Hockey uses a curved, solid stick to hit a ball or puck along the ground or ice; lacrosse uses a stick with a netted pocket to scoop, carry and throw the ball. If the stick has a net on the end, it is lacrosse.
The core difference
Hockey players strike the ball or puck with a curved stick, while lacrosse players carry and throw it in a netted pocket.
- hockey — a team sport using curved sticks to hit a ball or puck into a goal, played either on ice with skates or on a pitch with a ball: Canada is famous for its passion for hockey.
- lacrosse — a team sport where players use netted sticks to carry, pass and shoot a ball into the opposing goal: She plays lacrosse for her university team.
How to tell them apart
The quickest way to tell the two apart is the stick. A hockey stick is a solid, curved blade used to strike the ball or puck, whether on a grass pitch or an ice rink. A lacrosse stick ends in a webbed pocket, so players cradle and carry the ball rather than hitting it directly.
In Britain, unqualified "hockey" almost always means field hockey; "ice hockey" is specified when needed. Lacrosse, by contrast, is less widely played but has a distinct identity built entirely around its netted stick, which also gives the sport its name.
