Each team must keep at least four players, including the goalie, in its defensive half of the field and three in its offensive half. Collegiate games are 60 minutes long, with 15-minute quarters. Generally, high school games are 48 minutes long, with 12-minute quarters. Likewise, youth games are 32 minutes long, with eight-minute quarters. Each team is given a two-minute break between the first and second quarters, and the third and fourth quarters.
Halftime is ten minutes long.
Teams change sides between periods. Each team is permitted two timeouts each half. The team winning the coin toss chooses the end of the field it wants to defend first. Men's lacrosse begins with a face-off. The ball is placed between the sticks of two squatting players at the center of the field.