Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1882 — Lacrosse. [ARTICLE]

Lacrosse.

Lacrosse, the Indian pastime which has become the national game of Canada and which is every year becoming more popular, is played on a level, grassy field like a base ball ground. The things used in a game are a rubber ball, about eight inches in circumference, four light poles or flagstafls, each about six feet long, and a bat or “crosse” for each player. The field for a boy’s game should be about one hundred and thirty yards long, and about forty yards wide. The four poles are in pairs, and should have*flags at the top in colors; say, two in blue, and two in white. The two poles of a pair are set up in the ground about six feet apart, the white flags at one end of the field and the blue at the other, the two “colors” being about one hundred and twenty yards apart. These form the goals, and the players should wear some kind of cap or uniform in the same colors as the goals, say half the players in white caps oF shirts, and half in blue. The poles and flags can be made at home, the bats cost about one dollar each, and any good rubber sponge ball may be used. The game is led by two Captains selected from all the boys, and, to decide disputes, there may be also two umpires. Each captain, beginning with the eldest takes turns in selecting his team from all the boys, each choosing twelve, making twenty-six in the game. The two captains do not play, and have no bats; their duty is to start the game, to look after their sides, to watch the ball, and tell their own players what to do. The umpires merely look on from the edge of the field, one near each goal. The senior captain places his men in this order: first one in front of the jpposite goal, second one a short distance H advance, and a fourth at the centre of "ho field. At the home goal he also places one man, a few yards in advance of the •53. The remaining players are placed at the sides of the third and fourth boys. Then the other captain does the same thing, and the field is filled by the twenty-four players in pairs, except two on each side. Thus, the two sides are distributed over the entire field. The rules of the game say there must be no kicking nor pulling to get at the ball, nor must it be once touched by the hands. The game is to start the ball from the center, and to throw between the blue flags. Each side tries ■ri best to to defend its own color, and to ■fit the ball into the enemy’s goal. A player may pick the ball up on his crosse, or catch it on the fly, or the rebound, and he may, if he can, run with it on the crosse and throw it into the goal.