Lacrosse is a team sport in which players use netted sticks to carry, pass, catch and shoot a ball into the opposing team’s goal. The basic objective is simple: score more goals than the other team while using the rules of the specific version of lacrosse being played.
There is no single universal lacrosse ruleset. Men’s field lacrosse, women’s field lacrosse, box lacrosse and Sixes have different player counts, possession rules, contact rules and playing areas.
What Is Lacrosse?
Lacrosse is a stick-and-ball sport in which teams move a ball down the playing area and attempt to shoot it into a goal. Players can carry the ball in the pocket of their stick, pass it to teammates, catch passes and shoot.
Players also use a technique called cradling, a controlled movement of the stick that helps keep the ball in the pocket while running.
The exact rules depend on the type of lacrosse. Men’s and women’s field lacrosse, box lacrosse and Sixes all use different rules.
How Does A Lacrosse Game Work?
A lacrosse game revolves around gaining possession, advancing the ball toward the opponent’s goal and creating a scoring opportunity. When possession changes, the team that was attacking must transition to defense while the other team attacks.
How possession starts depends on the format. NCAA men’s field lacrosse and National Lacrosse League box lacrosse use faceoffs to start periods and ordinarily after goals. NCAA women’s field lacrosse instead uses a draw.
Many forms of lacrosse also use a shot or possession clock that prevents a team from holding the ball indefinitely.
How Do You Score In Lacrosse?
A team scores in lacrosse by legally sending the ball completely across the goal line or goal plane between the posts and beneath the crossbar.
A standard goal is worth one point in NCAA field lacrosse. The NLL uses the same basic principle of requiring the ball to completely cross the goal plane.
Players create scoring chances by carrying, passing and catching the ball before shooting toward the goal.
How Many Players Are On A Lacrosse Team?
The number of players in a lacrosse game depends on the format being played. There is no universal player count for every type of lacrosse.
NCAA men’s field lacrosse has 10 players per team in play. NCAA women’s field lacrosse has 12.
NLL box lacrosse permits six players per team on the floor, normally five runners and one goalkeeper. World Lacrosse Sixes also has six players per team, consisting of five field players and a goalkeeper.
Those numbers describe players in the game, not the total number of players on a team’s roster.
What Are The Positions In Lacrosse?
Lacrosse positions vary by format, but NCAA men’s field lacrosse is commonly organized around attack, midfield, defense and goalie.
Attackers primarily create and finish scoring opportunities. Midfielders connect offense and defense and frequently play throughout the field. Defensemen primarily defend opposing attackers and protect the area around the goal. The goalie protects the goal and receives special privileges inside the crease.
NLL box lacrosse instead has a designated goalkeeper and five runners. Those runners commonly fill strategic roles as forwards, transition players and defensemen, but the rules do not require a specific number of each.
Women’s field lacrosse has its own positional and restraining-line structure rather than simply copying the men’s game.
What Is The Crease In Lacrosse?
The crease is the protected area surrounding the goal where the goalkeeper receives special privileges and attackers face restrictions. In women’s lacrosse, this area is called the goal circle.
Exactly what players can do inside or around the crease depends on the format.
For example, NCAA men’s lacrosse uses a 9-foot-radius crease, while NCAA women’s lacrosse uses an 8½-foot-radius goal circle. The NLL and Sixes have their own crease dimensions and rules.
The crease therefore should be understood as a general concept rather than one identical rule across every form of lacrosse.
Is Checking Allowed In Lacrosse?
Checking is allowed in some forms of lacrosse, but the amount and type of legal contact depend on the ruleset.
NCAA men’s field lacrosse permits defined stick checks and body checks under specific conditions. NCAA women’s lacrosse uses controlled stick checking and does not use the same men’s-style body-checking framework.
NLL box lacrosse allows significant physical contact, including specifically defined forms of legal cross-checking. That does not mean all cross-checking is legal.
What Happens When A Foul Is Called In Lacrosse?
A lacrosse foul can result in a turnover, restart, free position or a player serving penalty time, depending on the ruleset and violation.
In NCAA men’s lacrosse, certain fouls can create man-up and man-down situations when a player must serve penalty time.
NLL penalties also can put a player in the penalty box, creating an extra-man or power-play opportunity for the opponent.
Women’s field lacrosse uses its own foul and card system, with ordinary foul administration frequently beginning with a free position rather than automatically sending a player off.
What Are The Main Types Of Lacrosse?
The major forms of lacrosse include men’s field, women’s field, box lacrosse and Sixes. They share the same basic objective but can look considerably different.
