History of Lacrosse
The History of Lacrosse
By Jeff Lord
Lacrosse is considered to be America's first sport. It was born of the North American Indian, named by the French, and developed by the Canadians. Surprisingly lacrosse, not hockey is Canada’s national sport. Modern lacrosse has been embraced by athletes and enthusiasts of the United States and the British Commonwealth for over a century. The world lacrosse championships include ~25 countries.
With a history that spans centuries, lacrosse is the oldest sport in North America. Rooted in Native American religion, lacrosse was often played to resolve conflicts, heal the sick, and develop strong, virile men. To Native Americans, lacrosse is still referred to as "The Creator's Game." Ironically, lacrosse also served as a preparation for war. One of the game’s Indian names is ‘baggattaway” which roughly translates to “little brother of war”. Early Indian games were observed to include as many as 1,000 players per side, from the same or different tribes. Contests were played on a field from one to 15 miles in length, and games sometimes lasted for days. Some tribes used a single pole, tree or rock for a goal, while other tribes had two goalposts through which the ball had to pass. Balls were made out of wood, deerskin, baked clay or stone.
The evolution of the Native American game into modern lacrosse began in 1636 when Jean de Brebeuf, a Jesuit missionary, documented a Huron contest in what is now southeast Ontario, Canada. Most native North American tribes scattered throughout southern Canada and United States played the game. French pioneers began playing the game in the 1800s. Canadian dentist W. George Beers standardized the game in 1867 defining field dimensions, limits to the number of players per team and other basic rules.
New York University fielded the nation's first college team in 1877, and Philips Academy, Andover (Massachusetts), Philips Exeter Academy (New Hampshire) and the Lawrenceville School (New Jersey) were the nation's first high school teams in 1882. Lacrosse was played under virtually the same rules, with no protective equipment, until the mid-1930s. At that time, men's lacrosse began evolving dramatically, while women's lacrosse continued to remain true to the game's original rules. Men's lacrosse rules allow some degree of stick and body contact, although violence is neither condoned nor allowed. Required equipment in men’s games include a helmet, mouth guard, shoulder pads, arm pads and padded gloves.
Lacrosse is fast-paced and full of action. Sprints up and down the field with abrupt starts and stops are common as are precision passes and dodges. Lacrosse is played with a stick, the crosse, which must be mastered by the player to throw, catch and scoop the ball. Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing team sports in the United States. Youth membership (ages 15 and under) in US Lacrosse has more than tripled since 1999 from 40,000 to over 125,000. No sport has grown faster at the high school level over the last 10 years and there are now an estimated 169,000 high school players. Lacrosse is also the fastest-growing sport over the last five years at the NCAA level and that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are more than 400 college club programs, the majority of which compete under the umbrella of US Lacrosse and its "intercollegiate associates" level.
Field lacrosse is sometimes perceived to be a violent and dangerous game, however, injury statistics prove otherwise. While serious injuries can and do occur in lacrosse, the game has evolved with an emphasis on safety, and the rate of injury is comparatively low. Ensuring the safety of participants is a major focus for US Lacrosse and its Sports Science and Safety Committee, which researches injury data in the sport and makes recommendations to make the game as safe as practicable.
Lacrosse in Erie has been growing for a number of years. Mercyhurst College has fielded a D2 men’s program for 11 years and was national runner up last year. Penn State Behrend fields a men’s club team. Mercyhurst Northeast has fielded a junior college team for 3 years. Gannon University and Mercyhurst both field D2 women’s teams. High school lacrosse was begun in Erie by Coach Lord in 2001 with the forming of the Erie Spears high school club, McDowell formed both boys and girls varsity clubs in 2004. The Cathedral Prep program formed last year and with adoption as a varsity sport, represents the first school funded high school lacrosse team in Erie. Boy’s lacrosse becomes a PIAA sanctioned sport for the 2009 season.
The Game
Lacrosse combines elements of basketball, soccer and hockey. The team is composed of 10 field players (3 attack, 3 midfielders, 3 defense and 1 goaltender). Substitutions may be made at any stoppage in play or on the fly and a typical team may play as many as 20 different players regularly. The game is high scoring; high school games average about 20 total goals/game while college games average 25-30 goals/game. Ties are broken in sudden victory style. Anyone can play lacrosse big or the small, fast or slow. The game requires stamina, coordination and agility. Quickness and speed are two highly prized qualities in lacrosse but nearly anyone can learn to be successful at the game.
Collegiate games are 60 minutes long, with 15-minute quarters. Generally, high school games are 48 minutes long, with 12-minute quarters. Each team is given a two-minute break between the first and second quarters, and the third and fourth quarters. Halftime varies between five and ten minutes. Teams change sides between periods. Each team is permitted two timeouts each half. The team winning the coin toss chooses the end of the field it wants to defend first.
