Guide to the Different Types of Lacrosse

What are the different kinds of lacrosse? In today’s article, we will cover what the three different variations are and how they are played. Luckily we offer gear for all types of lacrosse, to see our options check out our full selection of lacrosse equipment.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• What Are the Different Types of Lacrosse?
• Field Lacrosse (Outdoor Lacrosse)
• Box Lacrosse (Indoor Lacrosse)
• Women’s Lacrosse
• FAQs About Lacrosse Types

What Are the Different Types of Lacrosse?

There is a total of three different variations of lacrosse. Field, box, and women’s lacrosse, all with different rules and gear. Field lacrosse is the traditional way we see lacrosse being played. Women’s lacrosse has more players and less contact. Box lacrosse is played in a hockey rink and is much more physical than field lacrosse.

Field lacrosse is what everyone pictures when they first think of lacrosse. It is played on an outdoor field with 10 players on each team. 3 attackers, 3 midfielders, 3 defenders, and 1 goalie. Stick and body checking is legal but too big of hits will result in a penalty. There is a shot clock that results in higher scores and more shots. This is what the PLL is based on.

Box lacrosse is much smaller than field lacrosse. Played in hockey rinks with fewer players and hockey goals, box lacrosse is very popular in Canada. Box lacrosse is the most physical variation of lacrosse. Cross-checking and bigger hits are legal and encouraged, players wear more pads due to this. Like field lacrosse, there is a shot clock but it is a much shorter time to score.  This is what the NLL is based on.

Women’s lacrosse is often compared to field lacrosse. It is played on a slightly bigger field with one more player on each team. Women’s lacrosse is much less physical than field or box lacrosse, players generally only wear goggles, and some wear gloves. Due to the less physical nature, the stick rules are drastically different than the other types of lacrosse. The pockets in the heads are shallower and officials check pocket depth more frequently. A legal women’s lacrosse stick can only be half a ball deep. Due to these two differences, women’s lacrosse requires much more finesse to be successful. Players have to protect their sticks better and have extreme accuracy to pass the ball through the defense or shoot by the goalie.

FAQs About Lacrosse Types

There are three different types of lacrosse, field, box, and women’s. 

There are two main differences between field and box lacrosse. The first is the size of the field, box is much smaller than field. Second is the physicality, box is more like hockey, allowing for more body checks than field does.

The main differences are gear and physicality. Players in women’s lacrosse wear much less gear than men’s lacrosse, normally just goggles. Additionally, there is way less checking in women’s lacrosse.

With all the different types of lacrosse, there is a definite difference in the equipment needed for field, box, and women’s lacrosse. Luckily, we offer gear for all types of lacrosse check out our full selection of lacrosse equipment and be prepared for any type of lacrosse!