Lacrosse 101: Gear to Buy, Rules to Know, Positions and Skills

Start here: why listen to me?

I’ve coached and played lacrosse for over a decade. College club. High school varsity. Summer leagues where the score is “who brought the cooler.” If you want to know how to play lacrosse and not look lost, I’ve got you. We’ll keep it simple—stick, ball, cradling, passing, shooting, ground balls—no fluff, just the good stuff.

What the game actually is (in 20 seconds)

Lacrosse is fast. It’s a mix of soccer movement, basketball spacing, and hockey toughness. You run up and down a field, use a stick to carry and pass a rubber ball, and try to score on a goalie who looks annoyed most of the time. If you want the history and the formal stuff, here’s a solid explainer on what lacrosse even is. But I’ll talk to you like we’re on the sideline, cleats muddy, trying to get better right now.

Gear you actually need (and why)

Buy gear that fits. Not gear that “you’ll grow into.” I’ve always found that a comfy stick and clean gloves make you want to practice. That’s half the battle. Here’s my quick, no-drama gear guide.

Quick gear table (simple, fast)

• Helmet: Saves your brain. Get one that doesn’t wobble.
• Gloves: Protect knuckles. Also keep your hands warm on cold turf.
• Shoulder pads + elbow pads: Stops bruises from stick checks. You’ll still get bruises. Just fewer.
• Stick (head + mesh + shaft): Your best friend. Choose a pocket you can control—mid pocket for most players.
• Mouthguard: Talks less, plays more. Also keeps teeth where they belong.
• Cleats: No sliding. No rolled ankles. Turf or molded studs both work.

And wash your stuff. Please. Locker room funk isn’t a badge of honor—it’s an infection waiting for a ride. If you want to not share fungus with your teammates, read this quick note I send to my rookies about athlete’s foot and gear hygiene.

The rules you actually need to care about

Here’s my two-minute rulebook: Don’t slash people. Don’t hit late. Stay onside. Respect the crease around the goalie. Push with your hands, not your stick. If you want the official line, the NFHS high school rules lay it out clean. Read them if you like details. I prefer learning by doing and not getting yellow flags thrown at me.

Positions: who does what (and why it matters)

• Attack: You live near the other team’s goal. You dodge, feed, and finish. Think handles and patience.
• Midfield: You run forever. Faceoffs, defense, clears, offense. You do it all. Fitness matters.
• Defense/LSM: You use a long pole. You poke, press, and funnel dodgers to bad angles. Ground balls win games.
• Goalie: Brave soul. You save shots, direct traffic, and start fast breaks. Best loud communicator on the field.

If this is your first stick, breathe. I’ve taught seventh graders to catch and throw in 20 minutes by simplifying the movements. Want a steady stream of drill ideas and practice layouts? I drop my weekly coaching tips here, and they’re all stuff I actually use on grass, not PowerPoint magic.

Stick skills: the boring part that makes the fun part possible

Cradling

I tell players this: cradle like you’re carrying a bowl of soup while jogging. Gentle. Keep the ball in the pocket with small wrist turns. Don’t swing your arms like you’re at a parade. Tight, near your ear when you run through traffic.

Passing and catching

Throw to a spot, not a person. Aim for their ear. Snap your wrists, step to your target, and follow through. Catch with soft hands. Give with the ball—don’t stab at it. I’ve seen players double their catch rate by just relaxing their top hand.

Ground balls

Head down. Two hands. Run through the ball. Scoop, then protect to the sideline shoulder. If the ball is a cupcake, don’t pick at the frosting. Eat the whole thing and keep moving. That little habit wins loose plays.

Shooting

Low-to-high looks pretty. Low-to-low scores more. Change planes. Fake, shoot. And for the love of your coach, step into your shot. Hips, shoulders, wrists—like throwing a punch that happens to launch a rubber rock.

If you’re getting winded in the first quarter, that’s normal. Lacrosse is stop-and-go, with sprints, cuts, and rides. I plan small, smart workouts that push speed and recovery. If you need ideas that fit real athletes with real lives, I keep a running set of notes under fitness for athletes. No nonsense. No 2-hour “grind” videos.

Game flow: the little things that win

Faceoff (or draw)

Quick clamp, rake, or laser to space. Know your exit. Wings crash. Someone yells “Release!” Someone forgets. It’s chaos, and I love it.

Clears and rides

Your goalie makes a save. You clear the ball. Use the middle when it’s open, but don’t force through double teams. In my experience, 10-yard passes beat 40-yard hero balls. Riding? Angle, communicate, and trap the sideline.

Man-up and man-down

Man-up: Move the ball fast. Skip passes only if you’ve earned them. 2-for-1 fakes are your best friend. Man-down: Sticks high, talk early, rotate like you mean it. Make them take outside shots you can live with.

