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WOMEN'S LACROSSE POSITIONS:

ATTACK:

First Home - The first home's responsibility is to score. Located in front of the goal, the first home must continually cut toward the goal for a shot, or cut away from the goal to make room for another player. She should have excellent stickwork.

Second Home - The second home is considered the playmaker. She should be able to shoot well from every angle and distance from the goal.

Third Home - The third home's responsibility is to transition the ball from defense to attack. She should be able to feed the ball to other players and fill in wing areas.

MIDFIELD

Attack Wings - The wings are also responsible for transitioning the ball from defense to attack. Wings should have speed and endurance and be ready to receive the ball from the defense and run or pass the ball.

Center - The center's responsibility is to control the draw and play both defense and attack. She should have speed and endurance.

Defense Wings - The wings are responsible for marking the attack wings and bringing the ball into the attack area. Wings should have speed and endurance.

THE DEFENSE:

Third Man - The third man's responsibility is to mark third home. She should be able to intercept passes, clear the ball, run fast and have good footwork.

Coverpoint - The coverpoint's responsibility is to mark second home. She should be able to receive clears, run fast and have good footwork.

Point - The point's responsibility is to mark first home. She should be able to stick check, body check and look to intercept passes.

Goalkeeper - The goalkeeper's responsibility is to protect the goal. She should have good stickwork, courage and confidence.

WOMEN'S LACROSSE EQUIPMENT:

Stick - The stick is made of wood, laminated wood, or synthetic material, with a shaped net pocket at the end. The head of the crosse must be seven to nine inches wide. The pocket of the stick must be strung traditionally; no mesh is allowed. The top of the ball when dropped in the pocket must remain even with or above the side walls.

Ball - The ball must be yellow and made of solid rubber.

Mouthguard - All players must wear mouthguards.

The Goalkeeper's Equipment - The goalkeeper must wear a face mask and helmet with a mouth guard, throat protector and chest protector. The goalkeeper may wear padding on hands, arms, legs, shoulders and chest which does not excessively increase the size of those body parts.

WOMEN'S LACROSSE RULES:

Women's lacrosse is a non-contact game played by 12 players: a goalkeeper, 3 defenders, 5 midfield players and 3 attackers. The object of the game is to shoot the ball into the opponent's goal. The team scoring the most goals wins.

Women's lacrosse begins with a draw, which is taken by the center position. The ball is placed between two horizontally held crosses (sticks) at the center of the field. At the sound of the whistle, the ball is flung into the air as the crosses are pulled up and away. A draw is used to start each half and after each goal, and it takes place at the center of the field.

During international play the game is 60 minutes long, each half being 30 minutes. The high school girl's game is 50 minutes long, each half being 25 minutes. Teams are allowed two timeouts per game (including overtime).

The minimum dimensions for a field is 100 metres by 50 metres. Additional markings on the field include a restraining line located 27 metres from each goal line, which creates an area where only a maximum of eight offensive players and eight defensive players (plus the goalkeeper) are allowed; a 15-meter fan, which officials use to position players after fouls; and an 11-metre arc in front of each goal, considered the critical scoring area, where defenders must be at least within a stick's-length of their attacker.

When a whistle blows, all players must stop in place. When a ball is ruled out of play, the player closest to the ball gets possession when play is resumed. Loss of possession may occur if a player deliberately runs or throws the ball out of play.

Rough checks, and contact to the body with the stick or body, are not allowed.

Field players may pass, catch or run with the ball in their stick. A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from an opponent's stick with a check. A check is a controlled tap with a stick on an opponent's stick in an attempt to knock the ball free. The player must be one step in front of her opponent in order to check. No player may reach across an opponent's body to check the handle of a stick when she is even with or behind that opponent. A player may not protect the ball in her stick by cradling so close to her body or face so as to make a legal, safe check impossible for the opponent.

All legal checks must be directed away from a seven-inch sphere or ""bubble"" around the head of the player. No player is allowed to touch the ball with her hands except the goalkeeper when she is within the goal circle. A change of possession may occur if a player gains a distinct advantage by playing the ball off her body.

Fouls are categorized as major or minor, and the penalty for fouls is a “free position.” For major fouls, the offending player is placed four meters behind the player taking the free position. For a minor foul, the offending player is placed four meters off, in the direction from which she approached her opponent before committing the foul, and play is resumed. When a minor foul is committed in the critical scoring area, the player with the ball has an indirect free position, in which case the player must pass first.

A slow whistle occurs when the offense has entered the critical scoring area and the defense has committed a major foul. A flag is thrown but no whistle is sounded so that the offense has an opportunity to score a goal. A whistle is blown when a goal is scored or the scoring opportunity is over. An immediate whistle is blown when a major foul, obstruction or shooting space occurs, which jeopardizes the safety of a player.

WOMEN'S LACROSSE SKILLS:

Cradle - The act of moving the stick from side to side causing the ball to remain in the upper part of the pocket webbing.

Checking - The act of using a controlled tap with a stick on an opponent's stick in an attempt to dislodge the ball.

Catching - The act of receiving a passed ball with the stick.

Cutting - A movement by a player without the ball in anticipation of a pass.

Dodging - The act of suddenly shifting direction in order to avoid an opponent.

Passing - The act of throwing the ball to a teammate with the stick.

Scoop - The act of scooping a loose ball with a stick.

Shooting: The act of throwing the ball at the goal with the stick in an attempt to score.

WOMEN'S LACROSSE TERMS:

Clear - Any action taken by a player within the goal circle to pass or carry the ball out of the goal circle.

Critical Scoring Area - An area 15 meters in front of and to each side of the goal and nine meters behind the goal. An 11-meter arc and 15 meter fan are marked in the area.

Stick - The equipment used to throw, catch, check and carry the ball.

Checking - Stick to stick contact consisting of a series of controlled taps in an attempt to dislodge the ball from the stick.

Draw - A technique to start or resume play by which a ball is placed in between the sticks of two standing players and drawn up and away.

Eleven-Meter Arc - A semi-circular area in front of the goal used for the administration of major fouls. A defender may not remain in this area for more than three seconds unless she is within a stick's length of her opponent.

Free Position - An opportunity awarded to the offense when a major or minor foul is committed by the defense. All players must move four meters away from the player with the ball. When the whistle sounds to resume play, the player may run, pass or shoot the ball.

Obstruction - A cone-shaped path extending from each side of the goal circle to the attack player with the ball. A defense player may not, for safety reasons, stand alone in this area without closely marking an opponent.

Crease - The circle around the goal with a radius of 3 meters. No player's body may “break” the cylinder of the crease.

Marking - Being within a stick's length of an opponent.

Penalty Lane - The path to the goal that is cleared when a free position is awarded to the attacking team.

Stand - All players, except the goalkeeper in her goal circle, must remain stationary following the sound of any whistle.

Sphere - An imaginary area, approximately 18 cm (seven inches) which surrounds a player's head. No stick checks toward the head are allowed to break the sphere.

15 Meter Fan - A semi-circle in front of the goal used for the administration of minor fouls.

Warning Cards - A yellow card presented by an umpire to a player is a warning which indicates that she will next receive a red card and be suspended from further participation if she continues to play dangerously and/or conduct herself in an unsportsmanlike manner. A green card is presented by an umpire to the team captain indicating a team caution for delay of game.

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