The Field: The lacrosse field is 110 yards long and 60 yards wide. Goals are 80 yards apart with 15 yards of playing area behind each goal. Boundaries are marked by white lines.

NOTE:  8U and 10U play on smaller field sizes as they are developing lacrosse and athletic abilities.

The Goal: The goal is six feet square and sits in a 9-foot radius circle. This area is known as the crease and may only be occupied by the Goalie and a single defender at any time. Any attacker or a second defender who enters the crease causes a crease violation.

NOTE:  8U plays without a goalie, but typically also a smaller, four foot square goal.

The Players: Each team has ten players on the field, divided as follows: three attackers, three midfielders, three defenders, and one goaltender. Attackers stay on the offensive half of the field while defenders and the goaltender stay on the defensive half of the field while midfielders cross back and forth to play on both sides. Each team can have no more than six total players on the offensive half of the field and seven players on the defensive half of the field at any time or off-sides results.

NOTE:  10U plays 7 v 7 including 2 attack, 2 midfield, 2 defense, and a goalie.  8U plays 5 v 5 with all 5 players acting as midfielders and no goalie.

The Equipment: The principal piece of equipment is the lacrosse stick. The ball is smaller and heavier than a baseball and is made of white India rubber. A helmet with faceguard and mouth guard, are mandatory for all players. A chest pad, gloves, protective cup and elbow guards are also required. Goaltenders are also required to use a throat guard and a longer chest protector, and they use a special stick. Goaltenders are not required to wear arm guards, but may do so may also use other close-fitting pads or protectors if preferred. ELA will loan Goaltender equipment if needed. Refer to the USA Lacrosse Equipment Overview for more information.

The Game: The game is 48 minutes long divided into 12 minute quarters. Teams change goals after each quarter. There is a 5 minute break at halftime and two minutes in between quarters. For some tournaments games may be divided into two 16 or 20 minute halves. General league play and tournament pool play may end a in a tie at the end of regulation play. In case of a tie during bracketed championship play, there may be 2 to 5 minutes of sudden-death overtime. If the tie is not broken in overtime, the game may be decided by a "Braveheart" in which only between 2 and 4 players per team including the goalie play until a point is scored.

Object of the Game: Each team attempts to score by causing the ball to enter the opponent's goal while trying to prevent the other team from doing the same. The ball may not be touched with the hands, except by the goaltender when in the crease. The ball is kept in play be being carried, thrown, or batted with the stick. If the ball is carried, or thrown out of bounds, the ball goes to the other team at that point. The exception in case of a shot at the goal; the ball goes to the team whose player is nearest the ball when it went out of bounds. This rule is designed to not to unduly penalize a team for trying to score.

NOTE:  8U and 10U rules some times require a set number of attempted and/or completed passes before a ball is considered "hot" or able to be shot at the goal.

Penalties: There are three types of fouls: technical, personal, and expulsion.

• Technical fouls are those of a less serious nature such as interference, illegal screening, holding, warding off, pushing, withholding the ball from play, offside, out-of-bounds, and crease violation. A technical foul results in loss of the ball or a 30-second penalty if the other team is in possession of the ball.
• Personal fouls are those of a more serious nature such as illegal body checking, slashing, cross-checking, tripping, unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlike conduct, and use of an illegal stick or illegal equipment. A personal foul results in loss of the ball and either a one, two, or three-minute penalty depending on the severity and intention of the foul. If a team is playing in a man-down situation, the penalized player is allowed to return to the game when the opponents score a goal unless the referee has called a non-releasable foul.
• An expulsion foul is the striking of anyone connected with the game. The penalty shall be suspension from the rest of the game and a three-minute penalty to be served by a substitute. The suspended player is also suspended from the next contest.

Rides and Clears: When the defensive team regains possession of the ball in its own defensive end, it will attempt to return to the offensive end of the field. If the defense successfully moves the ball into the offensive zone, they are credited with a clear. If the defense does not successfully complete a clear, the other team is credited with a ride. Each time the defense attempts to return the ball to the offensive zone, either a clear or ride is credited.

Face-off: After most goals and at the beginning of most periods, play is resumed with a face off. The players facing off shall stand on the same side of the centerline as the goal each is defending, with their sticks resting on the ground along the center line. Each must have both hands on their stick. Neither player nor stick can be in contact with the opposing player or stick. The walls of the stick must be far enough apart so that the ball can be placed between them on the ground. When the official sound his whistle to start play, each player may attempt to direct the course of the ball by a movement of his stick in any manner he desires.

NOTE:  Edina Lacrosse Boys play in the Youth Lacrosse Minnesota League (YLM). The YLM follows most of the USA Lacrosse Rules; however, there are some exceptions or modifications. 

To protect against Commotio Cordis*, USA Lacrosse has implemented new rules that boys chest and shoulder pads must meet NOCSAE certification.  These pads have been approved by NOCSAE.  Boys goalies must use the certified chest pads in 2020.  Other boys players must use the certified shoulder pads in 2021.

*Commotio Cordis (Latin, "agitation of the heart") is an often lethal disruption of heart rhythm that occurs as a result of a blow to the area directly over the heart (the precordial region) at a critical time during the cycle of a heart beat, producing what is termed an R-on-T phenomenon that leads to the condition.