National Lacrosse League games are contested between teams of six players, on playing surfaces the same size as ice hockey rinks (200 feet from end to end and 85 feet across, with rounded corners), but which are covered by an artificial turf playing surface (the "carpet" or "rug"). Players shoot on a goal four feet high by four feet, nine inches wide. The circle that surrounds the goal is the "crease", nine feet, three inches in diameter, into which an offensive player is not allowed to intentionally step.

Play is divided into four fifteen-minute quarters, with sudden-death overtime periods when necessary. Additional overtime periods are played until someone breaks the tie. There is a two-minute break between periods, and a twelve-minute halftime. Each team may call two 45-second timeouts per half.

Each team carries a 23 man roster, and dresses 18 players for a game (16 runners, increased from 15 during the 2004 season, and 2 goaltenders). The runners can further be divided into positions several ways. The NLL now recognizes non-goaltenders as forwards or defensemen, but formerly identified offensive positions as center (who play the point on offense), forward (positioned around the crease, these are the "finishers"), and attack (positioned as wings, they fill the left and right similar to in basketball). In the more traditional Canadian lingo, these positions are pointman, left and right creasemen, and left and right cornermen.

To keep the action fast-moving (The official slogan of the MILL was, "The fastest game on two feet," a slogan common to several other lacrosse associations), several play clocks are used. The offense has ten seconds from the time it takes possession to advance the ball beyond midfield, and thirty seconds from the change of possession to attempt a shot on goal. If the offense takes a shot without scoring and recovers the loose ball, the shot clock is reset. If the offense fails to take a shot on goal in this time, it loses possession.

To determine possession at the start of each quarter and after each goal, two opposing players face their sticks at midfield with a referee placing the ball between the heads of the sticks. Then, the faceoff foes battle to knock the ball out of the circle to a teammate.

As in ice hockey, playing infractions can result in penalty time off the playing floor; two minutes for a minor personal foul, five minutes for a major personal foul. If the opposing team scores while a player is in the penalty box for a minor, he is released. On major penalties, two goals must be scored for an early release. Because a team can not be more than two men down at a time, subsequent infractions result in a penalty shot. Players can be ejected from a game for several reasons, including being the third man participating in an altercation in which there is a penalty assessed or accumulating three major penalties in one game.

If a defending player commits a penalty that does not cause the opponent to lose possession and where there is offensive momentum, a slow whistle (or delayed) penalty is called. The offensive team is allowed to continue and the official does not blow his whistle until a shot is taken, the shot clock expires, a goal is scored, or possession is lost.

When each team is assessed the same amount of penalty time arising from the same incident, simultaneous penalties are called. The offending players will not be permitted out of the penalty box until the expiration of the penalties, and the ball is awarded to the team that was on offense at the time of the fouls. In the case of simultaneous matching penalties, the players serve the full penalty but teams do not lose full strength.

L A C R O S S E   T E R M S
Body Check:	Used to slow an opponent who has the ball; must be above the waist and below the neck.
Breakaway:	One-on-one (shooter on goalie) scoring opportunity.
Cradle:	Method used to keep the ball inside the pocket of the stick by rocking it back and forth.
Crease:	Only the goalie can stand in this nine-foot radius with the ball. Shooters can't stand on the line or their goals won't count.
Crosscheck:	An important defensive strategy using the shaft of the stick to push on an opponent to force a bad shot.
Hidden Ball Play:	A player without the ball cradles his stick, drawing the attention of the defense, while a teammate who has the ball passes or shoots on net.
Loose Ball:	Occurs when there is no possession and the ball is bouncing, rolling or rebounding off the boards or goaltender.
Major Penalty:	Five minutes in the penalty box for infractions such as boarding from the rear, face masking, fighting and spearing.
Man Down:	When a team has at least one player in the penalty box.
Minor (Personal) Penalty:	Two minute penalty; there are 10 different types including delay of game, contact from the rear, holding, illegal bodychecking, slashing, and tripping.
Offensive Pick:	The legal interference by an offensive player from a set position on a defensive player who is trying to defense the ball carrier.
Outlet Pass:	The first pass from the goaltender that begins the transition from defense to offense.
Penalty Box:	Where a player goes to sit while serving a two and/or five minute offense.
Power Play:	When a team has an extra man advantage because the other team has at least one player in the penalty box.
Screen Shot:	When the goaltender can't see a shot because someone is in the way.
Technical Penalties:	Illegal screens, touching the ball in play, pushing, and illegal procedure are among the seven acts that can cause a team to lose possession of the ball.