The Objectives of Lacrosse

Modern-day lacrosse is a team sport that is played with a rubber ball and a lacrosse stick -- or crosse -- which is comprised of a long-handled stick connected to a head with netting to form a pocket for catching, passing and carrying the ball. Although the playing surface, location of play, such as outdoors vs. indoors, and number of players may vary in the different versions of lacrosse -- i.e., men's field lacrosse, women's field lacrosse, box lacrosse and inter-crosse -- the main objective of the sport and the objectives of the player positions are relatively the same across the different versions.

  1. The Main Objective

    • The main objective of lacrosse is to shoot the ball in the opponent's goal using a lacrosse stick and to score more points than the opposing team in the time allotted. With the exception of the goaltender, players are not allowed to intentionally touch the ball, using only the lacrosse stick to scoop, catch, carry and throw the ball.

    Objectives of the Attack Positions

    • The primary objective of the offense is to score goals, and consequently, points for the team. The positions closer to the goal are mainly responsible for scoring, while the positions closer to midfield are responsible for feeding the ball to the open player and assisting in the transitioning of the ball from defense to offense. The players on offense need to be adept with the crosse.

    Objectives of the Midfielders

    • The midfielders are responsible for controlling the face-off -- or draw, in women's lacrosse -- playing both defense and attack, and transitioning the play from defense to attack. Midfielders cover the most area and are typically the best all-around athletes on the team.

    Objectives of the Defense Positions

    • The primary objective of the defense is to prevent the other team from scoring a goal. The defensive players dictate where the opposing players can go, often disrupting the attack through physical play in the form of stick checks and body checks -- but only in men's versions -- and through positional play by intercepting passes and by cutting off the attackers’ angles to the goal. The players on defense must have good footwork.

    Objectives of the Goaltender

    • The objective of the goaltender, or goalie, is to protect the goal. Because the goalie has the best view of the field or court and where the ball is in play, the goalie is often the leader of the defense, calling the defensive plays and assigning responsibilities. Goaltenders should be adept with the crosse, as well as be agile, alert and quick. Most importantly, goaltenders must possess courage and confidence, as they are the last line of defense, often sacrificing their bodies to get in the way of the shot.