Game
North America's First Sport
Lacrosse is the oldest team sport in North America, with documented origins dating to the early 17th century. Developed by various Native communities, each with its own regional variations of the game, lacrosse was played throughout Canada, but was most popular around the Great Lakes, the Mid-Atlantic seaboard, and the American South. Modern lacrosse descends from and most closely resembles the stickball games played by many of these Native American communities.
With national leadership provided by USA Lacrosse, today the game is played in several modern formats, including field lacrosse, box lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, and lacrosse sixes.
Keeping the Game Fair & Safe
Rules
The rules of lacrosse govern games and equipment, and are designed to do two things – promote fair play and keep players safe. USA Lacrosse works collaboratively with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the NCAA to write the rules for the sport, and the organizations often work together on rule development and player safety efforts.
USA Lacrosse writes and publishes youth guidebooks for ages 14U and below, which align with the principles of the Lacrosse Athlete Development Model (LADM) and feature age-appropriate guidelines. USA Lacrosse also publishes rules to govern box lacrosse.
Know What You Need
Equipment
The amount of equipment you need to play lacrosse depends on the version of the game you're playing. Girls' lacrosse players need just three pieces of required equipment: a lacrosse stick, mouthguard, and protective eyewear. Because girls' lacrosse is a non-contact sport, the equipment list is much shorter than in other versions of the game.
Boys' lacrosse players need additional protective equipment because the sport includes body contact. New players will need a stick, helmet, gloves, shoulder pads, arm pads, mouthguard, and a protective cup. Goalkeepers in both games wear specialized equipment, including a helmet, throat protector, chest protector, and padded gloves.
Minimizing Risk of Injury
Safety
USA Lacrosse is constantly striving to help lacrosse athletes play safer, smarter, and stronger. Our investment in performance research and injury prevention is part of that unwavering commitment to game safety.
Since the launch of our organization in 1998, USA Lacrosse has invested nearly $2 million in health and safety related research funding to improve the well-being of lacrosse participants at all levels of play.
The Creator's Game
History
Originated among various Native communities, with regional variations on how the game was played, lacrosse was played throughout Canada, but was most popular around the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic seaboard, and American South. Today's game descends from and resembles the stickball games played by these various Native American communities, who refer to lacrosse as the Creator's Game.
The modern sport evolved from Indigenous versions when European settlers, especially French colonists, encountered the game in the 17th century. The name “lacrosse” comes from the French la crosse, meaning bishop’s crozier, due to the stick’s resemblance to a crozier.
