Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/596

 RECREATIONS teams picked from the members of the club play matches against various girls' schools or lacrosse clubs within easy reach of town. Further particulars of the club may be obtained from the Hon. Secretary, the Ladies' Southern Lacrosse Club, 6i, Queens- borough Terrace, London, W. Moreover, for IS. an excellent handbook, by J. H. Sachs, can be obtained, and this book will provide would-be players with all information concerning the game The rules for the 1 ground arc as follows The Goals must be placed not less than loo yards nor more than 1 50 yards apart, one at either end of the held of play. The Goal Posts must be 6 feet high, 6 feet apart, and must stand inside a goal-crease which consists of a 1 2-feet square marked on the ground in chalk. The goal-posts must be set up 6 feet from the front and back lines, and 3 feet from either of the side lines of the square. A Centre Mark must be drawn in chalk in the exact centre of the field, and here the ball is placed to begin the game. The Boundaries can be decided on by the captains of the opposing teams before the beginning of a match. A lacrosse team consists of twelve players : (i) Goalkeeper, (2) point, (3) cover point, (4) third man, (5) right defence, (6) left defence, (7) centre, (8) right attack, (9) left attack, (10) third home, (11) second home, (12) first home. A diagram showing the players position in the field will be included in a subsequent article. Two umpires stand behind the goal-squares, and a referee, armed with a whistle, entirely controls the game, and sees that it is played in accordance with the rules. Each player in a team has a double duty to perform. Not only must she dog every move- ment of her special opponent in the field, frustrating and in- tercepting her throws and passes, but, at the same time, she must always be ready to play in complete combination with, her side. No player, except the goalkeeper, is allowed to handle the ball. It must be always picked up, caught, and thrown from the crosse, and an expert player should be capable of throwing it from goal to goal. The goalkeeper has the privilege of stopping the ball with her hands, feet, crosse, or body, but only while she is inside the goal- crease. A lacrosse match, as a rule, lasts for seventy minutes. At halt-time a ten mmutes' rest is allowed. The object of the game is to put the ball through the opponents' goal as often as possible during the time of play. To begin the" game, the ball is placed by 572 the referee in the middle of the ground, and the two opposing centres come forward to " face it " — i.e., they lay their crosses on either side of it, and, as the referee's whistle goes, quickly withdraw them, and the fight for the possession of the ball begins. Each player tries to get the ball up into the net of her crosse, and to pass it high above her opponent's head to a colleague, who will again pass it to another all>, who, if a possible opening presents itself, will, wuth lightning quickness, make a shot for the adversaries' goal. A great advantage about lacrosse is its extreme cheapness ; thick gloves arc desirable, but no ankle or shin guards are required, and the player needs to provide nothing but the actual crosse with which she plays, and this may be bought for a few shillings. The regulations provide that the crosse must not be more than one foot broad at the widest point, and that it must be strung with raw hide o r gut. The net- ting must be absolutely flat when the ball is not resting] on it, and a string must be] brought through a hole in th( side of the tip of the turn and] attached to the handle, to pre- vent any possibihty of the point catching in an opponent's crosse during play. There must be no metal on the, crosse. The handle may be of whatever length best suits the] player, but when choosing a] crosse, she should remember thatj one of the first rules of good playj is that both hands must always j be used to grasp the handle, one; placed at the butt, and one atj the collar of the crosse. There are two special throws] ThefinishoftheunderhanHthrow employed in lacrosse-the under- hand and the overhand throw and it is an excellent plan for the girl] who wants to join a lacrosse club first to' get some player to show her the positions employed in performing these throws, and the correct movements for catching a ball. She will then be in a position to practise alone or with a friend, and a week's good practice should enable her to take a fair share of the work in her first pick-up practice game. A short serge skirt worn over knicker- bockers of the same material, with a loose white flannel shirt and a soft turnover collar, forms the most suitable costume for play. The rules of the game, more- over, forbid the wearing of spiked shores : only rubber-soled boots or shoes may be worn. To be roiitiuiied.