Field Lacrosse - Domestic Competition

Domestic Competition

College lacrosse, a spring sport in the United States, saw its earliest program established by New York University in 1877. The first intercollegiate tournament was held in 1881 featuring four teams: New York University, Princeton University, Columbia University, and Harvard University. This tournament was won by Harvard. The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) was created in 1885, and awarded the inaugural Wingate Memorial Trophy to the University of Maryland as national champions in 1936. The award was presented to the team (or teams) with the best record until the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) instituted a playoff system in 1971. The NCAA sponsored its premier Men's Lacrosse Championship with the 1971 tournament where Cornell University defeated University of Maryland in the final. In addition to the three divisions in the NCAA, college lacrosse in the United States is played by non-varsity Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association and National College Lacrosse League club teams.

Lacrosse was first witnessed in England, Scotland, Ireland and France in 1867 when a team of Native Americans and Canadians traveled to Europe to showcase the sport. The year after, the English Lacrosse Association was established. In 1876, Queen Victoria attended an exhibition game and was impressed, saying, "The game is very pretty to watch." Throughout Europe, lacrosse is played by numerous club teams and is overseen by the European Lacrosse Federation. Lacrosse was brought to Australia in 1876. The country sponsors various competitions among its states and territories that culminate in the annual Senior Lacrosse Championship tournament.

In 1985, the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) was established, with twelve universities in the Ontario and Quebec provinces competing in the intercollegiate league. The league plays its season during the autumn. Unlike the NCAA, the CUFLA allows players that are professional box lacrosse players in the National Lacrosse League to participate, stating that "although stick skills are identical, the game play and rules are different".

Professional field lacrosse made its first appearance in 1988 with the formation of the American Lacrosse League, which folded after five weeks of play. In 2001, professional field lacrosse resurfaced with the inception of Major League Lacrosse (MLL), whose teams, based in the United States and Canada, play during the summer. The MLL modified its rules from the established field lacrosse rules of international, college, and high school programs. To increase scoring, the league employed a sixty second shot clock, a two point goal for shots taken outside a designated perimeter, and reduced the number of long sticks to three rather than the traditional four. Prior to the 2009 MLL season, after eight seasons, the league conformed to traditional field lacrosse rules and allowed a fourth long crosse. The MLL has been bolstered by a ten year television contract with ESPN in 2007.