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.

Field lacrosse

Men's lacrosse is the oldest sport in America. Lacrosse is most popular in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the USA. Outdoor men's lacrosse involves two teams of 10 players each competing by projecting a small solid rubber ball into the opposing team's goal. The field of play is approximately 110 yards (100 m) long and 60 yards (54 m) wide. The goals are 6 feet (1.8 m) by 6 feet and contain a mesh netting similar to an ice hockey goal.

Related Topics:
Rubber - Ice hockey

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Players line up based on 3 offensive players called "attackmen", 3 "midfielders" or "middies", 3 "defensemen", and 1 goaltender, or "goalie." Each player carries a stick (the French settlers, on seeing the American Indians using the stick, called it la crossier (crozier) hence the name "Lacrosse"). Attackmen and midfielders carry a stick measuring between 40 inches (1 m) and 42 inches (1.07 m), while defensemen and midfielders (under certain conditions) carry a stick up to 72 inches (1.8 m) long. The sticks have a metal shaft and a plastic head with either a string and leather or mesh basket called the "pocket". Goalie sticks vary in length but are typically between 50 (1.27 m) and 60 (1.52 m) inches long, and significantly wider than field players' sticks.

Related Topics:
Goaltender - French - Crozier

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Players scoop the ball off the ground and throw the ball in the air to other players. Players are allowed to run carrying the ball with their stick. Unlike women's lacrosse, players may kick the ball, as well as cover it with their sticks, provided they do not withhold it from play. Play is typically quite fast, and resembles a combination of soccer, basketball and ice hockey. Players are permitted to hit one another with their bodies and sticks, although some rules govern the manner in which this may be done. For NCAA play, games consist of four fifteen minute periods, while at the youth and high school levels games are typically shorter. The scores of games usually consist of a total of twenty or so goals being scored.

Related Topics:
Soccer - Basketball - Ice hockey - NCAA

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Intercollegiate lacrosse is rapidly growing in popularity in the USA, where crowds of over 40,000 have attended the national championships. Outstanding individual men's lacrosse players have included American football great Jim Brown of Syracuse University, University of Maryland, College Park legend Frank Urso, Canadian brothers Paul Gait and Gary Gait of Syracuse, and the three Powell brothers, who also played for Syracuse.

Related Topics:
American football - Jim Brown - Syracuse University - University of Maryland, College Park - Frank Urso - Paul Gait - Gary Gait

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The next two World Championships will be held in London, Ontario, Canada in the summer of 2006, and in Peterborough, Ontario at Trent University in 2007.

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