No cross-checking (which means keep your hands together when you hit). Don't hit anyone who isn't within 5 yards of a groundball.

That should be okay for right now. If you have anymore questions, feel free to contact me.

[RideRed53]

Thanks for the help guys! ... I'm gunna go to youtube.com and check out some videos

[MaddxLax]

i assume your planning on trying out for a team...but just remember, you wont excel in anything w/out practice(lots of it)---and lacrosse is no different

[RideRed53]

Yeah, Im trying out for my highschools team. Tomorrow I'm buying a stick and a a ball and me and my freind are going to the park to practice throwing, picking the ball off the floor ( Let me know the lacrosse term for that,lol) ...etc.

[cali feeder]

Yeah, Im trying out for my highschools team. Tomorrow I'm buying a stick and a a ball and me and my freind are going to the park to practice throwing, picking the ball off the floor ( Let me know the lacrosse term for that,lol) ...etc.

That would be called a ground-ball, commonly referred to as a "GB".

[RideRed53]

Thanks for the help guys! I got a memebership at interlax and the videos are <b>extremly </b> helpfull! Well, I'm gunna go watch somemore. Adios