Lacrosse-A Women's Game
K.L. Amadio
For centuries, lacrosse has been a very popular sport, but one mainly for men to partake in. In the past few decades, women have become recognized as viable participants on the lacrosse field. While this event continues to grow for them, it doesn't get the coverage or prestige that comes with the game of lacrosse for men. There are also far fewer women who play lacrosse and spectators for it than with the male counterpart.
The game of lacrosse is slightly altered for women, mainly to reduce the amount of physical contact that takes place among the players while on the field. They are still required to wear eye wear and a mouth guard as injuries can and often do happen. Another significant difference for women's lacrosse is that the pockets of the sticks are more shallow than those used by the men. The result of this is that the ball is more difficult to catch and it can't be shot with as much speed.
A women's lacrosse team has two additional players compared to a men's team. A women's team has three attackmen, three defensemen and the requisite goaltender but unlike the men, they feature five mid fielders. There will be seven members playing attack or defense at a time while the four remaining players and goaltender do not cross the midfield line or risk penalty.
Checking is the most noticeable difference between the men's and women's rules of lacrosse. Women do not check during play and lose control of the ball at the umpire's direction.
As lacrosse grows in popularity in North America and Europe, women have the opportunity to play lacrosse professionally. The fact that women's lacrosse rules differ from men's might be the reason for the difference in recognition between the two styles of play. Some have ventured that until the rules are the same, women's lacrosse will not receive the same status afforded to men's lacrosse. There is no evidence that the rules will change in the future.
About the Author:
For more comprehensive details on the rules of Women's Lacrosse, visit K.L. Amadio's website: Lacrosse-Information. and discover how women play the game. Visit the store for lacrosse jewelry, books and equipment.
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