Lacrosse Ireland – 5 Things to Know

History

Lacrosse, which originates in North America, is thought to date back to around 1100AD, making it possibly the oldest sport in North America. Lacrosse was originally played by Indigenous Americans to train warriors, honour deities, fight battles and even to heal illnesses! Missionaries and early American pioneers adopted and codified the sport however before introducing it to communities across North America and the British Commonwealth. The first recorded Lacrosse game recorded in Ireland was in 1867, pre-dating the foundation of the GAA by almost 20 years.

The Basics

Lacrosse is one of the fastest field sports in the world and combines elements of Hurling, Hockey, Basketball and Football. The objective is simple – to outscore your opponent. The key piece of equipment is the Lacrosse stick which is used to catch, carry, and pass a rubber ball to your teammates and shoot into your opponent’s goal. 2 goals, surrounded by a circular crease, face each other across a pitch measuring 100 x 60 yards. Each team consists of 10 players – 3 attackers, 3 midfielders and 4 defenders, including a goalkeeper who is the only player who can use his hands.

Physicality

Lacrosse is an extremely physical sport. Cross and body checking are allowed in Men’s Lacrosse meaning some of the hits can be brutal. Though Women’s Lacrosse differs in that, physicality is more limited, stick checking is still allowed and the nature and speed of the game means that body checking is often unavoidable and allowed within certain parameters.