Women's Lacrosse

Lacrosse is a sport mainly played by men that has been popular in North America from recorded time in the 1600's. Thanks to Title IX, women have received recognition since the 1970's as being fierce lacrosse competitors. Women's lacrosse continues to grow in popularity but not at the rate of men's lacrosse. Not as many women are playing lacrosse as their male counterparts, nor are as many spectators attending women's lacrosse games.

The rules of lacrosse differ for men and women. Men wear padding and are allowed physical contact while women's lacrosse does not. Women wear safety gear like mouth guards and eye protection. Some women wear nose shields as well. The women's field is larger which helps limit physical contact. Women's lacrosse sticks have a more shallow pocket than the men's stick. This results in a greater degree of difficulty catching the ball which also can not be passed with much speed.

A women's lacrosse team has two additional players compared to a men's team. A women's team has three attackmen, three defensemen and the requisite goaltender but unlike the men, they feature five mid fielders. There will be seven members playing attack or defense at a time while the four remaining players and goaltender do not cross the midfield line or risk penalty.

Checking is the most noticeable difference between the men's and women's rules of lacrosse. Women do not check during play and lose control of the ball at the umpire's direction.

As lacrosse grows in popularity in North America and Europe, women have the opportunity to play lacrosse professionally. The fact that women's lacrosse rules differ from men's might be the reason for the difference in recognition between the two styles of play. Some have ventured that until the rules are the same, women's lacrosse will not receive the same status afforded to men's lacrosse. There is no evidence that the rules will change in the future.

By: K.L. Amadio

For more comprehensive details on the rules of Women's Lacrosse, visit K.L. Amadio's website: Lacrosse-Information. and learn how women play the game. Visit the store for lacrosse jewelry, books and equipment.

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