Men’s lacrosse is a full contact sport, with players wearing complete protective equipment. Thus “checking” - striking opponents’ stick or body with the crosse - is legal and very much part of the game.
Each team starts with ten players on the field: a goalkeeper and three defenders at the defensive end; three midfielders across the midfield line; and three attackers at the offensive end.
Each quarter starts with a “face-off” in which the ball is placed on the ground and two “faceoffmen” lay their stick horizontally next to the ball, head of the stick inches from the ball and the butt-end pointing down the midfield line. Faceoffmen scrap for the ball, often by “clamping” it under their stick and flicking it out to their midfielders, who start on the wing restraining line near the sideline and sprint in when the whistle is blown to start play. Attackers and defenders cannot cross their “restraining line” until one player from the midfield takes possession of the ball. A face-off also restarts the game after each goal.
