In This Guide
Lacrosse
Once a niche sport played primarily on reservations and east coast prep schools, lacrosse has enjoyed a recent surge of popularity that has launched it into the American sports consciousness. Many kids who would have once played baseball or soccer are now choosing to play lacrosse, and professional and collegiate games have gained a large following. The Web has a wealth of information that will help the unacquainted discover the game and the informed attain a deeper understanding of the game.
Expand All Guide SectionsRules and History of Lacrosse
Early lacrosse games were played over miles of land, lasted for days, and resembled a battle more than a sport. The game has since become smaller, shorter, and safer, to the point where indoor fields and shot clocks are commonplace in professional leagues. But the essence of the game remains: a ball, two nets, and la crosse - the stick. The Web sites we recommend in this section will help you learn everything from the basics of the game to the slightest differences between various leagues.
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- For a more detailed history of players, teams and leagues, look on the history pages of league sites listed in the "Where can I find information on lacrosse leagues and organizations?" section of this guide.
- There are three distinctive forms of lacrosse: men's field lacrosse, men's box (indoor) lacrosse, and women's field lacrosse. The rules, terms, and equipment found in one will not necessarily apply to the others.
- The game was created by Native American and First Nation tribes in the 15th century. These roots are still present in the game today, as there are many professional and collegiate players who hail from the Iroquois Tribe.
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For rules ...
U.S. Lacrosse
explains the basic rules of the game, including field measurements, explanations of positions, equipment, and fouls, and a glossary to help you become hip to lacrosse lingo. The full rulebook for men's lacrosse is available in PDF format.
Major League Lacrosse
plays field lacrosse with several unique rules designed to make the game more exciting for the fans. These rules, like the addition of a shot clock and a 2-point arc, are delineated here.
The National Lacrosse League
is a professional box lacrosse league that plays its games in hockey arenas on artificial turf. As such, the rulebook is quite different from field lacrosse. Here is an overview of box lacrosse from the National Lacrosse League, with a link for an official rulebook in PDF format.
For history ...
Sports Know How
presents a simple but comprehensive history of lacrosse, covering the game's First Nation roots and the rise of the modern game. This is a good place to start for those who know little about the game.
The Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame
in Baltimore offers a virtual tour, covering the earliest origins to the modern game for both men's and women's lacrosse. The site features detailed descriptions of selected exhibits and includes a list of Hall of Famers, including NFL Hall of Famer and Syracuse University lacrosse star Jim Brown.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Archives
has several video and radio clips covering the history of lacrosse in Canada. From a radio clip in 1943 to modern video clips, CBC includes news stories, personal stories, and historical reflections.
Lacrosse Leagues and Organizations
There are two major professional lacrosse leagues, one for field lacrosse and one for box lacrosse, as well as many semi-pro leagues across the U.S. and Canada. There is also NCAA lacrosse, which may be more popular than any of the professional leagues. Read on to find all the information on leagues and teams on television or in your area.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Many of these sites include links to team homepages. Team pages have detailed player profiles, ticket information, team merchandise, and community events that you wouldn't find elsewhere.
- League sites tend to be very positive in their coverage of news and events. If you are looking for more critical opinions and coverage of more controversial material, check out the "What's the latest lacrosse news, rumors, and commentary?" section of this guide.
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For major professional leagues ...
Major League Lacrosse
is the most prominent outdoor lacrosse league in the world. Beginning in 2001 with six east-coast teams, the league has since expanded to 10 teams located across the country and has plans for further expansion. Get all the news, stats, and video clips from this fast-growing league on its official Web site.
The National Lacrosse League
is a professional box lacrosse league with 14 teams spread across the U.S. and Canada. It has more than doubled in size over the past 10 years and plans to add another 10 teams in the next five years. The official league Web site features news, stats, and video clips of this face-paced, hard-hitting form of lacrosse.
For college leagues ...
The National Collegiate Athletic Association
has basic information on men's and women's college lacrosse, including rankings, past champions and information about the Final Four.
The Men's Collegiate Athletic Association
is the national organization for the club/nonvarsity level of men's lacrosse. The site features stats, scores, and links to team sites.
