Women’s Lacrosse
Lacrosse has been a popular sport in North America for several centuries, and a sport generally played by men. Since the 1970’s, women have gained more esteem and press as participants of the game of lacrosse. Women’s lacrosse is the fastest growing segment of the sport and yet it still does not receive the same coverage as men’s lacrosse. Fewer women play the game than do men and as with most women’s sports, there are fewer spectators for women’s lacrosse games.
Rules are different for women’s lacrosse. Women are not allowed to engage in physical contact like the men. While men wear upper body padding, women lacrosse players wear eye protection and mouth guards. Some women choose to wear nose shields. The field of play in women’s lacrosse is larger than the men’s field aiding the reduction of physical contact between players. Women’s sticks differ as well. The pocket of a women’s lacrosse stick is shallow compared to the men’s stick which makes catching and holding onto the ball more difficult. The lack of pocket depth also keep passed balls from having the speed that men achieve.
Another difference is the number of players on the field. Women’s lacrosse teams have five mid fielders compared to the men’s three. This means that seven players are on defense or attack during play leaving four players and the goalie behind the mid field line. These players cannot cross midfield without receiving a penalty.
The area of play most different between men’s and women’s lacrosse is in checking. Women’s lacrosse does not check like the men do. When checking happens, the ball switches control as called by the umpire.
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.
Last 5 posts by K.L. Amadio
- Kayak With a Friend in Tandem - May 31st, 2008
- How to Buy a Used Kayak - May 19th, 2008
- Kayaking as Part of Your Exercise Routine. - May 10th, 2008
- An Awesome Sport - Lacrosse - April 26th, 2008
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.