Basic Lacrosse Rules for Beginners

A student-athlete from Greenwich, Connecticut, Gavin “Trey” Scotti III attends Salisbury School. He is a member of the school’s Crimson Knights football and lacrosse teams and has consistently represented them in several competitions, including the Recruiting Invitational organized by Inside Lacrosse. Growing up, Gavin Scotti was active in Greenwich Youth Lacrosse.

The oldest and fastest-growing organized sport in America, lacrosse originated in North America as stickball. The game comprises two teams with 10 players on each side using a ratchet-like stick to carry, pass, and shoot the ball across the field and into the goal. Of the 10 players, one is the goalie, three are in the defensive half, three in the offensive half, and three can move anywhere across the pitch.

The game starts with a face-off between two players from each team. For every goal, a point is awarded to the scoring team. Only the goalie is allowed to touch the ball with his/her hands. All other players use the lacrosse stick and are penalized if the ball touches their hands.