Lacrosse Rules - Lacrosse Bootcamp

Lacrosse Rules Overview:

You’ve come to the right place if you’re interested in learning what the rules are for lacrosse.

Lacrosse is a fast-paced and exciting sport that involves two teams competing to score goals using a small rubber ball and long-handled sticks with nets. Here’s a brief summary of the rules for the different variations of lacrosse:

Box Lacrosse:

Playing Surface: Box lacrosse is played on a smaller indoor field known as the “box” with artificial turf.
Team Composition: Each team consists of six players, including a goalie, on the field at a time.
Game Duration: Games are typically divided into four quarters of 15 minutes each (60 minutes total).
Face-Offs: Face-offs occur at the start of each quarter and after every goal.
Shot Clock: Box lacrosse games employ a shot clock, typically set to 30 seconds, requiring teams to take a shot within the specified time.
Scoring: Goals count for one point, regardless of where they are scored from on the field.
Penalties: Players can be penalized for various infractions, resulting in the offending player serving time in the penalty box.
Overtime: In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, the game proceeds to a sudden-death overtime period.

To get a more detailed view of the rules for box lacrosse click here.

Men’s Lacrosse:

Playing Surface: Men’s lacrosse is typically played on a larger outdoor field with natural grass or artificial turf.
Team Composition: Each team consists of ten players, including a goalie, on the field at a time.
Game Duration: Games are typically divided into four quarters of 15 minutes each (60 minutes total).
Face-Offs: Face-offs occur at the start of each quarter, after every goal, and to resume play after certain stoppages.
Shot Clock: Men’s lacrosse does not have a shot clock, but teams are expected to maintain an active and competitive pace of play.
Scoring: Goals count for one point, and there is no distinction based on where the goal is scored from.
Penalties: Players can be penalized for various infractions, resulting in the offending player serving time in the penalty box.
Overtime: In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, the game proceeds to an overtime period where the first team to score wins the game.

To get a more detailed view of the rules for men’s lacrosse click here.

Women’s Lacrosse:

Playing Surface: Women’s lacrosse is also played on a larger outdoor field with natural grass or artificial turf.
Team Composition: Each team consists of twelve players, including a goalie, on the field at a time.
Game Duration: Games are typically divided into two halves of 30 minutes each (60 minutes total).
Draws: Instead of face-offs, women’s lacrosse uses draws to start each half, after goals, and to resume play after certain stoppages.
Shot Clock: Women’s lacrosse does not have a shot clock, and teams are not required to take a shot within a specific time.
Scoring: Goals count for one point, and there is no distinction based on where the goal is scored from.
Penalties: Players can be penalized for various infractions, resulting in the offending player serving time in the penalty area.
Overtime: In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, the game may go into one or more sudden-death overtime periods to determine the winner.