From the box lacrosse leagues of Canada to the booming youth clubs across the United States, the surging statistics of lacrosse—a sport now played by over 1.1 million Americans and 2.5 million people worldwide—tell the story of a fast-paced game exploding in popularity at every level.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, there were 113,313 high school boys playing lacrosse in the US
- High school girls lacrosse participation reached 102,428 players in the US for the 2022-23 school year
- US Lacrosse membership grew to 850,000 total participants including youth and adults in 2023
- NCAA Division I men's lacrosse teams averaged 46.2 goals per season per team in 2023
- Syracuse University men's lacrosse won 12 NCAA championships through 2023
- In 2023, Maryland women's lacrosse scored 278 goals in NCAA D1 season
- Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) averaged 18,500 fans per game in 2023 season
- PLL MVP Tom Schreiber scored 42 points in 2023 regular season
- National Lacrosse League (NLL) saw Buffalo Bandits win 2023 Champions Cup
- First organized lacrosse game played in 1867 between Montreal teams
- Longest lacrosse game lasted 7 hours 20 minutes in 1984 college overtime
- Gary Gait scored 11 goals in a single NLL game record set in 1999
- World Lacrosse had 89 member nations as of 2023
- Australia won 2023 World Lacrosse Men's Championship 14-9 over Haudenosaunee
- Canada defeated US 12-8 in 2023 World Lacrosse Women's Championship final
Lacrosse is rapidly growing in the US and gaining popularity worldwide.
College Stats
- NCAA Division I men's lacrosse teams averaged 46.2 goals per season per team in 2023
- Syracuse University men's lacrosse won 12 NCAA championships through 2023
- In 2023, Maryland women's lacrosse scored 278 goals in NCAA D1 season
- Average attendance for NCAA D1 men's lacrosse finals was 15,000 in 2023
- Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse holds 44 NCAA tournament appearances record
- Boston College women's lacrosse had a .750 win percentage in ACC play 2015-2023
- NCAA D1 men's lacrosse face-off win percentage leader 2023 was 68.5% by Duke
- North Carolina women's lacrosse won 7 ACC titles from 2017-2023
- Average NCAA D1 men's lacrosse save percentage was 56.2% in 2023
- Virginia men's lacrosse captured 9 NCAA championships as of 2023
- NCAA D1 women's lacrosse caused turnovers averaged 18.4 per game in 2023
- Army men's lacrosse boasts 12 Patriot League titles since 2000
- Northwestern women's lacrosse won 8 NCAA titles from 2005-2023
- Loyola Maryland men's team had 15.2 shots on goal per game in 2023
- UMass Lowell women's lacrosse led America East with 12.1 ground balls per game 2023
- Cornell men's lacrosse recorded 214 assists in Ivy League record 2023
- Stony Brook women's lacrosse had 62% clear percentage in 2023 season
- Denver men's lacrosse won first NCAA title in 2023 with 43% face-off win rate
- Syracuse women's lacrosse averaged 17.8 draws won per game in 2023
College Stats Interpretation
Despite a dizzying array of statistics that crown champions, define eras, and track every ground ball, the cold, hard truth of lacrosse remains: you can win a title with a mediocre face-off rate like Denver, but you'll never survive without someone, somewhere, making a save roughly 56% of the time.
Historical Records
- First organized lacrosse game played in 1867 between Montreal teams
- Longest lacrosse game lasted 7 hours 20 minutes in 1984 college overtime
- Gary Gait scored 11 goals in a single NLL game record set in 1999
- NCAA men's lacrosse single-game goals record is 26 by Army vs. Navy 1946
- Women's lacrosse oldest trophy is the Wingate Memorial since 1931
- Montreal Shamrocks won first Mann Cup in 1901 for senior men's box lacrosse
- US won first international lacrosse tournament in 1982 with 14-7 over Canada
- Jim Brown scored 43 goals in 10 college games for Syracuse 1954-55
- First women's college game played in 1921 between Sweet Briar and St. Catherine's
- NLL founded in 1987 with 6 teams initially
- Iroquois Nationals first competed in 1990 World Lacrosse Championship
- NCAA men's lacrosse championship began in 1971 won by Cornell
- Charlotte Smith set women's single-game assists record 9 in 1995
- MLL (PLL predecessor) founded 2001 with 8 teams first season
- World Lacrosse Championship first held 1967 in Toronto, Canada won
- Johns Hopkins won first 29 NCAA men's titles from 1979-2007 streak end
- Native American creator of lacrosse myth dates to 12th century oral history
- PLL founded 2018 by Paul Rabil with $25M investment
Historical Records Interpretation
While the spirit of the game stretches back to 12th century myth, its modern history is a thrilling record of extremes, from seven-hour marathons and 11-goal nights to foundational trophies and rebel leagues, all proving that lacrosse, in every form, is played with a relentless and historic passion.
