What is men's field lacrosse and how big is the field?
B · Beginner · The game · 1 of 5Two teams of ten try to throw a small rubber ball into the other team's goal with sticks that have a netted head. The field is 91.4 to 100 metres long and 50 to 60 metres wide, and each goal is 1.83 metres square with space behind it. Players may body-check an opponent who has the ball or is near it. Only the goalkeeper, inside the crease, may touch the ball with a hand.
How it works
- Ten a side: "1 goalkeeper, 3 defenders, 3 midfielders and 3 attackers".
- The aim: to score "by causing the ball to enter the goal of its opponent".
- Moving the ball: it is "carried, thrown, or batted with the stick, rolled or kicked in any direction".
- No hands: "The hand may not touch the ball, except by a goalkeeper who is within their goal crease."
- The field: 91.4 m to 100 m long and 50 m to 60 m wide.
- The goals: 1.83 m by 1.83 m, orange, placed 12 m from each end line.
- The goal crease: a circle of 3 m radius round each goal.
- Goal areas: marked by a line 22 m from each goal line.
- Wing areas: at the centre line, near each sideline, used at the face-off.
- Sticks: a short stick is 101.6 to 106.68 cm long. A long stick is 132.08 to 182.88 cm, and a team may have no more than four on the field besides the goalkeeper's.
- Squad: up to 12 substitutes, and no more than 22 players in team uniform for a game.
- Officials: three on the field, with a chief bench official at the table.
- A goalkeeper always: each team must have a properly equipped goalkeeper on the field.
The glossary has the goalkeeper, the goal, the goal crease, the in-home and the substitution area. Its entries are written for sixes.
Tricky cases
Can a field player kick the ball?
Yes. The ball may be rolled or kicked in any direction, within the other rules.
A team loses players to injury and penalties. Can it go on with fewer than ten?
Yes. A team may continue with fewer than ten. No exceptions are made to the other rules.
Is there space behind the goal?
Yes. Each goal stands 12 m from its end line, and play goes on behind it.
How is this different from sixes?
Sixes has six a side on a 70 by 36 m field, field sticks of at most 110 cm and no body-checking. After a goal in sixes the goalkeeper restarts, with no draw. Each form has its own rule book.
Why the rule exists
Field lacrosse is the full form of the game, played over four 15-minute quarters on a field the size of a football pitch. The offside rule keeps three attackers and three defenders at each end, so the midfielders, who play both ways, carry the ball between them.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Men's field | Ten a side, field 91.4 to 100 m by 50 to 60 m | WL Men Rule 1.1; 19.1 |
| Women's field | Up to ten a side, goalkeeper optional, no helmets for field players | WL Women Rule 5.A.3; 6.A.2 |
| Sixes | Six a side, field 70 by 36 m at World Lacrosse events | WL Sixes Rule 1.1.1 |
| Long sticks | No more than four on the field, besides the goalkeeper's | WL Men Rule 15.1 |
From the rule book
World Lacrosse, 2025-2027 Men's Field Lacrosse Official Playing Rules (version 1.0), "The game" and Rules 1 to 5, 7, 15, 19, 20 and 23. Checked 21 October 2026. Official document: Rules of Men's Field Lacrosse 2025-2027 (PDF).