What is POP Lacrosse?

POP Lacrosse is England Lacrosse's non-contact introductory game, played mainly in primary schools. It uses inexpensive plastic-headed sticks and a large, soft plastic ball. Because the ball is deformable, England Lacrosse's protective eyewear requirement does not apply.

Key rules from England Lacrosse's POP Lacrosse rules:

• Teams: 5 sticks per team on court at a time; substitutes change "on the fly" through a gate at the centre line, taking over a stick.
• Area: about the size of 4 badminton courts, indoors or outdoors, with 3 ft square goals and a 2 m goal circle.
• Start: a centre pass, alternating whoever scored.
• Scoring: the ball must pass wholly over the goal line, shot from the attacking half.
• Fouls: no stick or body contact; no deliberate use of the body to play the ball; no dangerous passing, shooting or follow-through; no entering the goal circle; no guarding the ball; maximum 4 seconds in possession; no standing in the 5 m space in front of goal unless within a stick's length of an attacker.
• Penalty: a free position to the nearest opponent, with the offender 3 m behind and everyone else 3 m away.

Officials can penalise dangerous play or unacceptable behaviour and, as a last resort, send a player off.