Lacrosse

Lacrosse is a fast-paced team sport played by two teams of ten players each who use netted sticks (called crosses) in order to pass and catch a rubber ball with the aim of scoring goals by propelling the ball into the opponent's goal.

Box and indoor lacrosse

Canadians most commonly play box lacrosse, an indoor version of the game played by teams of six on ice hockey rinks from which the ice has been removed; the enclosed playing area is called the box, in contrast to the open playing field of the traditional game. This version of the game was introduced in the 1930s to promote business for hockey arenas, and within a few years had almost entirely supplanted field lacrosse in Canada.

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In box lacrosse the goal is smaller (4' X 4') than in outdoor lacrosse (and the goaltender usually bigger). The attacking team must take a shot on goal within 30 seconds of gaining possession of the ball, and play is rougher than in the field game (see below). It is also five on five with a goalie, intead of nine on nine as in field lacrosse.

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A national senior men's lacrosse championship (the Mann Cup) has been awarded in Canada since 1901. It has been played under box lacrosse rules since 1935. A men's Jr. A championship (the Minto Cup) has been awarded since 1937 (the Minto Cup was also awarded to a senior men's champion from 1901 to 1934). The men's Jr. B championship (the Founders Cup) has also been awarded since 1972. Since 1908 all national senior and junior men's champions have come from either Ontario or British Columbia. The Canadian Lacrosse Association also holds tournaments to determine national junior and senior women's box lacrosse champions and junior and senior men's and women's field lacrosse champions.

Related Topics:
Mann Cup - 1901 - 1935 - Minto Cup - 1934 - 1908 - Ontario - British Columbia - Canadian Lacrosse Association

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Indoor lacrosse is a version of box lacrosse played professionally during the winter not only in regions where summer lacrosse is popular but also in regions where lacrosse is rarely played in summer. It was intended to be less violent than box lacrosse, although changes in box lacrosse rules have reduced some of its violent play and a change in indoor lacrosse rules to permit crosschecking (hitting another player with the stick with one's hands apart on the shaft) have made it more violent. The chief difference between the two forms of the indoor game now is that indoor lacrosse players may use only sticks with hollow shafts, while box lacrosse permits solid wooden sticks.

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The inaugural World Indoor Lacrosse Championships, won by Canada, were held in 2003.

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