International Stats
- World Lacrosse had 89 member nations as of 2023
- Australia won 2023 World Lacrosse Men's Championship 14-9 over Haudenosaunee
- Canada defeated US 12-8 in 2023 World Lacrosse Women's Championship final
- England men's team ranked 5th globally after 2023 Worlds quarterfinals
- Japan women's lacrosse grew 40% participants since 2018 to 2023
- Iroquois Nationals hold silver medal from 2023 World Championships
- Germany lacrosse federation has 4,500 members in 2023
- FIL (now World Lacrosse) founded 2008 merger of men's and women's federations
- New Zealand men's team competed in 2023 Worlds placing 12th
- Philippines lacrosse association registered 2,000 players in 2023
- Sweden women's team ranked 10th in world after 2023 tournament
- Hong Kong hosted Asia-Pacific Lacrosse Championship 2022 with 8 nations
- Ireland men's lacrosse scored 45 goals at 2023 Worlds
- World Lacrosse Sixes debuted 2022 with 28 men's and 24 women's teams
- Czech Republic lacrosse players number 1,200 in 2023
- 2024 World Championships in Utah expect 50 nations combined
- Jamaica women's team made debut at 2023 Worlds scoring 22 goals total
- World Lacrosse invested $5M in global development 2020-2023
- South Korea men ranked 15th globally with 3 wins in regional play 2023
- Lacrosse ball weighs 140-150 grams per NCAA rule
International Stats Interpretation
While the traditional powers still duel for gold, the true victory for lacrosse is a globe now speckled with everything from Japan's explosive growth and Germany's thousands of club members to Jamaica's spirited debut and the Philippines' two thousand new players, proving the sport's ancient roots are finally weaving a modern, worldwide tapestry.
Participation Stats
- In 2023, there were 113,313 high school boys playing lacrosse in the US
- High school girls lacrosse participation reached 102,428 players in the US for the 2022-23 school year
- US Lacrosse membership grew to 850,000 total participants including youth and adults in 2023
- Youth lacrosse players under 14 numbered 285,000 in the US in 2022
- Lacrosse ranked as the fastest-growing sport for girls in the US for 12 consecutive years through 2023
- Over 3,500 high schools in the US offer boys lacrosse programs as of 2023
- Adult lacrosse participation in the US stands at 150,000 recreational players annually
- Lacrosse is played in 80 countries worldwide with 2.5 million participants globally in 2023
- In Canada, 85,000 players participate in box lacrosse annually
- US women's college lacrosse programs number 117 at NCAA Division I level in 2023
- Boys youth box lacrosse leagues in Canada have over 40,000 registrants under 18
- Lacrosse participation among US girls aged 6-17 increased 65% from 2013 to 2023
- There are 2,800 youth lacrosse clubs registered with US Lacrosse in 2023
- High school lacrosse teams in the US totaled 3,281 for boys in 2022-23
- Global lacrosse equipment sales reached 250,000 units in 2022
- In Australia, 25,000 players engage in lacrosse across all levels in 2023
- US Lacrosse Magazine reports 90,000 college club players nationwide
- England has 12,000 registered lacrosse players in 2023
- Native American lacrosse participation exceeds 50,000 in Iroquois communities
- Overall US lacrosse participation hit 1.1 million across all ages in 2023
Participation Stats Interpretation
Lacrosse is no longer just a niche sport but a burgeoning national pastime, with over a million Americans now wielding sticks from youth leagues to adult rec games, while globally it's stitching together a vibrant community of 2.5 million players across 80 countries.
Professional Stats
- Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) averaged 18,500 fans per game in 2023 season
- PLL MVP Tom Schreiber scored 42 points in 2023 regular season
- National Lacrosse League (NLL) saw Buffalo Bandits win 2023 Champions Cup
- PLL goalie scoring leader Blaze Riorden had 210 saves in 2023
- NLL leading scorer Rob Maroon netted 116 points in 2022-23 season
- PLL attendance total reached 250,000 across 14 weekends in 2023
- NLL Halifax Thunderbirds blocked 1,200 shots league-wide in 2022-23
- PLL Atlas LC won 2023 PLL Championship 13-10 over Chaos
- NLL average game attendance was 8,912 in 2022-23 season
- PLL face-off specialist TD Ierlan won 68% of draws in 2023
- NLL Georgia Swarm led league with 245 assists in 2022-23
- PLL Chrome LC scored 198 goals in 2023 regular season
- NLL Toronto Rock had 62% power play efficiency in playoffs 2023
- Major League Lacrosse (predecessor to PLL) had 10 teams before 2020 merger
- PLL broadcast on NBC reached 2 million viewers in 2023
- NLL Colorado Mammoth goaltender had .782 save percentage in 2023
- PLL Waterdogs LC blocked 450 shots in 2023 season
- NLL Saskatchewan Rush forced 900 turnovers in 2022-23
- PLL average shots per game was 92.4 in 2023
- Paul Rabil holds PLL single-season points record with 50 in 2022
- NLL all-time leading scorer is John Grant Jr. with 1,165 goals
Professional Stats Interpretation
While the PLL's 18,500 fans per game and 2 million NBC viewers showcase lacrosse's growing mainstream appeal, the NLL's gritty, high-scoring indoor battles—like Rob Maroon's 116 points or 1,200 blocked shots—prove the sport's heart still beats in the box.
Sources & References
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