Most people who have heard of lacrosse at least know that it is a sport originally played by the Native Americans, and has since been adapted to an international sport. However, not many people realize that it is the fastest growing sport in the United States. According to the “USLacrosse” website since 2001 youth participation has grown over 138% and there is now an estimated 228,000 high school players in America. Lacrosse is a combination of soccer, basketball, and hockey. It is very fast paced and full of action. While the basic skills and rules are simple enough to understand, the game is a hard one to master.

Men’s’ and women’s’ lacrosse is very different. In men’s lacrosse players wear full pads including helmet, shoulder pads, and gloves. In women’s lacrosse players only wear goggles and mouth guards for protection. Because they wear pads boys are also allowed to hit each other, rather than only hitting each other’s sticks like the girls do. Along with these differences the girls field and rules are entirely different from the boys.

A girls’ lacrosse field is broken up into three sections by two lines called restraining lines. On each end of the field is a teams’ goal. Each goal circle around it called the crease which only the goalie is allowed in. Each goal also connects to an 8-meter arc and a 12-meter arc(the 12-meter arc forms a half circle with the diameter halfway through the goal line). In the very center of the field is the center circle where the game begins and restarts after each goal with a ‘draw.’ In the draw one player from each team is in the center with there sticks held firmly back to back with the ball in-between. When the whistle blows both players try to get the ball to themselves or their teammates.

Once one team gets possession they try to score on the other teams goal. However, if the ball is by one of the goals only 7 players from each team can be on that third of the field. At least four players from each team must always be on the other two thirds of the field.

In girls’ lacrosse you are not allowed to hit the players. You are only allowed to hit their stick, but even then there are only some ways that aren’t illegal. When checking(hitting someone else’s stick with yours) you must hit and then bring your stick back up; you can’t swing your stick all the way through, and you can only hit the stick of the person who has the ball. Anytime a foul is committed the person who had the ball gets it back while the person who fouled goes 4-meters behind them. If there is a foul on the offense within the 8-meter arc the one who was fouled gets the ball on tick-marks on the 8-meter arc and no one else is allowed inside the “8,” so they basically get a free shot on goal.

Although it is not the most popular sport yet lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in America. It is also the fastest paced sport, and one of the most fun to watch because of it. There are a lot of rules, that do take a while to get used to, but the hardest part is mastering the skills needed to excel.