Men’s field lacrosse is an outdoor 10-player format with defined stick and body checking.
Women’s field lacrosse is an outdoor 12-player format with its own draw, checking, possession and goal-circle rules.
Box lacrosse is played on an enclosed playing surface with six players per team. The NLL is a professional example, but NLL rules should not be treated as the rules for every form of box lacrosse.
Sixes uses five field players and one goalkeeper per team and a compact playing format.
Where Did Lacrosse Originate?
Modern lacrosse grew from Indigenous North American stick-and-ball games and has deep Indigenous cultural roots.
Multiple Indigenous nations have their own traditions connected to the game. The Haudenosaunee Nationals describe lacrosse as the Creator’s Game, reflecting its spiritual, cultural and intergenerational significance.
Modern lacrosse developed from these much older Indigenous games rather than beginning as a modern American or Canadian school sport.
What Should A Beginner Watch For In A Lacrosse Game?
A first-time lacrosse viewer should start by following possession: who has the ball, where that team is trying to move it and how much time it has to create a shot.
From there, watch the area around the crease, how possession changes and what happens when officials call a foul.
The specific details will change depending on whether you are watching men’s field, women’s field, box lacrosse or Sixes. But once you understand possession, scoring, the crease and basic player roles, the game becomes much easier to follow.
Frequently Asked Questions About FloLacrosse
What Do You Get With A FloLacrosse Subscription?
A FloLacrosse subscription combines live lacrosse with replays and year-round coverage of the sport.
The NLL gives subscribers a season-long professional box lacrosse property to follow, while FloLacrosse also carries additional college, high school and event programming. Beyond streaming, fans can use FloLacrosse for rankings, recruiting coverage, scores, schedules, highlights, interviews, news and analysis, creating a destination for following lacrosse rather than simply finding a stream on game day.
What Can You Watch On FloLacrosse?
FloLacrosse subscribers can watch professional lacrosse through the National Lacrosse League, along with additional college, high school and event coverage available on the platform.
The NLL significantly expands that offering by providing a professional league fans can follow across an entire season. FloLacrosse's broader schedule also features field and box lacrosse at multiple levels, though specific event availability can vary by competition and streaming rights.
Can You Watch The NLL On FloLacrosse?
Yes. The National Lacrosse League streams on FloLacrosse as part of FloSports' partnership with the NLL.
That makes professional box lacrosse one of the biggest reasons for lacrosse fans to consider a subscription. Fans can follow NLL teams, players and games throughout the season while using FloLacrosse's broader coverage to keep up with the league and the sport.
Can You Watch Lacrosse Live And On Demand On FloLacrosse?
Yes. FloLacrosse provides live streams and on-demand replays for supported lacrosse programming.
That gives fans flexibility to watch games live or return to available broadcasts afterward. Subscribers also can watch through supported FloSports apps and connected devices, making it easier to follow lacrosse throughout a busy weekend or season.
Does FloLacrosse Have Scores, Schedules And Results?
Yes. FloLacrosse provides schedules, scores, results and other competition information alongside its video and editorial coverage.
These resources help fans track upcoming games and completed events while following leagues, teams and tournaments throughout the season.
Is A FloLacrosse Subscription Worth It?
FloLacrosse provides the most value to fans who want to follow lacrosse across multiple levels. The addition of the NLL strengthens that offering with season-long professional box lacrosse, while college, high school, recruiting and event coverage provides additional ways to follow the sport. Live games, replays, rankings, scores, recruiting coverage and original reporting extend the platform's usefulness beyond individual broadcasts.
How Do I Sign Up For FloLacrosse?
Fans interested in subscribing can visit the official FloLacrosse signup page to see current subscription options and sign up for access to available NLL games and other live and on-demand lacrosse programming.
What do you get with a FloLacrosse subscription?
Subscribers get supported live lacrosse and replays, including NLL coverage, plus rankings, recruiting coverage, schedules, scores, results, highlights, news and analysis.
Can you watch the NLL on FloLacrosse?
Yes. FloSports is an NLL streaming partner, giving FloLacrosse subscribers access to National Lacrosse League coverage as part of the platform's professional lacrosse offering.
What lacrosse can you watch on FloLacrosse?
FloLacrosse features professional box lacrosse through the NLL along with currently available college, high school and other lacrosse competitions.
Can you watch FloLacrosse on demand?
Yes. Supported games and events are available for replay, allowing subscribers to catch up on lacrosse they could not watch live.