Evolution of the Game

Modern lacrosse has witnessed great modifications since its origins in the 1400s, but many aspects of the sport remain the same. In the American Indian version, each team consisted of about 100 to 1,000 braves on a field that stretched about 500 yards to half a mile. Sometimes, the fields were even several miles long. Rather than having traditional goals where the ball has to pass through the goal posts, many of the Indian teams used a large rock or tree as their goal. They would hit the deerskin ball against the goal to earn points. These lacrosse games lasted from sun up to sun down for two to three days. The games were played to settle intertribal disputes and also used to toughen braves in preparation for future combat.

The game became known to Westerners when a Jesuit Missionary, Jean de Brebeuf, saw the Huron Indians play it in the 1600s. By the 1800s, lacrosse evolved to become more of a sport and less violent as French pioneers adopted the game. In 1867, W. George Beers, a Canadian dentist, codified the game. For instance, he shortened the length of the game. Beers also reduced the number of players to ten per team. By the 1900s, high schools, colleges, universities, and even the Olympics began playing lacrosse.