by Adam Jacquet

Created on: April 22, 2009

The game of lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing in America at this time. Men's lacrosse embodies a radical combination of coordination, skill, athleticism, and violence. Violence is often predominant, as the most effective way to take the ball from the opposing team's players is to strike, or 'check', them with your own stick. Women's lacrosse, on the other hand, focuses heavily on coordination and skill, as the players are forbidden to check one another with a significant level of violence. Each employs players which focus on either offense or defense: men's teams have one goalie, three defenders, three midfielders, and three attackmen, making a total of ten players on the field. Women's teams have one goalie, six defenders, and five attackers.

All male players must wear a chest protector, padded gloves, a mouthguard, a helmet with facemask, cup, and usually elbow pads. The exact rules and specifications can vary somewhat between different leagues and areas. They use two different lengths of sticks: short sticks, which must be 40-42" in length, and longpoles, which must be 52-72". The heads of the sticks may be strung with mesh or leather and string, depending on the player's preference, and the pocket of the head must be shallow enough that the ball, resting in the pocket, is not below the bottom of the head's sidewall.

All female players must wear a mouthguard, eye goggles, and may wear gloves, nose guards, and soft headgear. Their sticks must be 35 1/2 - 43 1/4" in length, and the pocket of the stick's head may not have mesh, but must be strung in a traditional manner, and the ball resting in the pocket must be either even with or above the top of the head's sidewall.

Attack

The role of an attack player in either sport is primarily to create the opportunity to score on the opponent's goal. Attack formations generally consist of a rotating and fluid group which tries to spread the opposing defense away from the goal. Attack players are most often pitted against the opposing defense, and as such are usually picked from the team's most skillful or experienced players. An attack player must be swift, agile, and have a thorough knowledge of the game. A good attack player can move swiftly through the opposing defense, throw and recieve passes effortlessly, and know when and where to be in order to facilitate his or her offensive motion.

Men's attack has three players who work with the midfield to score. They are some of the most prolific scorers on a team, and

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