Box Lacrosse is a fast and exciting running game.
• It has quick transitions, ball control, and plenty of contact.
• Box Lacrosse does not delegate players to fixed positions like in hockey.
• Once a player gets the ball, they become “Quarterbacks”.
• Defence: primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring. Unlike in field lacrosse where some defensive players carry “long poles” (a lacrosse stick with a 5 feet (1.5 m) shaft or handle), all box lacrosse defenders play with a maximum 46 inches (1.2 m) long stick.
• Defensive tactics include cross checking (where a player uses the shaft of her stick to push the opposition player off balance, body-checking (where a player makes contact with the opposition player in order to slow her down), and stick-checking (where a player makes contact with the
opposition player’s stick in order to knock the ball loose).
• Transition: primarily plays during defensive situations with an offensive mindset. The goal of this player is to create fast breaks and scoring opportunities.
• Forwards: primarily offensive. Typically, a forward has a dominant throwing hand and will primarily play on the side of the floor to match that. Some players, known as creasemen, do not focus on one side or the other. These players instead focus their offensive attention near the crease area in front of the goaltender.
• In transition, the ball turns over to the goalie or a defensive player and that team switches to offence. In this situation, two players will often run quickly to the mid-section of the floor near the boards to provide space and receive a pass.
Face‐offs:
– Players taking the face‐off place the frames of their sticks flat along the playing surface at right angles to the length of the box. The open face of each player’s stick shall face her goal and her feet shall not cross the parallel lines at the face‐off circle until the ball has left the 2’ face‐off circle. (A player’s right shoulder must face or be closer to their own goal.)
– Ref places ball on the floor between the players sticks. On the whistle the two players can gain possession of the ball with a straight draw backwards (you can’t touch the opponent’s stick
with your hands or feet). Draw motion must continue until both sticks clear the face‐off dot.
– If done wrong, possession goes to the non-offending team.
– When the ball is being faced‐off, only the two players facing off are allowed in the centre zone. Once the ball leaves the 2’ circle then other players may enter the zone.