For youth, amateur, and semi-pro organizations ...
U.S. Lacrosse
is the official governing body for American lacrosse. It presides over youth lacrosse and the U.S. national team. This site is valuable for boys and girls who play, or are looking to start playing, lacrosse. It provides tips for both players and coaches regarding on-field performance, safety and sportsmanship. It also gives links to local U.S. Lacrosse chapters, so you can find the leagues in your area.
The Canadian Lacrosse Association
governs lacrosse in Canada, where lacrosse is the national sport. It is similar to the U.S. Lacrosse site, but it includes box lacrosse and inter lacrosse, a less intense form of the game that is played with a softer ball.
News and Analysis of Lacrosse
Even with Lacrosse's increased popularity, it still ranks far behind sports like baseball, football and basketball. As a result, finding information on pro and collegiate lacrosse is difficult. Traditional outlets like Yahoo and SI.com do little to cover lacrosse, forcing the average lacrosse fan to scour the Internet for the latest news and insights. We have collected the best sites for lacrosse fans to get the inside scoop.
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- Message boards, which can be found on many of these sites, are a useful tool. They are full of news, opinions, and debates among fans that can help you gauge public opinion and gain new perspectives. Use caution, however. Most of the posters are completely anonymous and it is difficult to determine whether or not their posts are factually incorrect or biased.
- Many newspapers do a good job of covering their local lacrosse teams, especially in traditional lacrosse hotbeds like Maryland, upstate New York, and Canada.
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Inside Lacrosse
is a popular lacrosse magazine covering pro, college, high school, and international lacrosse. It features new stories, player interviews, and a multimedia section. It also features a collection of its columnists blogging online for free, and previews of magazine articles.
Lacrosse Magazine Online
is put out by U.S. Lacrosse and includes news and features for all levels of play. It features great coverage of high school lacrosse, including national rankings with write-ups for each team.
e-Lacrosse
features links to news stories and has its own blog style articles that focus on NCAA and amateur lacrosse
The Outsider's Guide to the NLL
offers the latest NLL news stories, organized by date or team.
ESPN
has a lacrosse section that covers pro and collegiate lacrosse, with news stories and commentary from Quint Kessenich. Much of the information here can be found elsewhere, but the site is very easy to navigate, especially for those familiar with ESPN.com.
The Sports Network
is a Canadian network similar to ESPN. It includes news, stats, and occasional commentary of the NLL and Canadian senior leagues.
Lacrosse Statistics
Statistics help you identify the game's best players and gain a deeper understanding of the game. Here are the best places to help you find statistics for players, teams, and coaches, as well as all-time records.
Dulcinea's Insight
- On the MLL and NLL statistic pages, clicking the title of an individual statistic will sort that statistic. Clicking on a player's name will take you to a page with biographical information and career statistics.
- Media polls, coaches' polls, and computer rankings are a critical part of NCAA lacrosse, as they determine which at-large teams qualify for the national championship tournament. A team's ranking and position in the polls are determined not only by its simple win-loss record, but by its strength of schedule, the scores by which they won or lost, and by their overall perception among coaches and media members.
- In professional lacrosse, playoff positions are determined entirely by win-loss records. Polls or rankings may show who experts or computers think are the best teams, but they have no direct effect on the league.
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LaxPower
features all the computer rankings and game scores you could ever want, covering professional, college and high school teams for both men and women. LaxPower has its own computer rankings, the formula for which is shown on the site. The rankings are respected among the lacrosse community and help to shape public opinion. The site also features the official NCAA polls, computer rankings and conference standings.
MLL
statistics can be found by rolling the mouse over "Statistics" in the pull-down menu.
NLL
statistics can be found by clicking on "Stats," located on the left sidebar.
The NCAA
has men's and women's individual and team stat leaders organized by week, team and division, dating back to 2001. Statistics for individual players, coaches, and teams since 1998 are accessible as well. There is also an official record book, covering the entire history of NCAA lacrosse, available in PDF format.
Fantasy Lacrosse
It's easy to find fantasy football, but what about fantasy lacrosse? We've found fantasy leagues for both the MLL and the NLL, along with fantasy analysis to help you become champion.