The players take their positions on the field: four in the defensive clearing area, one at the center, two in the wing areas and three in their attack goal area. The game begins with a face-off. The ball is placed between the sticks of two squatting players at the center of the field. The official blows the whistle to begin play. Each face-off player tries to control the ball. The players in the wing areas can run after the ball when the whistle sounds. The other players must wait until a midfielder gains possession of the ball, or the ball has crossed a goal area line, before they can release.
Center face-offs are also used at the start of each quarter and after a goal is scored. Field players must use their crosses to pass, catch and run with the ball. Only the goalkeeper may touch the ball with his hands. A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from an opponent's crosse with a stick or body check. A stick check is the controlled poking and slapping of the stick and gloved hands of the player in possession of the ball.
Body checking is permitted if the opponent has the ball or is within five yards of a loose ball. All body contact must occur from the front or side, above the waist and below the shoulders, and with both hands on the stick. An opponent's crosse may also be stick checked if it is within five yards of a loose ball or ball in the air. Only short runs are allowed the player making a body check to maintain safety.
If the ball or a player in possession of the ball goes out of bounds, the other team is awarded possession. If the ball goes out of bounds after an unsuccessful shot, the player nearest to the ball when and where it goes out of bounds is awarded possession.
Attacking players cannot enter the crease around the goal, but may reach in with his stick to scoop a loose ball. Entering the crease offensively results on loss of possession and the disqualification of a goal if scorred. Defensive players may enter the crease at will.
A referee, umpire and field judge supervise field play. A chief bench official, timekeepers and scorers assist.
MEN'S LACROSSE PERSONAL & TECHNICAL FOULS
There are personal fouls and technical fouls in men's lacrosse. Personal fouls result in a one to three minute suspension from play for the offending player and possession to the team that was fouled. Players with five personal fouls are ejected from the game. In addition if a player commits two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the same play they are ejected. Technical fouls result in a thirty-second suspension if the offended team is in possession of the ball when the foul is committed, or possession of the ball to the offended team if they were not in possession when the foul was committed.
Personal Fouls
Slashing: Occurs when a player's stick viciously contacts an opponent in any area other than the stick or gloved hand on the stick. Slashing can be called even if stick contact is made if the official views that the check was uncontrolled or excessively visicious
Tripping: Occurs when a player obstructs his opponent at or below the waist with the crosse, hands, arms, feet or legs.
Cross Checking: Occurs when a player uses the handle of his crosse between his hands to make contact with an opponent.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Occurs when any player or coach commits an act which is considered unsportsmanlike by an official, including taunting, arguing, or obscene language or gestures.
Unnecessary Roughness: Occurs when a player strikes an opponent with his stick or body using excessive or violent force.
Illegal Crosse: Occurs when a player uses a crosse that does not conform to required specifications. A crosse may be found illegal if the pocket is too deep or if any other part of the crosse was altered to gain an advantage. Pockets too deep may be adjusted altered crosses are removed from the game.
Illegal Body Checking: Occurs when any of the following actions takes place:
body checking an opponent who is not in possession of the ball or within five yards of a loose ball;
avoidable body check of an opponent after he has passed or shot the ball or failing to avoid a visible pick;
body checking an opponent from the rear or at or below the waist;
body checking an opponent above the shoulders. A body check must be below the shoulders and above the waist, and both hands of the player applying the body check must remain in contact with his crosse.
Illegal Gloves: Occurs when a player uses gloves that do not conform to required specifications. A glove will be found illegal if the fingers and palms are cut out of the gloves, or if the glove has been altered in a way that compromises its protective features.
Technical Fouls
Holding: Occurs when a player impedes the movement of an opponent or an opponent's crosse or the use of a free hand to control the offensive man.
Interference: Occurs when a player interferes in any manner with the free movement of an opponent, except when that opponent has possession of the ball, the ball is in flight and within five yards of the player, or both players are within five yards of a loose ball.
Offsides: Occurs when a team does not have at least four players on its defensive side of the midfield line or at least three players on its offensive side of the midfield line.
Pushing: Occurs when a player thrusts or shoves a player from behind while in possession of the ball.
Screening: (AKA illegal pick) Occurs when an offensive player moves into and makes contact with a defensive player with the purpose of blocking him from the man he is defending. Picking rules are similar to basketball.
Stalling: Occurs when a team intentionally holds the ball, without conducting normal offensive play, with the intent of running time off the clock. The referee will inform the stalling team that they must keep the ball in the offensive zone. Exiting the offensive zone results in loss of possession.
Warding Off: Occurs when a player in possession of the ball uses his free hand or arm to hold, push or control the direction of an opponent's stick check.