The first modern women’s lacrosse game was played in 1890 at the St Leonards School in Scotland, where women's lacrosse had been introduced by Louisa Lumsden. Lumsden brought the game to Scotland after watching a men's lacrosse game between the Canghuwaya Indians and the Montreal Lacrosse Club. One of Lumsden's students, Rosabelle Sinclair, established the first women's lacrosse team in the United States was at the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, Maryland.

Women’s lacrosse is played with a team of 12 players; one of the players is usually the goalkeeper. The ball used is typically yellow. But, if both teams agree then the game can be played with a bright orange ball. The duration of the game is 60 minutes, two halves of 30 minutes each. Each team is allowed one 90-second team time-out per half. Time-outs may be taken after a goal has been scored. In 2008, a new rule was regulated if a team has possession in their attacking end, then they may call a time out.

Players

Women play with three attackers (or "homes"), five midfielders (or "middies"), three defenders (starting from the back, called "point", "cover point", and "third man"), and one goalie. Seven players play attack at one time and seven defenders are present. There is a restraining line that keeps the other four players (plus the goalie) from going into the attack. If those players cross the line, they are considered offsides and a penalty is given.

Equipment

Women's lacrosse rules are specifically designed to allow less physical contact between players. As a result of the lack of contact, the only protective equipment required is eyewear and a mouthguard. Although these are the only protective equipment, there are still many injuries due to accidental checks to the head and the overall aggressiveness of the sport. The pockets of women's sticks are shallower than those of the men, making the ball harder to catch and more difficult to shoot at high speed.

Playing area

 

Women's lacrosse field dimensions based on 2007 IFWLA women's lacrosse rules

There are two different surroundings around the goal on both sides of the field. The eight meter arc and the 12 meter fan. When committing a major foul inside either of these areas, the offense regains the ball and has a direct opportunity to goal. If outside the 8-meter arc, but inside the fan, a "lane" to goal is cleared of all other players and the person who committed the foul is relocated 4 meters behind the offender. If inside the 8-meter-arc and a defensive foul occurs, all players that were previously inside the surrounding must take the most direct route out. The player who was fouled now moves to the nearest hash mark that is located around the edges of the arc and has a direct lane to goal. The defender who committed the foul is relocated on the 12-meter fan directly behind the shooter.

The shooting space rule in women's lacrosse is very important in keeping the players safe. It occurs when a defender moves into the offender's shooting land to goal, at an angle that makes the defender at risk of being hit by the ball if the offender were to shoot.

Duration and tie-breaking methods

Women's games are played in two 30-minute halves. These 30 minutes are running time, except for the last two minutes, during which time stops when the whistle is blown (This can differ when playing high school or middle school games). While the whistle is blown, players are not allowed to move. In women's lacrosse, players are not allowed to touch the ball with their body or cover the ball with their stick in order to scoop it into their stick or protect the ball from picked up by an opponent.

Ball in and out of play

The "draw" is what starts the game and keeps the game going after a point. The draw is when two girls, one from each team, stand in the center circle with the backs of their sticks facing each other. Then the referee places the ball between the two sticks. Each player has to push their sticks together parallel to the ground to contain the ball. There are allowed four players from each team to stand along the circle surrounding the center circle during the draw. The players’ sticks around the circle cannot break the line until the whistle is blown. The centers must lift and pull their sticks over their heads releasing the ball.

When the referee blows the whistle during play everyone must stop exactly where they are. If the ball goes out of bounds on a shot then the player that is closest to the ball receives the possession. If the ball goes out of bounds not on a shot then the other team is awarded with the possession. For example, if a player threw a bad pass to her teammate and the ball went out of bounds then the other team would receive the ball.

Protecting one's stick from being checked is a very important key in the game of women's lacrosse. In order to protect the stick from being checked, the player must cradle the ball. If the player has a strong "cradle", it would make it much more difficult to recover the ball for the opposing team. "Cradling" is the back and forth movement and twisting of the head of the stick, which keeps the ball in the pocket with centripetal force.

In women's lacrosse, players may only check if the check is directed away from the ball carrier's head. Also, players may only check using the side of their stick. If caught by one of the referees using the flat of the head, it will be called as a "held check" and the opposing team will get the ball.

There are two types of fouls in woman's lacrosse, major and minor. When a minor foul is committed anywhere on the field, the player who fouled is set four meters to whichever side she was guarding the person she obstructed. If a major foul occurs outside of the 12 meter fan or eight meter arc, the fouler must stand four meters behind the player she fouled.

Penalties

Penalties for women's lacrosse are assessed with the following cards:

• The green card, given to the team captain, is for a delay of game.
• The yellow card is for a first-time penalty and results in the player being removed from the field for three minutes.
• The red card is the result either of two yellow cards or one unsportsmanlike behavior ruling, and causes the player to be ejected from the game. If the red card is for unsportsmanlike behavior, the player is also not permitted to play in the following game. Women's lacrosse includes both major and minor fouls.

Major fouls

• Rough/Dangerous Check
• Check to the Head (Mandatory Card)
• Slash(Mandatory Card)
• Holding
• Crosse in the sphere
• Illegal Contact
• Illegal Use of Crosse
• Hooking
• Reach across the body
• Illegal cradle
• Blocking
• Charging
• Pushing
• Obstruction of the Free Space to Goal(Shooting Space)
• Three Seconds
• Illegal Pick
• Tripping
• Detaining
• Forcing Through
• False Start
• Playing the ball of an opponent
• Dangerous Propelling(Mandatory Card)
• Dangerous Follow-Through(Mandatory Card)
• Dangerous Shot
• Illegal Shot

Minor fouls

• Covering
• Empty Stick Check
• Warding off
• Hand Ball
• Squeeze the Head of the Crosse
• Body Ball
• Throwing her crosse in any circumstance.
• Taking part in the game if she is not holding her crosse.
• Illegal Draw
• On the center draw, stepping on or in to the center circle or on or over the restraining line before the whistle.
• Illegal crosse
• Scoring a goal with a crosse that does not meet the field crosse specifications.
• Adjusting the strings/thongs of her crosse after an official inspection of her crosse has been requested during the game. The crosse must be removed.
• Jewelry
• Illegal Uniform
• Illegal Substitution
• Delay of game
• Play from out of bounds
• Illegal re-entry
• Illegal Timeout