The game of lacrosse has been played for many years starting with the American Indians who played for the creator. Originally known as stickball by Algonquian tribe who played in the St. Lawrence Valley area. The native Americans were known to play on fields that were miles long and each team would consist of hundreds, if not thousands of players. The game was not played for fun but as a way to settle disputes. The game was also a way to gamble, with even the most bazaar wages of wives and children.
Over time, the rules of lacrosse have changed for the better and some for the worse. When I picked up a lacrosse stick in the first grade it was a totally different sport to what it is now.
The U.S. lacrosse association has made a decision to change the rules of lacrosse once again to hopefully speed up the game and to make the sport more interesting to its viewers.
The first rule that stands out to me the most that have been added to this year’s games is the 80-second shot clock. Previous years there was a 60-second shot clock that was only started if a team was stalling. The stall warning was issued when a team has not made an effort to score usually within two minutes of their possession. This year the 80-second shot clock will start immediately after the team has come in possession of the ball and will restart if there is a shot on goal.
This is a drastic change to the game because teams will not be able to hold the ball and kill time like in previous years. This is a change to my game as an offensive midfielder because in previous years there was time to get off the field and get the defensive unit onto the field. This year offensive players will have to drop back and play defense.
Adding the shot clock to this year’s lacrosse season will drastically help the speed of the game. I believe that this will
result in more goals leading to more attraction to the game. Forcing a team to shoot every 80 seconds will result in more shots per team.
The most controversial rule change this year has to be the dive rule. This is a personal favorite because as an offensive player this gives a step up on defenders, allowing offensive players one more way to beat defenders. This rule, however, is not a favorite from a defensemen or goalies perspective.
I personally like the new rule changes to the game this year. This means that the game is evolving and moving in a direction to make the game faster and more exciting. It is amazing to see how far the game has come from when I started playing. There was a rule that if the ball went out on the end line there was a horn that stopped the game to allow players to sub. Looking back on days like that truly shows the evolution of the sport and how much farther it has to go.
