Lacrosse is a fast-paced game with quick turns and lots of action. It takes a lot of practice and skill to get into the nines, and once you do, you are ready for the next level. The longer you play the more you learn, the more you develop your skills, and the more you want to play. But, how long is a lacrosse game?
How Long is a Lacrosse Game?
Lacrosse is a sport played by two teams of seven players. The object of the game is to score more goals than the opponent.
The length of a lacrosse game depends on whether boys or girls play it. But there are some similarities between the two types of games.
Boys Lacrosse Game
Many factors determine how long a lacrosse game will last, but the average length of a boys lacrosse game is 60 minutes.
High School Lacrosse Game
A high school lacrosse game is 60 minutes long, with two halves of 30 minutes each. The clock runs continuously and is stopped only by the referee or when either team has called a timeout. If a timeout is called, the clock starts again when play resumes. Substitutions are unlimited during the game but must occur between quarters, halftime, and after goals.
The first half begins with a face-off at midfield, lasting no more than 45 seconds before play continues. During the second half, teams switch sides of the field after three goals are scored (or if there’s an injury). This ensures that both teams get equal playing time during the second half of play.
A team scores one point for each goal they make during regulation play. If neither team scores in regulation time, overtime will determine who wins the game. If it’s still tied after overtime play, there will be another overtime period until someone scores.
Boys Youth Lacrosse Game
A boy’s youth lacrosse game is 32 minutes long, and this time is divided into quarters. In each quarter, a team has the opportunity to score up to five goals. The team with the most goals wins at the end of the fourth quarter. If both teams have scored the same goals at the end of regulation time, overtime must be played.
For a goal to count, it must occur within three seconds after possession changes hands. If this does not happen, possession is awarded to the other team. If no goal is scored before time runs out in any quarter, possession is given back to whichever team had possession last.
College Lacrosse Game
A college lacrosse game is 60 minutes long. College lacrosse games are played in four quarters, each lasting 15 minutes. The clock runs continuously throughout the game. So when the referee blows his whistle to start play after halftime, there’s no more stopping and starting as in football or basketball.
Each quarter is divided into two 12-minute periods separated by a two-minute break (except for overtime). Each team gets three timeouts per game and one extra timeout per overtime period.
NCAA Men’s College Lacrosse Game
An NCAA college lacrosse game lasts 60 minutes, with 15-minute quarters. The clock runs continuously throughout the game and is stopped only for timeouts, injuries, and when the whistle blows at the end of each quarter. If a game is tied after regulation, it takes extra time until one team scores and wins.
The clock stops during a faceoff or when a team gets possession of the ball after it goes out of bounds. After that, play resumes immediately. There are no timeouts in lacrosse except for injury timeouts or substitutions.
At the end of each quarter, there’s a two-minute intermission during which teams can make substitutions and coaches can talk to players on the sidelines.
Premier Lacrosse Game
It’s 48 minutes, and it’s over in the blink of an eye.
If you’re unfamiliar with the sport, that might seem like a lot of time. But when you’re watching it live, it goes by incredibly quickly.
The players are so fast and agile that they move around the field as if they were at least two people combined into one being. They can run up and down the field almost non-stop for 48 minutes; there’s no break in action until halftime!
Professional Lacrosse League
Professional Lacrosse League is a fast-paced, full-contact sport that lasts 60 minutes.
The goal of lacrosse is to score more points than your opponent by putting the ball into their net. The game consists of four 15-minute periods, with two 10-minute halves in each period. Each team has six players on the field simultaneously: one goalie and five field players. There are no substitutions allowed during play. So each player must play both offense and defense throughout the entire game.
Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse is a fast-paced and exciting sport. It’s played by seven players per team and lasts 60 minutes, with 15-minute quarters. The game’s object is to get the ball into your opponent’s net by any means possible. The best way to do this is by passing or throwing it into their goal with your stick.
It’s a lot like soccer, except you don’t use your feet; you use a lacrosse stick. You can also hold onto the ball and run with it until someone tries to get it from you!
But beware: If you possess the ball, there are many ways for another player to take it from you, including checking and cross-checking (hitting them with their stick). There are also penalties for roughing up other players or making contact with them when they don’t possess the ball.
Girls Lacrosse Game
The girl’s lacrosse game typically lasts 60 minutes, but exceptions exist. The length of the game depends on whether it’s a high school or collegiate game and whether it’s played indoors or outdoors.
High School Girls Lacrosse Game
The girl’s lacrosse game is 50 minutes long, with each half being 25 minutes. The game starts with a center draw, and the teams take turns possessing the ball.
To win, one team must score more goals than the other team by hitting the ball into the goal. The game goes into overtime if no goals are scored after 50 minutes. And each team gets five additional minutes to score as many goals as possible.
Youth Girls Lacrosse Game
The length of a Youth Girls Lacrosse Game is 50 minutes, with each half being 25 minutes. The game starts with a coin toss, determining which team will have the ball first. The team that wins the coin toss gets to decide what direction they want to attack from, either up the field or down the field. If they choose to attack up the field, they’ll put their goalie in front of their goal line.
The teams must try to get the ball into their opponent’s goal by passing it between themselves without going out of bounds or being intercepted by an opposing player.
If one side scores, they get two points. And, if both teams score, then each team gets one point apiece. If neither side scores within 25 minutes (or however long it takes), no one gets any points!
NCAA Women’s College Lacrosse Games
An NCAA Women’s College Lacrosse Game is 60 minutes long and divided into 4 quarters of 15 minutes each.
The game starts with a faceoff when the players from each team attempt to gain possession of the ball by placing it on the ground and pushing it back and forth with their sticks. The team that wins the faceoff gets possession of the ball until they lose control or score a goal.
A goal occurs when one player scores by shooting the ball past an opponent’s goalie into the goal cage. It can also be scored when an opponent shoots the ball over their goal line, called an own goal.
The team that has scored more goals at the end of four quarters wins that game!
Does Lacrosse Have Overtime?
- Yes! Lacrosse has overtime. There are two periods of overtime: each is 10 minutes long.
If neither team scores overtime, the game goes to a shootout.
In a shootout, players take turns shooting on goal from five yards away; they can shoot as many times as they like, but only one shot per turn. The goalie can’t move until they have made their first shot. Once a player makes a shot on goal, it’s up to the other team’s goalie to make their save. But if they miss it, that player gets another shot at the goal!
After all five players on both teams have had their chance to try for a goal (and no one scored), it’s over, and whoever scored last wins!
Can the Time Pause During the Lacrosse Game?
- Yes, the time can pause during the lacrosse game.
The game is paused when there is an injury or a major collision. During this time, there are several different ways to handle what happens, depending on how long it takes to resolve the situation.
If it’s a minor injury or collision and the athlete can continue playing, then play will resume as soon as possible; typically within 30 seconds of being notified by officials that they can return to playing. If it’s a more serious injury or collision, they’ll be removed from play and replaced by another player on their team.
In either case, a new coach will take over for them at midfield and have an opportunity to talk with players before resuming play.
Conclusion
Lacrosse is a fun and exciting sport that people of all ages can enjoy. The game typically lasts 60 minutes and is full of action. Lacrosse may be the perfect fit for you if you’re looking for a sport that can be played outdoors in cold weather. So whether you’re new to the game or want to check it out, make sure to go out and play lacrosse!
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