Lacrosse is played with ten players per team on the field.  Each team is allowed a maximum of six players (plus the goalie) on one-half of the field at any one time. That is, when in their offensive zone, a men's field lacrosse team must keep three players (plus the goalie) behind the midfield line. Of course, it's not six on ten for them, as their opponent can only have seven players defending the zone (plus the goalie) at the same time.

The four main positions are attackmen, midfielders, defensemen, and goalies, though each position includes even more specific roles. Teams employ lines of three attackmen, three midfielders, and three defensemen.

•Attacking the goal:

The attackmen are the primary offensive weapons looking to feed and score. They create most of the offense and generally do not play defense, serving as three players kept on the opposite side of the midline while the ball is at the other end. It's not uncommon for the attackmen to stay on the field the whole game. Many attackmen have the ability to both feed and score, but some focus on only one of those offensive elements.

•Playing both ways:

Midfielders play offense and defense, following the flow of the game and getting involved at both ends of the field. Midfielders, or "middies," are crucial to a team's transition offense and defense. Teams generally run three lines consisting of three midfielders each. For example, some midfields may be defensive specialists, coming on the field only in certain situations, while others may only play faceoffs and then run off the field. However, many midfielders also run regular midfield shifts, and a select few are dangerous offensive weapons. Although the three field players with longer sticks play defense, a fourth long stick can be used in the midfield.

•Creating a first line of defense:

The defensemen generally stay on their half of the field while their team is on offense, though they are allowed to cross the midline in transition as long as an equal number of midfielders stays back. The role of the defensemen is generally to stop the opposing attackmen from scoring or creating offense. Occasionally, they will be dispatched to cover a dominant opposing midfielder.

•Keeping the ball in play: 

Goalies play with their sticks held upright and the head pointing skyward. In addition to stopping shots and getting the ball out of the defensive end, goalies are also responsible for directing the defense.