Hockey is one of the most popular sports played at both the amateur and professional level. One of the best ways to learn about hockey is through playing it. Although there are no official tournaments for lacrosse, the sport is growing in popularity and there are several teams looking to play in the upcoming season. Does lacrosse have enough in common with hockey to make it worth learning?
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The Game
First off, let’s discuss the similarities and differences of the two sports. They have many things in common, such as being sports played on ice. However, lacrosse has some significant differences as well.
Both sports have two offensive and defensive teams. The puck is passed between players on the field, rather than being thrown. In hockey, the puck is continuously shot at goal from behind the net (in the defensive zone) until either the puck is shot into the opposing team’s net or the puck is stolen by the other team. In lacrosse, the opposing teams take alternating turns at offense and defense.
The similarities between the two sports continue with the goals. In hockey, the goal is to put the puck into the opposing team’s net. In lacrosse, the goal is to hit the ball past the opposing goaltender into the opposing team’s net. The goalie does not handle the ball in lacrosse, but instead reacts to the ball being shot at him and makes the save.
Another similarity between hockey and lacrosse is that they are both team sports. In hockey, the team with the most wins at the end of the season is the winner. In lacrosse, the team with the most points at the end of the season is the victor. The winner of each game is determined by the score at the end of the third period. There is also a trophy awarded to the winning team.
An important distinction between hockey and lacrosse is that the latter is an “overhead” sport. This means that, rather than being played on the ground, the action takes place in the air. For instance, in lacrosse, a ball is launched from underhand, rather than being thrown. This allows for more subtle body movement without risking injury. Additionally, the ball is in constant motion in lacrosse, unlike in hockey, where the puck rarely travels more than 10 meters in the air. This makes it easier for the goalie to read the action and make the right save at the right time.
There are several key differences between the two sports. First, lacrosse is an “overhead” sport. This means that, rather than being played on the ground, the action takes place in the air. Second, the puck is passed between players on the field, rather than being thrown. Third, the goalie in lacrosse is responsible for stopping the puck, rather than just reacting to shots on goal in hockey. Fourth, there is no such thing as a tie game in lacrosse; the game ends when one team scores more goals than the other.
Playing
As mentioned above, hockey is a popular sport with many similarities to lacrosse. One of the best ways to learn about hockey is through playing it. Like with most sports, playing hockey comes with its challenges. To begin with, it is not easy to find open ice for hockey in the winter. This is why most amateur hockey leagues are not held until later in the spring. Luckily for students of hockey, the frozen tundra does not apply to physical education classes! Regardless, it is still preferable to play on a rough surface rather than a smooth one. This will help prevent injuries to the knees and other parts of the body which could be caused by regular skating.
Some injuries cannot be prevented by playing on the right surface or through proper hydration and rest. These injuries are caused by accidents while playing the sport. The most common injury is a broken leg, which according to the Mayo Clinic, happens about once in every five years of active play. This is mostly due to a sports injury lawyer citing the large number of player lawsuits filed against National Hockey League (NHL) clubs in recent years. These lawsuits allege that the NHL fails to protect its players from injuries sustained during play. One of the more prominent lawsuits was filed by former Chicago Blackhawk and current Pennsylvania resident Paul Bearer, who claimed that he suffered a broken leg after being struck by a puck thrown by Montreal Canadien goaltender Jean Beliveau in the waning minutes of a game in 1961. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 1964 for $15,000, which was the equivalent of about $250,000 in 2017.
Scoring
Hockey is a game that is largely judged by how well the players score. This is reflected in the nomenclature of the sport; a single goal is worth three points, while a regular goal is worth two points. Additionally, a power play that ends with a goal is often referred to as a “trick” play. A similar play that results in a goal for the other team is labeled a “fancy” pass or a “sophie”.
The goal differential alone, however, is not a sufficient way to judge a game of hockey. Another important factor is the quality of the play, which is reflected in several metrics. The most prominent of these is the scoring chance differential, measured by the total number of shots on goal from all positions (even if the shot goes wide of the net) divided by the total number of shots attempted by both teams. This provides a good measure of which team is controlling the play, based on the quality of their own chances. An alternative way to look at this is by using the “chance for” and “chance against” statistics. This involves taking the total number of times the team with the puck attempts to score and comparing it to the total number of times the team without the puck attempts to stop the opposition from scoring. The chance for and chance against statistics are two of several such metrics used to determine the relative quality of the two teams. Some other statistics that can be used to evaluate hockey teams include;
- Faceoffs – A faceoff is a combination of three-on-three basketball and ice hockey played on the ground. The ball is dropped down near the middle of the ice and players take turns at throwing a hockey puck at a loose ball to begin the match. The team that scores the most goals after ten minutes wins the faceoff and the right to throw the puck first in the next faceoff.
- Penalties – The total number of penalties (timeouts, misconducts, etc.) per game. The ratio of power plays (when the puck is parked in the opponents’ zone) and game misconducts to winning and losing teams, respectively.
- Goalies – The number of goals prevented by the goalkeeper. This is one of the most important metrics, because it measures how well the team does at preventing goals, regardless of the number of shots on goal that are directed at the goalie.
- Shots on Goal – The total number of shots on goal, including those that hit the net but did not go in. This is a good measure of the offense of the team.
Now that you are armed with an idea of what makes hockey different from lacrosse, you are ready to enter the world of the latter. Although there are no set rules in lacrosse, the basic guidelines are the same as those above with a couple of exceptions. First, throwing the ball is prohibited in lacrosse, so the puck must be passed or kicked between players. Second, in hockey, the goalie is responsible for the entire net, including the corners, while in lacrosse, it’s the attackers who are primarily responsible for keeping the ball out of the net. Finally, the object of the game is to score more goals than the other team, while in hockey, it’s all about preventing the other team from scoring as much as possible.