Lacrosse is a traditional indigenous people’s game and was first encountered by Europeans when French Jesuit missionaries in the St. Lawrence Valley witnessed the game in the 1630s. Lacrosse for centuries was seen as a key element of cultural identity and spiritual healing to Native peoples across the US and Canada.

Box lacrosse is a modern version of the game that was invented in Canada during the 1920s and 1930s. The roots of indoor lacrosse (box lacrosse) are obscure, but its invention has been attributed to one Paddy Brennan, an outdoor field lacrosse player and referee from Montreal, who, being annoyed by the constant slowing of play from balls going out of bounds in the field game, experimented with indoor games at the Mount Royal Arena during the early 1920s.

The form was also adopted as the primary version of the game played on Native American reservations in the US and Canada by Iroquois and other Native peoples. It is the only sport in which the American indigenous people are sanctioned to compete internationally, participating as the Iroquois Nationals.

Box Lacrosse is played on a standard sized arena floor and features 6 players (goaltender and five runners) of a 16-20 player team on the floor at one time.

The strategy of Lacrosse is similar to that of basketball, with all five runners involved in the offence and the defence. Added to the appeal are the speed and excitement created by a 30 second shot clock. The combination of action and reaction makes Box as much fun to play as it is to watch.

Box Lacrosse is played mostly in Canada, with annual National Championships occurring at seven levels. The award of the premiere junior (17-21year old) championship is the Minto Cup , while the best senior players in Canada (over 21) play for the Mann Cup. The National Lacrosse League (NLL) North America’s premier professional lacrosse league, featuring fifteen (15) teams, including five teams from Canada.

There are currently over 47,000 Box players in Canada. Both males and females play this version of Lacrosse and the ages of competition range from 6-65 years.

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