About the Game
Box lacrosse is a sport that is most like basketball and hockey. It has the checking, shooting and goaltending of hockey and the one-on-one play, ball control, and offense/defense of basketball. Each team is allowed six players on the floor at a time (a goaltender and five runners). The duration of the game is made up of three periods of play.
Offensive Strategy in Lacrosse:
Once a team has possession of the ball, it may operate a fast break offense or it may operate a ball controlled offense and walk the ball down the floor. As the team penetrates the offensive zone it will be looking for a good one-on-one situation where a player can gain a scoring opportunity.
Defensive Strategy in Lacrosse:
Once a team loses possession of the ball, it immediately retreats to it’s defensive zone. Most defensive play involves man-to-man coverage. Hockey style fore-checking does not exist for the same reason as in basketball; the ball carrier has such good control that it is very unlikely that the ball control is lost. Only in a very close game will a team use a press on the offensive team hoping for a turn-over.
Penalties and Infractions in the game of lacrosse take three forms: possession, minor penalty and major penalty. If a possession infraction occurs then the offending team loses possession of the ball. Possession changes commonly occur for shooting the ball out of the playing area, body contact while chasing after a loose ball, warding off opponents using a free hand, and a 30 second shot clock violation. Two minute minor penalties are assessed to players for infractions such as slashing, elbowing, unnecessary roughness, cross checking, charging, tripping, deliberate hand contact with the ball, and contact with an opposing goaltender in the crease. Five minute major penalties maybe assessed for more serious infractions such as checking from behind and instances where there is a deliberate attempt to injure.
For all the Rules of the Game see Box Lacrosse Rules
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