lacrosse

lacrosse, competitive sport, modern version of the North American Indian game of baggataway, in which two teams of players use long-handled, racketlike implements (crosses) to catch, carry, or throw a ball down the field or into the opponents’ goal. The goal is defined by uprights and a crossbar framing a loose net.

The distinctive feature of the game is the crosse (lacrosse stick), the implement used by the players to carry, catch, and pass the ball. The crosse is a staff that is sharply bent at the top to form a hook from the end of which a thong is drawn and fastened to the shaft about 2 or 3 feet (0.6 or 0.9 metre) from the end of the handle, forming an oval triangle that is woven with a loose network of leather, nylon, or gut to form the pocket with which the ball is handled.

History

Lacrosse was played by the Six Nations of the Iroquois (in what became upper New York state and lower Ontario) long before Christopher Columbus landed in the New World. The sport was then much rougher than it is today. Among some tribes as many as a thousand players took part on each side, goals were miles apart, and a game could last as long as three days. Each player tried to disable as many opponents as possible with the stick he carried and afterward concentrate on scoring a goal. The Cherokee called their version of the game “little brother of war.” Because of the endurance required and the injuries that had to be borne with fortitude it was considered excellent training for combat. Among many tribes the game was as much a mystic ceremony as a sport and was preceded by complex rituals and a solemn dance. In some areas men and women played together, and in other areas women had their own version of the game. Indians on government reservations in the United States and Canada still field strong teams.

Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.

SIGN UP

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

To the first French settlers in Canada who saw the game, called baggataway, or tewaraathon, by the Indians, the shape of the implement used to catch, carry, and throw the ball suggested a bishop’s crozier (la crosse), giving the sport its name.

Europeans in Canada started playing the game about 1840, and the first lacrosse organization, the Olympic Club, was founded in Montreal in 1842. In playing Indian teams, white players lost so frequently they were allowed to field extra men. Members of the Montreal Lacrosse Club (founded 1856) modified the rules somewhat, and in 1867 George Beers of Montreal, called “the father of lacrosse,” made further changes that included replacing the Indian ball of deerskin stuffed with hair by a hard rubber ball, limiting the number of players on a team to 12, and improving the stick for easier catching and throwing of the ball. The 12 players were designated at that time as goal, point, cover point, first defense, second defense, third defense, centre, third attack, second attack, first attack, out home, and in home. In 1867 the National Lacrosse Association was formed, and the game was introduced to England. Captain W.B. Johnson of Montreal toured with a team of Caughnawaga Indians, appearing at Windsor Castle before Queen Victoria, who found the game “very pretty to watch.” The English took to the sport and the game achieved popularity, notably in Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Manchester, Bristol, and London. The English Lacrosse Union was founded in 1892, and the All-England Women’s Lacrosse Association was formed in 1912. English teams exchanged visits with teams from the United States and Canada from time to time, and combined Oxford-Cambridge teams frequently exchanged visits with college or all-star teams from the United States. The game was also introduced in Ireland, Australia, and South Africa.

Britannica Quiz

American Sports Nicknames

In the United States a team of Indians introduced lacrosse at Troy, New York, about 1868, and a few years later teams were started in that city and in New York City. In the 1880s Eastern schools including New York University, Princeton, Yale, and Harvard took up the sport. In 1884 a successful tour of Europe was made by a team of U.S. collegians, and in 1906 the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse League was formed. The game received its greatest impetus, however, when it was introduced to Baltimore by some track-and-field athletes, who had seen the game played by Canadians on Long Island. The Baltimoreans actively promoted the sport, aiming at all age levels, so that Baltimore became the main U.S. centre of lacrosse. During the 1920s women field hockey players discovered lacrosse, and in 1931 the U.S. Women’s Lacrosse Association was formed.

The Intercollegiate Lacrosse League was reorganized in 1926 as the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, which had about 120 member colleges. In 1970 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), with more than 500 member colleges, undertook sponsorship of intercollegiate lacrosse competition, reflecting the growth of the sport in the country outside its traditional Eastern Seaboard stronghold. NCAA national championship tournaments for men began in 1971; women’s tournaments began in 1982. The college team considered the best in the country is awarded the Wingate Trophy.

Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.

SUBSCRIBE

Lacrosse was included in the Olympic Games in 1904 and 1908 with teams representing Canada, the United States, and Great Britain. Teams from those countries also demonstrated the sport in exhibitions at the Games in 1928, 1932, and 1948, but it did not attract enough international interest to remain an Olympic sport. World Championships for men have been held since 1967. Women’s World Championships were held from 1969 to 1982, when they were replaced by the World Cup. A variant of lacrosse, called box lacrosse, was introduced in Canada in 1930.