Lacrosse Positions

Lacrosse, a contact team sport which has its roots in the native American culture is a game played with a solid rubber ball and a long racquet. This long racquet is called a lacrosse stick or a crosse. That is where the name of the sport comes from. The objective of Lacrosse is to catch, carry and pass the ball in an attempt to shoot the ball in the opponent's goal and score points. Just like any other team game there is men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse and box lacrosse. The primary positions in all the 3 are the same. Take a look to get an idea as to what are they.

Lacrosse Player Positions

There are 4 categories which make up the lacrosse positions. The defensive flank, the midfielders, the goalkeeper and the attackers.

Lacrosse Defensive Positions
Players on defense positions are those who have to aid the defense general, the goal keeper to prevent the opposite team from scoring goals. Body positioning and checking are the basic tactics which are used by players in the defense flank. Here, checking refers to taking the possession of the ball from the opponents by contact of the stick. The defensive half of the field is in their charge. A long crosse is carried by the defending players to facilitate checking and taking possession.

Midfielders
These are the positions on the field which resemble the soccer position of the midfielder. A midfielder dabbles into attack as well as defense. Be it girls' or field or box lacrosse positions, midfielders are no exceptions. There are 3 midfielders in a team and only one of them gets a long cross from both teams. Determination, speed, stamina and hustle are a few pre requisites for a midfielder. They need to be extremely skillful with their lacrosse sticks and ground bar play. Switching from offense to defense quickly is another thing midfielders have to be efficient in.

Offensive Positions
Attack is the only word these players have to keep in mind. These are players whose primary aim is to score goals and points consequently. They have to be great at stick handling and should have an impeccable hand eye coordination. Speed, agility, maneuvering skills and courage are required by attacking players. In addition to that, they have to possess accurate shooting and passing prowess. These players are accountable for attempts to deny the opposition a free clear of the ball past and over the midfield line.

Goal Keeper
The general rallying the defense is the goal keeper. One of the most crucial lacrosse positions, the goal keeper's main concern is to block the ball. Good reflexes, presence of mind and quick response are must haves for a goal keeper. Goal keeper directs checking opponents and he has to be able to deal with high velocity shots and to take the blows on any part of the body. A good goal keeper is always alert and controls the clearing process. At the same time he should avoid being overly critical of the team as well as himself.

When you talk of women's lacrosse positions and rules, they are made in a way that are suitable for less physical contact between players. In women's lacorsse, protection of her stick by a player is a very important factor. For that, cradling the ball is imperative. Men's lacrosse positions, on the contrary, involve a lot of power and aggression and physical contact between players.

That was all about lacrosse positions and their nitty gritties. Players in these positions have unique tasks to perform on the field, and the better they perform, the better it is for them and the team!