THE CANADIAN GAME OF LA CROSSE.
The game of La Crosse, now known as the “National game” of the new dominion of Canada, is of Indian origin, and is the oldest and only legitimate American game of ball now in vogue. La Crosse was played among the American Indians before the tread of a “pale face” invaded the “native heath” of the red man, and consequently our British friends cannot claim the credit of even originating the basis of this game, as in base-ball, though La Crosse resembles the Scotch game of Golf.
An attractive feature of La Crosse is that it can be played when base-ball or cricket cannot. No rolling or levelling of grounds are required, and but a merely nominal expense for materiel. The rules of La Crosse are simple enough for a child to comprehend them; but yet it is a game capable of yielding a great degree of exciting sport, both to the young and old as participants, and to both sexes as spectators. Moreover, wherever there is an ordinary field or common, if the grass be not too long, a ground is ready for a match. As regards the physical requisites and advantages, the former are the possession of pedestrian skill and endurance to a more or less degree, with considerable activity of movement, while the latter consist of the benefits the excitement of a contest and the rapid exercise the game yields, agility, speed, and endurance being developed in the process of becoming a skilful player in the game.
La Crosse is played by twelve men on each side. These twelve players occupy the following positions, viz.: goal-keeper, point, cover-point, centre, home, and seven fielders. The goal-keeper’s duty is to defend the goal; point is the player occupying the position out in the field, and nearest the goal-keeper; cover-point fronts the latter’s position; the “centre” is the player who faces the playing party in the centre of the field; home is the position of the player who stands nearest the goal of the opposing twelve; and the fielders skirmish round generally.
Each contesting twelve elect a captain to superintend the game, and they choose umpires and toss for choice of goal.
There are two umpires, and these select a referee, whose decision on disputed points is final.
The “crosse” is a species of battledore, the ball being in the place of the shuttlecock, the difference being, that the portion of the bat formed by network is of a similar form to an English kite (see diagram). The network requires to be strung tightly together, so as not to “bag,” but to be quite level.
The ball is made of soft spongy rubber, not exceeding eight inches in circumference.
The goals consist of flag-poles, with flags, the poles standing six feet above the ground, and six feet apart generally, but the distance is optional on mutual agreement by the captains of the contesting sides. In front of each goal, and distant six feet therefrom, is drawn a line, called the “goal crease,” and within this line the players of the opposite side to that the goal belongs to are prohibited from standing, unless the ball is near the flags. The position of the umpires is behind the above goal flags. The goal-keeper, while defending the goal, may stop the ball in any manner he chooses.
The game consists of each party striving, by means of the crosse, or netted bat each player uses, to send the ball to the goal of their adversaries; and in doing this the ball must not be handled, or even touched by the hand, except it falls into a hole, in which case the man handling it must bat it direct to the nearest opponent; and except by the goal-keeper while defending his goal.