What Men's Lacrosse College Coaches Look For By Position | RosterWise™

The structure of men’s college lacrosse

Under the 2027 and 2028 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Rules (published August 2026), the rules that shape the positions are:

Players: Lacrosse is played by two teams of 10 players each (Rule 1-1). The rules designate them as goalkeeper, defense, midfield and attack (Rule 2-1); they do not set how many players a team must use at each.

Field size: 110 yards by 60 yards (Rule 1-2).

Long pole rule: A team may have a maximum of four players using long crosses — sticks 52 to 72 inches long — on the field at any time, not counting the goalkeeper’s crosse (Rule 2-1). A short crosse is 40 to 42 inches (Rule 1-17). That four-pole limit is why a team can use a long pole in the midfield as well as at close defense: that player is the long-stick midfielder (LSM).

Offside rule: A team is offside if it has more than six players in its offensive half or more than seven in its defensive half (Rule 4-12). With a full team of 10, that means at least four players stay in the defensive half (counting the goalie) and at least three stay in the offensive half.

Faceoffs and substitution: Absent certain penalty situations, play starts at the beginning of each of the four 15-minute periods, and restarts after each goal, with a faceoff at the center of the field (Rules 3-1 and 4-3). Teams may substitute during live play through the substitution area (Rule 4-23). Together, those two rules are what make the faceoff specialist (FOGO) possible: a player can come on for the faceoff and leave the field after it.

Correction, October 9, 2026. An earlier version of this section described long poles as “6-foot sticks”; the rules set a long crosse at 52 to 72 inches. It also stated a fixed line-up of three attackers, three midfielders, three defenders and a goalie, and that “the 3 close defenders typically all carry long poles.” The rules designate the positions but do not fix those numbers. We now cite the rules book for each statement.

Questions that apply at every position

Before the position-specific detail, a few things come up at every position. Ask each coaching staff how much weight they put on them — staffs differ, and we don’t publish a ranking.

Two-handed play. A player who can receive, carry, dodge, shoot and feed with either hand gives a defense more to cover than one who goes to one hand. Ask: “How much does his off hand matter at his position in your system?”

How he competes, not just what he finishes. Ground balls, communication on defense, riding and effort off the ball all show up on film. Ask: “Beyond the highlight plays, what do you watch for when you evaluate him in a game?”

Correction, October 9, 2026. An earlier version of this section called two-handed play “probably the single most repeated evaluation point in men’s lacrosse” and listed qualities that “coaches describe wanting to see.” Neither had a source we could name, so we turned them into questions to ask coaches.

Attackers

Attackmen are the primary offensive players and play mostly in the offensive half of the field.

What the attacker’s job involves:

Scoring in game situations:

• Goals against set defenses
• Variety of shot types — high, low, time-and-room, on-the-run, behind-the-back
• Shot accuracy under defensive pressure
• Finishing in tight spaces around the crease

Vision and feeding:

• Making the play that creates the goal, not just scoring it
• Reading defenses and finding the open teammate
• Feeding from X (the area behind the goal)
• Skip passes and cross-field finds

Dodging and offensive movement:

• Change-of-direction dodges that get past defenders
• Split dodges, hitch dodges, roll dodges
• Continuous off-ball movement that creates space for teammates
• Handling the ball under pressure

Riding:

• Riding (preventing the opposing defense from clearing the ball)
• Causing turnovers in transition

Stick skills:

• Two-handed play (see “Questions that apply at every position” above)
• Quick release on shots
• Catching and finishing in traffic
• Stick protection while dodging against long poles

Decisions under pressure:

• Processing the play quickly when defenders close
• Reading the slide and reacting

Midfielders

Midfielders play at both ends of the field, on offense and on defense.

Midfield roles:

• Two-way midfielder: plays both offense and defense.
• Offensive midfielder: focused on offense; may substitute off when the team plays defense.
• Defensive midfielder / Short-Stick Defensive Midfielder (SSDM): a midfielder who defends with a short stick (not a long pole), guarding opposing midfielders and contesting ground balls.

What the midfielder’s job involves:

Two-way play:

• Contributions at both ends
• Defending opposing midfielders while also contributing on offense
• Ask each coach whether they see your son as a two-way midfielder or in a specialized offensive or defensive role

Transition play:

• Running the field — finishing fast breaks, defending in transition
• Ground balls that turn defense into offense
• Outlet passing and clearing

Scoring versatility:

• Outside shooting (time-and-room from the top)
• Dodging from up top into the offensive set
• Inside finishing

Ground balls:

• Contesting loose balls
• Boxing out opposing players
• Two-handed cradling after pickups

Conditioning:

• Covering both ends of the field shift after shift

Defense (close defenders)

Close defenders carry long poles and play mostly in the defensive half of the field. Their primary job is guarding the opposing attackers and preventing scoring chances.

