Lacrosse is a team sport played between two teams using a long-handled stick called a crosse and a lacrosse ball. Players use the head of the lacrosse stick to carry (called cradling), pass, and catch the ball in order to score by shooting the ball into the opponent's goal.
The sport has four major versions that have different sticks, fields, rules and equipment: men's field lacrosse, women's lacrosse, box lacrosse and intercrosse. The men's games, field (outdoor) and box (indoor), are contact sports and all players wear protective gear: helmet, gloves, shoulder pads, and elbow pads. The women's game does not allow body contact but does allow stick to stick contact. All players wear protective eyegear, while goalies wear helmets and protective pads. Intercrosse is a mixed gender sport and uses an all-plastic stick, a softer ball and is non-contact.