Dulcinea's Insight
- You can't make informed fantasy league choices without the latest news and player statistics. For recommended news or statistics sites, check out the relevant sections of this guide.
- Lacrosse fantasy leagues are few and far between. Consider using Goal Line Software to create your own fantasy lacrosse league. The site allows you to create a fantasy league for any sport at a cost determined by the size of the league. It may require some work on your part, but it's still easier than scanning stats and plugging in the numbers yourself.
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For leagues ...
The MLL Fantasy Challenge
allows you to compete against MLL fans across the country for prizes, such as sticks, helmets and apparel. There is no draft; players choose a new team every week and one player can be owned by multiple users.
The NLL Fantasy Challenge
allows you to play in eight-team leagues, either in a public league or one created by you and your friends. The league begins with a draft after Week 2 of NLL play and ends with the playoffs during the final two weeks of the NLL season. There are prizes available for the highest scoring teams, including a trip to the NLL championship game for the overall winner.
For analysis ...
Inside Lacrosse's Fantasy Insider
is a weekly blog that will tell you which NLL players are due for a big week and which ones may struggle.
Playing Lacrosse
As a relatively new game in the American sporting landscape, lacrosse has players, parents, and coaches asking questions. What are some drills I could do at home to enhance my skills? How can I help my kids improve in a game that I've never played? What are some game strategies that could help my team outwit the competition? We have collected sites that will give you the answers.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Practice really does make perfect. It's easy to read a tip that could make you a better player, but it takes practice and focus to utilize it to your advantage.
- Instructional videos are a very useful tool for learning lacrosse. Check out Amazon.com for a wide selection of VHSs and DVDs available for beginners and advanced players alike.
Dulcinea's Picks
Mark Millon
, former NLL and MLL star, offers his advice for offensive and defensive players. A link to his Offensive Wizardry instructional video, with free video previews available through QuickTime, is located on the left sidebar.
Inside Lacrosse
has advanced skill and strategy pages in its archives. They are interspersed with equipment-related articles, so it may take a bit of searching to find what you want.
Lax Tips
features accomplished players and coaches offering tips for players of all positions. Many of the tips are WAV audio clips from the players and coaches themselves.
e-Lacrosse
has a guide for women's lacrosse that's useful for both beginners and experienced players.
Lacrosse Equipment
Whether beginner or veteran, child or adult, all lacrosse players need sticks to score goals or make saves, and high-quality protective equipment to keep them safe. The Internet is full of great equipment at great prices, and we've found the best places to look.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The sites included here specialize in lacrosse gear. For links to mainstream sports equipment and apparel stores, see the findingDulcinea Sports Guide.
- Before ordering online, visit a local store to see equipment firsthand so you can determine which brands and styles fit or feel the best. This way you can have an idea of what you're looking for online, where there are often lower prices, newer models, and more sizes available.
- When deciding which store to buy from, consider the location of the store or its warehouse. Choosing a store closer to you could mean that the shipment is faster and cheaper.
- Sticks consist of two parts: the shaft and the head. Shafts come in different lengths, depending on gender and position. Know what size stick you need before shopping.
- Men's lacrosse allows for a choice of leather strings or mesh fabric in the netting of a stock head. Leather strings tend to handle better and get off harder shots, but they require more maintenance than mesh and don't perform well in bad weather.
- For more information on stick and equipment regulations, see the rules section at the beginning of this guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For a buying guide ...
eBay
offers a guide to buying lacrosse equipment, with links to equipment for sale on the site. Those who are still learning about lacrosse gear should read the guide before looking at the sites below.
For stores ...
Queen City Lacrosse
is known for its inexpensive equipment and reliability.
Sport Shop USA
is a humble business operating out of New Hampshire, known for its low prices and free shipping on high-end items.
Lax Shopper
displays a vast amount of equipment and includes links to stores where that equipment can be purchased. The site includes user ratings and reviews of equipment and retailers to help you make the most informed decision.
Sports Her Way
has a large selection of girls' lacrosse equipment, accessories, and apparel.
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