What the defender’s job involves:

One-versus-one defensive technique:

• Body position and stance
• Footwork — sliding laterally, recovering, changing direction
• Stick discipline — using the long pole to disrupt without committing fouls
• Reading the dodger and anticipating moves

Stick work with the long pole:

• Clearing the ball — outlet passes that start the offense
• Cradling cleanly under pressure
• Handling the long pole with both hands
• Shooting from defensive midfield in transition

Ground balls in transition:

• Turning turnovers into offense
• Boxing out attackers on ground balls
• Body positioning on 50/50 plays

Caused turnovers:

• The NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Statisticians’ Manual defines caused turnovers as an official statistic

Communication on team defense:

• Calling switches, slides, and recoveries
• Organizing the defense before the offense attacks

Slide and recovery work:

• How the defender functions within the team’s defensive system
• Recognizing when to slide to help
• Recovering to original assignments after slides

Long-Stick Midfielder (LSM)

The LSM is a midfielder who carries a long pole — possible because the rules allow up to four long crosses on the field besides the goalie’s (Rule 2-1). The LSM’s job is to defend opposing midfielders, contest ground balls and start transition.

What the LSM’s job involves:

Defensive presence in the midfield:

• Taking the ball from offensive midfielders
• Disrupting passing lanes with long-pole reach
• Aggressive but controlled defense

Ground balls in transition:

• Boxing out and securing 50/50 balls
• Running after pickups

Stick work with the long pole in space:

• Clearing the ball when defenders are pressured
• Outlet passes in transition
• Handling the long pole in the open field

Endurance:

• Running the length of the field repeatedly
• Maintaining intensity through long shifts

Face-Off, Get Off (FOGO)

The FOGO is a faceoff specialist. Faceoffs start each period and restart play after each goal (Rule 4-3), and because teams can substitute during live play (Rule 4-23), a FOGO can come on for the faceoff and leave the field after it.

What the FOGO’s job involves:

Faceoff results:

• Faceoff win percentage is a calculated statistic in the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Statisticians’ Manual, so coaches can compare it across players
• Ask each coach what they look at beyond the percentage — for example, the level of the opposing faceoff players

Faceoff technique:

• Clamp work — the speed and effectiveness of the initial move
• Counter moves — responding to the opposing player’s approach
• Exits — getting the ball out of the faceoff cleanly
• Body positioning and stance

Ground balls after the faceoff:

• Recovering and winning the ball when the faceoff doesn’t go cleanly
• Pushing through opposing wing players
• Securing possession

Athleticism when the faceoff doesn’t go as planned:

• Sprint speed to the ball
• Strength
• Hand-eye coordination on bad bounces

Field play:

• Some FOGOs stay on the field after the faceoff and play as midfielders; others leave immediately
• Ask each coach which they want at their program

Faceoff rules:

• The rules book sets a detailed faceoff procedure (Rule 4-3), and a faceoff player who commits a violation is barred from taking the next faceoff
• Avoiding violations that give away possession

For FOGO recruits, ask coaches whether they want dedicated faceoff footage, including close-ups of clamp work and exits, in addition to game film.

Goalies

Goalies are the last line of defense. A goalkeeper’s crosse head is 10 to 12 inches wide, against 6 to 10 inches for a field player’s (Rule 1-17), and the rules require the goalkeeper to wear a chest protector and throat protector. Goalies also organize the defense in front of them.

What the goalie’s job involves:

Saves and consistency:

• Saves of varying difficulty and shot types
• Consistency across game situations — not just highlight-reel saves
• Save percentage is a calculated statistic in the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Statisticians’ Manual

Clearing:

• Outlet passes that start the offense
• Clearing percentage is a calculated team statistic in the same manual
• Two-handed play in clearing

Communication and leadership:

• Directing the defense
• Calling out attackers, slides, switches
• Composure after goals against

Positioning:

• In the cage and outside it
• Body and foot positioning
• Coming out of the cage to play the ball

Saves across shot types:

• High shots vs. low shots
• Off-stick side vs. stick side
• Inside vs. outside shots
• Free-position saves

Correction, October 9, 2026. Earlier versions of the position sections above made claims we could not source: that the midfield “demands the highest fitness level in the game,” that LSMs are “typically among the most athletic players on the field,” that the midfield and FOGO positions have become “increasingly specialized,” that faceoff percentage is “the single most important FOGO statistic,” and that “lacrosse balls can travel 80-100 miles per hour.” We removed them and kept the descriptions of what each position does, with the rules and official statistics behind them.

How recruiting profiles differ by position

The NCAA recruiting rules are the same at every position, and the scholarship and roster framework applies across the whole roster. How recruiting plays out at a given position is not set by the rules, and we don’t have data on it — how deep the recruiting pool is, how many players at each position a program carries, or when players at a given position commit.

