The official rules of intercrosse are issued by the Fédération Internationale d’Inter-Crosse (FIIC). Here are the essentials to understand and start playing.
Court and teams
- Handball-type court: 40 m × 20 m, with two goal creases.
- Two teams of 5 players: 4 field players + 1 goalkeeper.
- Mixed teams; unlimited on-the-fly substitutions.
- Matches are played in periods (typically 3 × 15 minutes at international level).
Playing the ball
- The ball may only be played with the stick: touching it with the hand is forbidden (except for the goalkeeper in the crease).
- The ball carrier has 5 seconds to pass, shoot or move.
- A player in possession cannot be challenged physically: defenders must keep their distance (the no-contact principle).
- After a save, the ball goes to the goalkeeper, who restarts play.
What is forbidden
- No physical contact: between players, stick on stick, or stick on body.
- No obstruction: you may not block an opponent’s movement.
- No dangerous play: sticks stay below shoulder height in duels.
The spirit of the game
At school and recreational level, intercrosse is often self-refereed: each player calls their own fouls. The FIIC has made this a core educational principle — autonomy and respect are part of the rules.
The complete rulebook is published by the Québec Lacrosse Federation: download the official FIIC rules (PDF, French).