Box lacrosse

Box lacrosse (boxla, boxcrosse, or indoor lacrosse) is an indoor version of lacrosse played in Canada and the United States. The game is generally played in summer on an ice hockey rink from which the ice has been removed. The playing area is called a box, in contrast to the open playing field of outdoor lacrosse. Box lacrosse was invented in the 1930s as a way to promote business for ice hockey arenas. Eventually it became the more popular version of the sport in Canada.

Box lacrosse is also a popular version of the sport in the Czech Republic. It is also played to a marginal degree in the United States and Australia primarily by players brought up playing traditional lacrosse.

Although box lacrosse and field lacrosse are played under different sets of rules, most of the national representatives of the Canadian and Iroquois National field lacrosse teams were raised playing box lacrosse. In recent times many Canadian box lacrosse players have been recruited by U.S collegiate lacrosse teams thereby reacquainting Canada with the traditional outdoor game.

Box lacrosse goals are smaller (4 ft × 4 ft) than in field lacrosse. On the floor, a team consists of a goalkeeper and five runners (from a total of 16 to 24 players on the bench). The goalkeeper can be replaced by another runner (often when a penalty has been signalled by the referee or at the end of a quarter). The attacking team must take a shot on goal within 30 seconds of gaining possession of the ball.

A game consists of three periods of twenty minutes each (similar to hockey), with the teams changing ends each period. If the game is tied at the end of regulation play, overtime can be played. Overtime may or may not be sudden victory, depending on the league.

The National Lacrosse League plays a version of box lacrosse that is sometimes referred to as indoor lacrosse. The NLL game is identical to standard box lacrosse, with slightly modified rules, the major ones being:
* they play their games in the winter, on artificial turf placed on top of the ice,
* they play four fifteen-minute quarters rather than three periods, and
* solid wooden lacrosse sticks are not allowed.

A national senior men's lacrosse championship has been awarded in Canada since 1901. The Mann Cup is the most prestigious lacrosse trophy in Canada. It has been contended for under box lacrosse rules since 1935 (prior to which it had been competed for under field lacrosse rules). A junior men's championship, the Minto Cup, has been awarded since 1937 (the Minto Cup was also awarded to a senior men's field lacrosse champion from 1901 to 1909).

In 1994 lacrosse was declared the Canadian national summer sport by act of Parliament.

The first world championship of box lacrosse titled "The Nations in 1980" was held in British Columbia in July of 1980 involving teams representing the United States, Australia, Canada East, Canada West and the North American Natives. Canada West (Coquitlan Adanacs) defeated the North American natives in the nationally televised final from Pacific coliseum in Vancouver. This was the first time in history that First Nations people represented themselves in a world championship.

The second World Indoor Lacrosse Championships were held in 2003. The competitors were national teams from Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, the Iroquois Nation, Scotland, and the United States. The 2007 Championships had 8 nations participating, the previous competitors plus England and Ireland.

ee also

* World Indoor Lacrosse Championships
* Ontario Lacrosse Referees Association
* Lacrosse strategy

Leagues

* National Lacrosse League
* National Lacrosse League (1974-75)
* Ontario Lacrosse Association
** Major Series Lacrosse
** OLA Senior B Lacrosse League
** OLA Junior A Lacrosse League
** OLA Junior B Lacrosse League
* Western Lacrosse Association
* Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League
* Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League