Think of indoor (box) lacrosse as the faster little brother
of field lacrosse. It's typically (and properly) played
in a hocky rink, though a standard basketball court gym
works well, too. Teams consist of a goalie and five runners.
The
nice thing about playing in a hockey rink is that the boards
and glass keep the ball from flying out of bounds. The bad
thing about playing in a hockey rink is that the boards
and glass keep the ball from flying out of bounds...that
means there is never a stop in play and the ball is always
moving, sometimes in unpredictable ways and directions.
Learning to play the angles off the boards is one of the
key parts of the game.
Another
nice part about box lacrosse is that you never run more
than a few dozen yards. Field midfielders can run miles
and miles during a game. Indoor, you don't. On the other
hand, you never STOP running in box lacrosse, so you tend
to get very winded very fast. It's sprint after sprint.
CHanging lines rapidly and often is critical to a team's
playing well and to individual players enjoyment.
Location
Fort
Myers Indoor Lacrosse makes its home at the Everblades
Arena in Fort Myers, where we play in the in-line hockey
rink. The rink surface is called "SportCourt," which is
softer than concrete but makes for a harder landing than
grass. It's not slippery, though you can slide on it (if
you feel strongly about trying to). It plays like a slightly
soft gym floor.
Rules
IT's pretty simple. But you better read the rules.
Equipment
Players at all positions use standard "short sticks," midfield
or attack length. Long sticks used by field defensemen are
not allowed indoors. Goalies sticks are the standard lacrosse
issue.
Since the arena is not large and all players play both ofensive
and defensive positions, anyone may be in the line of fire
at the goal at any time. Lacrosse balls, like hockey pucks,
can travel at tremendous speeds, so all players are required
to wear a lacrosse or hockey helmet with an cage facemask.
Gloves are also mandatory. While hockey gloves can be used,
most players choose to wear STX or Brine lacrosse gloves,
which are more supple and better articulated. Optional equipment
includes arm, shoulder, rib, or knee pads.
Who can play
League
play is open to anyone age 16 (though we've had a few plucky
kids as young as 13) and over (some of us creak along in
our late 40s). You do not have to be a member of Lee County
Lacrosse to play. A signed waiver is required.
Contact - hitting, checking,
etc
League
play is considered light contact: stick checks and non-body
check contact allowed. No cross-checking. Get too rough
and you will probably get benched. Do it again and you will
get pulled from the game. In between those, you will probably
be yelled at by other players and, usually, knocked on your
butt.
