Positions of the Players Midfielders: Midfielders can play anywhere on the lacrosse field. They are involved in both offense and defense. A good midfielder must be quick and strong. Transition is an important role for midfielders. They need to get the ball up court quickly so that their team can attack or defend against an opposing team's attack. Midfielders usually don't have number markings on the front of their uniform. But they do often wear shirt numbers on the back of their neck for easy identification. Some number legends are: 00, 10, 20, 30, etc. Here are some common positions on lacrosse fields: Midshipmen - The midshipmen are the two men on a team who stand together at the midpoint of the field, facing each other. Their roles are to protect the ball from defenseless opponents and to pass it to teammates who aren't being guarded. Each midshipman has equal responsibility for protecting the ball. If one of them loses track of the ball, the other must go after it. The goalies guard the lacrosse goal and try to stop any balls thrown into the goal area. There are several different ways a goalie can be protected. One man can be assigned to watch one goal while the other watches the other goal.