Lacrosse (French pronunciation: [lacrosse]; la crosse ("stick") is a team game in which two teams strive to hit the opponent's goal with a rubber ball, using their feet and a projectile, which is something the middle between a stick and a racket.

Winnipeg Shamrocks, 1904 Olympic champions
The game was invented by The American Indians, who used it to train warriors and peacefully resolve conflicts between tribes. According to archaeological research, the prototype of lacrosse was known in the territory of modern Canada as early as the beginning of the fifteenth century. Teams at that time often consisted of several hundred people, and the length of the field for the game ranged from several hundred meters to several kilometers.

European immigrants first got acquainted with this game in the XVII century, and by the beginning of the XIX century it began to gain popularity among the French population of Canada. . The first official lacrosse match was held in Canada in 1867.

Lacrosse was twice included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games - in 1904 and 1908.

Lacrosse in a box
Currently, there are several varieties of lacrosse, differing in the size of the field, the number of players and the rules. There are four main varieties: lacrosse in the field (on grass or simply lacrosse), "lacrosse in a box", intercross (English), polocross (English). Since 1967, the Men's World Lacrosse Grass Championships have been held, featuring teams from various countries as well as the Indian Iroquois (since 1990).

Current status
There are more than three dozen national lacrosse associations in the world, most of them are located in Europe and were created in the last decade of the XX century, but the leading the countries remain the United States and Canada, in the eastern regions of which lacrosse is very popular.

Lacrosse in Canada
In Canada, the game is the national summer sport. The Canadian Lacrosse Association was founded in 1867 and is the oldest in the world. Annually there are adult and youth championships in indoor lacrosse, in two divisions each, as well as a three-divisional championship in lacrosse in the open area.

Lacrosse in a boxMann Cup Senior "A" - held since 1901, the trophy is made of pure gold and costs about 25 thousand dollarS.
Presidents Cup Senior «B»
Minto Cup Junior «A»
Founders Cup Junior «B»
Open lacrosseRoss Cup Senior Division I (since 1984 )
Victory Trophy Senior Division II (since 1985 )
Baggataway Cup University
Lacrosse in the UNITED STATES
In the United States, along with the national lacrosse association, there is the Iroquois Nationals team, which represents Indian tribes in international lacrosse competitions.

Lacrosse in other countries
Small lacrosse communities have long existed in England and Australia. Beginning in the 1990s, other national lacrosse associations began to emerge, which now exist in two dozen European countries, in New Zealand. Japan, South Korea , etc. All of them are united in an international federation, with the exception of independent associations in India and China.

In Russia, this sport has barely begun to develop. There are two commands: "St. Petersburg Slayers" and "Moscow Rebels", the national organization is absent. The first official match in Russia took place on November 13, 2009 in St. Petersburg. Exactly a year later, another match took place in Moscow.