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Lacrosse Positions

Medha Godbole
The basic positions in lacrosse are the same for the women's as well as the men's game. Read on to know more.
Lacrosse, a contact team sport which has its roots in the native American culture, is a game played with a solid rubber ball and a long racquet. This racquet is called a lacrosse stick or a crosse. That is where the name of the sport comes from.
The objective is to catch, carry, and pass the ball, in an attempt to shoot the ball in the opponent's goal, and score points. Just like any other team game, there is men's, women's, and box lacrosse. The primary positions in all the 3 are the same.

Player Positions
There are 4 categories here―the defensive flank, midfielders, goalkeeper, and attackers.

Defensive Positions

Players in defense positions are those who have to aid the defense general, the goalkeeper, to prevent the opposite team from scoring goals.
Body positioning and checking are the basic tactics which are used by players in the defense flank. Here, checking refers to taking the possession of the ball from the opponents by contact of the stick. The defensive half of the field is in their charge. A long crosse is carried by the defending players to facilitate checking and taking possession.

Midfielders

These are positions on the field which resemble midfielders in soccer. A midfielder dabbles into attack as well as defense. Be it girls', field, or box lacrosse, midfielders are no exceptions.
There are 3 midfielders in a team, and only one of them gets a long cross from both teams. Determination, speed, stamina, and hustle, are a few prerequisites for a midfielder. They need to be extremely skillful with their lacrosse sticks and ground bar play. Switching from offense to defense quickly is another thing midfielders have to be efficient at.

Offensive Positions

Attack is the only word these players have to keep in mind. Their primary aim is to score goals and points consequently. They have to be great at stick handling, and should have an impeccable hand-eye coordination.
Speed, agility, maneuvering skills, and courage are required by attacking players. In addition to that, they have to possess accurate shooting and passing prowess. These players are accountable for attempts to deny the opposition a free clear of the ball, past and over the midfield line.

Goalkeeper

The general rallying the defense is the goalkeeper. Most crucial positions in lacrosse, the goalkeeper's main concern is to block the ball.
Good reflexes, presence of mind, and quick response are must-haves for a goalkeeper. He directs the checking of opponents, and he has to be able to deal with high-velocity shots, and take blows on any part of the body. A good goalkeeper is always alert and controls the clearing process. He should avoid being overly critical of the team, as well as himself.
When you talk of women's lacrosse, it is suitable for less physical contact between players. In women's lacorsse, protection of the stick by a player is a very important factor. For that, cradling the ball is imperative. Men's lacrosse, on the contrary, involves a lot of power, aggression, and physical contact between players.