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College Lacrosse Rules
Men's lacrosse is a contact game played by ten players:
a goalie, three defensemen, three midfielders and three
attackmen. The object of the game is to shoot the ball
into the opponent's goal. The team scoring the most
goals wins.
Each team must keep at least four players, including the
goalie, in its defensive half of the field and three in
its offensive half. Three players (midfielders) may roam
the entire field.
Collegiate games are 60 minutes long, with 15-minute
quarters. Generally, high school games are 48 minutes
long, with 12-minute quarters. Likewise, youth games are
32 minutes long, with eight-minute quarters. Each team
is given a two-minute break between the first and second
quarters, and the third and fourth quarters. Halftime is
ten minutes long.
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.
Men's lacrosse 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 one player has gained 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 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. Aggressive body checking is
discouraged.
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.
An attacking player cannot enter the crease around the
goal, but may reach in with his stick to scoop a loose
ball.
A referee, umpire and field judge supervise field play.
A chief bench official, timekeepers and scorers assist.
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