People ask me how to play lacrosse without fouling every five minutes. Easy answer: keep your stick under control and your feet in front. If you need the full book, the formal rules of lacrosse go deep on penalties, checks, and crease play. Worth a skim on the bus to a game.

Defense that actually stops goals

Here’s my short list: Stay top-side. Don’t throw checks you can’t land. Drive hands, not hips. Talk early. If someone beats you, force them down the alley, then recover. Slide with purpose. I’ve always found that one clean body position beats five wild slashes.

And if you’re sore down the side of your hip after practice, join the club. Before you panic, read up on what a pinched nerve in the hip feels like versus simple tightness. Helps you decide if you need rest, flossing, or a real checkup.

Simple practice plan you can steal

• Warm-up: 5 minutes jog, dynamic stretches, stick pops.
• Partner passing: strong hand and off-hand, 30 reps each. Hit the ear.
• Ground ball gauntlet: 3 lines, scoop and go, finish with a pass.
• Dodging: split, roll, face dodge into space. Add a cone defender, then a real one.
• Shooting on the run: left-to-right and right-to-left, low corners, then high.
• 4v3 “West Genny”: fast ball movement and quick shots.
• Ride/Clear reps: full-field with a clock. Game speed or don’t bother.
• Cool down: stretch hips, hamstrings, shoulders. Foam roll if you’re fancy.

When players freeze under pressure, it’s rarely about skills. It’s nerves. Confidence. I write a lot about that side of the game—focus cues, pregame routines, simple breathing—over in my notes on sports psychology. It’s not woo. It’s reps for your brain.

Movement basics that make you look like you’ve played before

• Footwork: chop steps into dodges, not long lunges. Your knees will thank you.
• Shoulders: square to pass, turn to sprint. Don’t twist your stick like pizza dough.
• Angles: cut to open space, not toward the ball-carrier. Backdoor cuts are free goals.
• Communication: names, not vibes. “Eli ball, Sam left, I’ve got two!”

I keep a living list of spacing rules and player prompts in my coaching tips archive. If you coach or captain even once, it’ll save you headaches.

Fitness, but not misery

You don’t need to run marathons. You need 20–40 yard sprints, quick cuts, and good lungs. I like 6 x 60-yard shuttles, rest equal to work. Then ladder drills. Then stick work. Stack the hard stuff first. If running laps feels easy, it’s probably not helping lacrosse speed. Real talk.

On the days your legs feel like rusty hinges, I swap conditioning for mobility. Hips and ankles matter for cutting and shooting. You’ll find simple, non-gimmicky options under my corner on fitness for athletes. No burpee cults here.

Little fixes that change your game fast

• Choke up on the stick when learning to pass. Control first, power later.
• Eyes up before you dodge. If the slide is waiting, move it with a fake pass.
• On defense, beat the hands. Tap wrists, mirror hips, and win the angle.
• Goalies: step to the ball, not at the shooter. Stick head to the shot path.
• All players: sub fast. Slow changes give up easy goals. Don’t be the gif.

Stuff I wish someone told me sooner

• Your pocket matters more than your shaft brand. A well-strung mesh fixes 80% of “I can’t catch.”
• Faceoffs are chess. Practice exits and counters as much as clamps.
• You won’t get faster if all you do is jog. Sprint, rest, repeat.
• You play best when you’re hydrated and not sleep-deprived. Wild, I know.

If you’ve made it this far, you already know how to play lacrosse at a basic level: catch, throw, move to space, talk loud, and don’t take dumb penalties. Everything else is polish. Keep the stick in your hands for 10 minutes a day and you’ll pass kids who only grind at practice.

FAQs

• Do I need an expensive stick to start?

  No. Get a mid-range head and a decent pocket. A good string job beats a shiny shaft every time.

• How long until I can catch and throw well?

  Two weeks of 10 minutes a day. Wall ball, both hands, aim for the ear. You’ll surprise yourself.

• What’s the best drill if I only have 15 minutes?

  5 minutes wall ball, 5 minutes ground balls, 5 minutes shooting on the run. Done.

• How do I stop getting stripped when I dodge?

  Protect your stick to the outside, lower your shoulder, and switch hands late. Keep the cradle tight.

• Any tips for playing through small pains?

  Warm up longer, stretch hips, and listen to your body. If it feels like a nerve thing—sharp, zappy—read about a pinched nerve in the hip and rest accordingly.

Anyway. Tape your stick. Text a friend to hit the wall. And yeah—if someone asks you how to play lacrosse, you can now show them without giving a lecture. That’s the goal, always.

Benjamin Clark

I’m Benjamin Clark, dedicated to elevating your athletic performance. Get targeted fitness plans, injury prevention techniques, sports psychology insights, and the latest in nutrition. Let’s train smarter.