Box lacrosse
A box lacrosse goaltender (or goalie) | |
| Highest governing body | World Lacrosse |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Box lax, box |
| First played | 1930s in Canada |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Collision |
| Team members | Five runners and a goalie |
Box lacrosse, also known as boxla, box, or indoor lacrosse, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. Box lacrosse is traditionally played on an ice hockey rink once the ice has been removed or covered. The playing area is called a box, in contrast to the open playing field of field lacrosse. Box lacrosse is played between two teams of five players and one goalie each. The object of the game is to use a lacrosse stick to catch, carry, and pass the ball in an effort to score by shooting a solid rubber lacrosse ball into the opponent's goal.
The game originated in the 1930s in Canada, where it is more popular than field lacrosse.
While there are 62 total members of World Lacrosse, only fifteen have competed in international box lacrosse competition. Only Canada, the Haudenosaunee Nationals and the United States have finished in the top three places at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. The most prestigious domestic competition is the National Lacrosse League.