Lacrosse Glossary of Terms

1. Body check: Contact from the front that is permitted between the shoulders and waist when an opponent has possession or is within five yards of a loose ball.
2. Clamp: Quickly covering the ball with the backside of the head of the stick during a face-off.
3. Clearing: Transferring the ball from the defensive half of the field across the midfield line.
4. Cradle: Running with the stick in either one or both hands in a manner that keeps the ball in the pocket.
5. Cutting: When an attacker runs toward the goal to receive a pass and take a clear shot.
6. Face-off: A player from each team stands face-to-face with their sticks on the ground along the centerline. The official places the ball between the two stick heads and blows the whistle. The two players then attempt to gain control of the ball using their sticks. Typical face-off moves include the clamp and rake. If a penalty is called before or during a face-off, possession goes to the opposing team.
7. Fake: To make a throwing motion with the stick just before shooting it to deceive the goalie.
8. Fast break: When the offense exploits an unsettled defense with a quick transition downfield. Many goals are scored this way.
9. Feed: Passing the ball to a player to create a scoring opportunity.
10. Ground ball: A loose ball that is on the ground. Players scoop the ball with the stick to pick it up.
11. Illegal body check: A late hit, or contact from behind, above the shoulders, or below the waist.
12. Interference: Limiting the free movement of an opponent who does not have possession of the ball and is not within five yards of a loose ball.
13. Isolation: Offensive players clear out of the way to allow an opening for a teammate to drive towards the goal with the ball.
14. Loose ball: Ball not controlled by a player (e.g. on the ground or in the air).
15. Man-down: When the defense is at a disadvantage due to a penalty. Also called penalty kill.
16. Man-to-man defense: Each player guards one specific player. Each defenseman matches up with an attacker, and each midfielder matches up with an opposing midfielder.
17. Man-up: When the offense has an advantage following a penalty. Also called a power play.
18. Offsides: Violation called when a team has fewer than four players on its defensive side of the field, or fewer than three players on its attacking side.
19. On-the-fly: Substituting during play. When one player exits the field through the penalty box, another can enter.
20. Pick: Attackers or middies stand in a position to block the path of a teammate’s defender to create space for the teammate to receive a pass.
21. Pushing: Illegal shoving of an opponent from behind.
22. Rake: Face-off move in which a player sweeps the ball to the side for a teammate to pick up.
23. Release: When a penalized player re-enters the game.
24. Riding: Attempting to prevent a team from clearing the ball.
25. Scoop: Picking up a ground ball in the crosse pocket.
26. Screen: Offensive player stands outside the crease in front of the goalie to block the goalie’s view.
27. Slashing: Illegal stick check to the body of a player that results in a personal foul.
28. Slow whistle: Permitting play to continue during a penalty until the offense loses possession of the ball to allow an offense to maintain its advantage.
29. Stalling: Intentionally holding the ball without advancing toward the goal.
30. Stick check: Defenders attempt to dislodge the ball from an opponent’s stick by executing a poke check or a slap check.
31. Tripping: Impeding an opponent at or below the waist and causing him to fall.
32. Unnecessary roughness: Excessively violent and usually calculated contact to the opposition.
33. Unsportsmanlike conduct: Physical or verbal actions considered to be abusive, obscene, or threatening by a game official.
34. Warding off: While in possession of the ball, using a free hand to control an opponent’s stick or body.
35. Zone defense: Strategy in which players defend a specific part of the field, close to the goal, instead of guarding a single opponent.

This list is pulled from the sportspectator site and enhanced occasionally.

LAX Field Positions

• ATTACK: The attackman's responsibility is to score goals. He generally restricts his play to the offensive end.
• MIDFIELD: The midfielder's responsibility is to cover the entire field playing both offense and defense.
• DEFENSE: The defenseman's responsibility is to defend the goal. He generally restricts his play to the defensive end of the field.
• GOAL: The goalie's responsibility is to protect the goal and stop the opposing team from scoring.

visit Sports Spectator for a nice breakdown on this topic, also the source of the graphic.

Basic LAX Rules

Men's lacrosse is a contact game played by ten players: a goalkeeper, three defensemen, three midfielders and three attackmen. The object of the game is to shoot the ball into the opponent's goal. The team scoring the most goals wins.

• Each team must keep at least four players, including the goalie, in its defensive half of the field and three in its offensive half Three players (midfielders) may roam the entire field.
• Generally, high school games are 48 minutes long, with 12 minute quarters. Each team is given a two minute break between the first and second quarters, and the third and fourth quarters. Half-time is ten minutes long.
• Teams change sides between periods. Each team is permitted two time-outs each half. The team winning the coin toss chooses the end of the field it wants to defend first.
• Men's lacrosse begins with a face-off. The ball is placed between the sticks of two squatting players at the center of the field. The official blows the whistle to begin play. Each face-off player tries to control the ball. The players in the wing areas can release; the other players must wait until one player has gained possession of the ball or the ball has crossed the goal line. Center face-offs are also used after a goal and at the start of each quarter.
• Players may run with the ball in the crosse, pass and catch the ball. Only the goalkeeper may touch the ball with his hands.
• A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from an opponent's crosse with a stick check, which includes the controlled poking and slapping of the stick and gloved hands of the player in possession of the ball.
• Body checking is permitted if the opponent has the ball. However, all contact must occur from the front or side, above the waist and below the shoulders. An opponent's crosse may also be stick checked if it is within five yards of a loose ball or ball in the air.
• If the ball or a player in possession of the ball goes out of bounds, the other team is awarded possession of the ball. If the ball goes out of bounds after an unsuccessful shot on goal, the player nearest to the ball when and where it goes out of bounds is awarded possession.
• An attacking player cannot enter the crease around the goal, but may reach in with his stick to scoop a loose ball.

Austin King, D-Man

Net & Stick Dimensions

This covers the basic stick dimensions, but you need to refer the other guides to see the detail on the various types of sticks and associated dimensions for each type and playing bracket. Stick types include the short stick (mainly offense and middies), long stick, or d-pole and used by defensemen, and the goalie stick.

Referee Signals

LAX Field Dimensions