The Indoor Lacrosse Field: A Guide to the Box

In box lacrosse, the indoor lacrosse field is usually called the floor or box: a rink-shaped playing area enclosed by boards. It is not simply an outdoor lacrosse field moved under a roof. USA Lacrosse describes box lacrosse as a distinct game played within a multi-sport rink.

How big is the playing area?

The World Lacrosse 2026–2028 floor diagram shows a playing area 200 feet long by 85 feet wide—approximately 61 by 26 metres. That is a reference layout, not a guarantee that every local indoor facility has identical dimensions. These measurements come from the arena rules and diagrams in the World Lacrosse 2026–2028 box rulebook:

Feature	World Lacrosse reference measurement
Full floor	200 ft long × 85 ft wide
Restraining lines	42 ft 6 in from the centreline on each side
Goal opening	4 ft 9 in wide × 4 ft high, measured inside the frame
Goal line placement shown in the floor diagram	12 ft from the end boards
Goal crease	9 ft 3 in radius from the midpoint of the goal line to the outside edge of the crease marking

The goals sit inside the enclosure, rather than against the end boards, leaving playing space behind them. The crease is not a complete circular outline: its curved portion meets a straight rear boundary.

For facility setup, use the competition’s approved diagram and confirm goal placement with the organiser. The World Lacrosse book’s diagram and Rule 1.2.1 specify 12 ft from the end boards, but Rule 1.2.2 says 25 m from the midline—different positions on a 200-ft floor. National governing bodies may also adapt the rules for national needs.

Is the floor turf, concrete or something else?

Indoor does not automatically mean turf. USA Lacrosse’s 2023 box rulebook, linked from its box overview, names synthetic turf as the preferred surface but also permits sport-court flooring, wood and smooth concrete. Those are options under that ruleset—not a universal requirement for every competition. See USA Lacrosse’s arena rules, Rule 2.

Before your first session, ask the organiser what surface you will actually play on and what footwear the facility allows. Do not assume your outdoor cleats are suitable merely because the booking says “lacrosse.”

What do the boards do?

The dasher boards are the solid wall around the floor. Under World Lacrosse rules they stand 3 ft 6 in to 4 ft high, with safety glass or another suitable barrier extending at least 3 ft above them along the sides and 6 ft at the ends. Doors must open away from the playing surface, and the boards must be free of hazardous obstructions. World Lacrosse, Rule 1.1.

The enclosure is intended to keep the ball in play. A ball rebounding from the boards is therefore not the same as a ball crossing an outdoor sideline. Track the rebound rather than automatically stopping, unless the official whistles; play is suspended when the ball leaves the playing area. World Lacrosse, Rule 6.7.

Read the markings before you play

Start at centre and work outward:

• Centreline and faceoff markings: locate the middle of the floor.
• Restraining lines: separate the central, or neutral, zone from the two end zones. The end containing your goal is your defensive zone; the opposite end is your attacking zone.
• Goal lines and creases: identify the goal opening and the marked area around each net.
• Change-area lines: mark the substitution area directly in front of each team bench. Under World Lacrosse rules it extends 3 ft onto the floor and runs the bench’s length plus 6 ft at each end. World Lacrosse arena rules and floor diagram.

First-visit checkpoint: before warm-up, find your crease, the centreline and your bench’s change area, then confirm which markings your league uses. For the wider gameplay differences, see box lacrosse vs field: what changes.