Want to impress your friends by dropping lacrosse terms and slang to show off everything you’ve learned? Use any of the following to complement the boxla knowledge you’ve gained from the Swarm’s Box Lacrosse 101 guide.
An assist
Either for a pass or shot. Passing/shooting the ball behind the back
Hitting an opposing player into the boards. Can be a penalty depending on the severity of the hit and/or whether the player hit was in a defenseless position or not
A shot that bounces off the turf
Celebration
A basic lacrosse stick skill where the player twists the stick back and forth to help maintain possession of the ball
When a player runs the ball from deep in their defensive end to their opponent’s crease
Hitting/pushing an opponent with the stick while both hands are grasping it
The top pipe of a goal connecting to the side pipes. Sometimes a goaltender’s best friend and a forward’s worst enemy
Front of a crease right before the goaltender
The side of a goal farther away from a shooter
Name of the area between a goaltender’s legs, usually has the lacrosse stick protecting it
A goal on a broken play, normally after collecting a rebounded shot and netting it
Term used to describe a player’s ball-handling skills, usually after getting through a number of defenders and still possessing the ball
Scoring three goals in a game. Scoring all three in a row is considered a natural hat trick
An assist earned by passing to the player who makes the pass to the eventual goal-scorer
References a player’s position on the floor. Oriented based off the goalie’s point of view on the floor, everything to his left
Nickname for loose ball
Delivering hard hits, usually said in the phrase “laying some lumber”
Any player that does not have possession of the ball or is defending a player without possession
A player with the ball or the defender guarding the player with the ball
A two-man play where an offensive player checks one of two defenders towards the offensive player with possession, creating space for the offensive player with the ball to pass to the now-open teammate
The red metal of a lacrosse goal, upon which the netting is moored
Placing the back of the stick on top of a loose ball and pulling it back towards the player to gain possession
References a player’s position on the floor. Oriented based off the goalie’s point of view on the floor, everything to his right
Nickname for the lacrosse ball
Defensive maneuver where a player extends their arm, swings behind them, and hits the opponent’s stick when he has the ball
Players in front of the goaltender that hinder his ability to tell where a shot is coming from
Also known as even, a five-on-five play in which both sides are in their predetermined formation on the floor
The side of a goal closer to the shooter
When a defensive player moves from his assignment to an on-ball forward to help disrupt the shot or force a pass
Scoring six goals in a game
The side of a goal where the goalie’s stick is
Lacrosse move where the player with a ball brings the stick up and over their defender to help maneuver behind them
Nickname for the top left and right corners of a goal
Term for when a player gets tripped up on the floor, and no one touched him
A deceptive shot where a player is shooting with their dominant hand but the head of their stick comes down from their weak hand
When a player with possession of the ball gets their stick knocked out of their hands
