The Fastest Game on Two Feet - part 2
From Canada, lacrosse spread to the United States, England, Ireland, Scotland and Australia. The first international lacrosse match was played in 1867 between Canada and the United States. Eight years later a Canadian touring team went to Britain. Olympic medals in lacrosse were award in 1904 and 1908 where Canada won both golds. Though lacrosse was a demonstration sport at the 1928, 1932 and 1948 Olympics, it has not returned to medal-sport status.
It was introduced to the U.K. in 1876, when a French-Canadian and Iroquois Indian team played before Queen Victoria. English clubs emerged during the 1880s, with the Ladies' Lacrosse Association being set up in 1912.
There are four types of lacrosse being played today. Mini-Lacrosse or (Soft Lacrosse) is played by beginners. It is an inexpensive modified version of the game that stresses the basic skills without the body contact and stick checking. Box or Indoor Lacrosse invented in Canada is played 6 a side on cement or turf covered hockey rinks in the summer with many of the same rules and equipment of hockey. It stresses the speed and skills of both hockey and basketball with the unique contact, physical demands and skills of lacrosse. Men's Field Lacrosse play 10 a side on a football size field and is closer to the traditional Native game then box lacrosse. It features the same lacrosse skills with more wide open action, set positions and strategy.
The women's game is played 12 a side and used to have no boundaries. However new rules have recently been introduced which have resulted in the introduction of a hard boundary, breaking the tradition of a non-demarcated playing area; and an offside rule which requires 3 players from each team (in addition to a goal keeper) to remain behind a "restraining line" drawn between the centre circle and the goal area. Squads are made up of 16 players and rolling substitutions are allowed which means the game remains at a lightning pace for the full hour of playing time. The sport is non contact, but a player may tackle an opponent with the ball by hitting the ball carrier's stick with her own; this must be in a controlled way in order to be legal. An interesting feature of play is that the ball may be taken behind the goal; a tactic which is often used to set up attacking moves.
Today's game is no longer just popular in the eastern United States and Canada and is growing in popularity from coast to coast nationally and internationally. Australia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Ireland, the Iroquois Nation, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Korea, Sweden and Wales all have national teams.
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