The useful question for each coach is how many players at your son’s position the program expects to add in his class. The program’s current roster shows who is already there, by class year.

Correction, October 9, 2026. An earlier version of this section described the recruiting market at each position — “deep recruiting pools” at attack and midfield, LSMs “highly sought,” FOGOs committing early, programs “typically” needing one or two FOGOs per class and rostering two or three goalies. None of it had a source, so we removed it.

Specific position evaluation guidance

Questions worth asking each coaching staff, by position:

For attackers: “How do you weigh scoring against feeding at attack? How much does his off hand matter? Do you want game film only, or skills footage too?”

For midfielders: “Do you see him as a two-way midfielder or in an offensive or defensive role? What would he need to show to play both ends?”

For defenders: “What do you look for in one-versus-one defense and in clearing? How much does communication factor into your evaluation?”

For LSMs: “What do you want to see from an LSM on film — defense against midfielders, ground balls, transition?”

For FOGOs: “Do you want close-up faceoff footage? Do you want a FOGO who stays on the field after the faceoff?”

For goalies: “How do you evaluate a goalie beyond save percentage — clearing, communication? How many goalies do you plan to add in his class?”

Correction, October 9, 2026. An earlier version of this section told families what to prioritize at each position — for example, that attackers should “develop two-handed dexterity above almost everything else” and that for goalies “leadership presence matters as much as save percentage.” Those were unsourced judgments about how coaches weigh skills, so we replaced them with questions for coaches.

Special considerations for Canadian recruits

Canadian recruits (see International Recruiting in Men’s College Lacrosse) may have box lacrosse experience as well as field lacrosse. The position descriptions above are for the NCAA field game. Ask each coach how they evaluate box lacrosse experience at your son’s position, and what field footage they want to see alongside it.

Correction, October 9, 2026. An earlier version of this section described how box lacrosse shapes Canadian players at each position — that box skills “translate exceptionally well” at attack, that two-handed play is “particularly strong in many Canadian players,” and that box goalies face “higher-volume shots from shorter distances.” We have no source for those statements, so we removed them.

Common questions about position-based evaluation

“My son plays midfield but specializes in offense. Should he be listed as an attacker?”

If he plays primarily on the offensive side and doesn’t substitute back to defend, “offensive midfielder” is a common designation. Talk to his coach about whether to list him as an offensive midfielder or attacker for recruiting purposes — both designations are used.

“What if my son plays multiple positions?”

Show it in his recruiting materials — but be specific about which position is his primary one and which he could play in college, and ask each coach which position they see him at.

“My son is a great FOGO. Is that enough to get recruited?”

We can’t answer that for any program, and we don’t publish faceoff-percentage thresholds. Faceoff win percentage is an official NCAA statistic, so coaches can compare it across players. Ask each coach directly whether they recruit faceoff specialists who leave the field after the faceoff, or want a FOGO who can also play midfield.

“How important is size for men’s lacrosse positions?”

The NCAA playing rules set no height or weight requirement at any position, and we don’t publish size thresholds. How much a particular staff weighs size at your son’s position is a question for that staff.

“My son is a late developer at his position. Are there still opportunities?”

Nothing in the NCAA rules ends recruiting in junior year: Division I coaches can recruit from the Wednesday after Labor Day of junior year through senior year, and programs outside Division I recruit under their own, separate rules. We don’t have data on which positions or divisions late developers end up at, so ask each coach how they handle players who are still developing.

Correction, October 9, 2026. Earlier versions of these answers said FOGOs with a “60%+ win rate against quality competition” can still find paths to competitive programs, that “modern coaches increasingly want FOGOs who can also contribute as field midfielders,” gave size guidance for each position, and said late developers “often find their best fits at D2, D3, NAIA, and NJCAA programs.” None of it had a source, so we replaced it with what the rules set and questions for coaches.

Every recruit’s position story is different

Position evaluation is a starting framework, not a rigid prescription. Some athletes transition between positions during their development — a freshman midfielder may become a senior FOGO; an attack may switch to midfield; a defender may grow into an LSM role. Some athletes have skills that don’t fit neatly into traditional categories. Use this position-based framework to understand what the positions ask of a player, but treat your son’s actual development as the driver — not a position label. Talk with his coaches about what positions match his current development and where he might be most competitive in the recruiting process.

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Playing rules and position structures are set separately at each level and change by rules cycle. Rule references on this page are to the 2027 and 2028 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Rules (published August 2026). Verify the current rules at NCAA.org, and check USA Lacrosse and the NFHS for youth and high school rules. Confirm specific position preferences directly with the coaches at programs you’re considering.