Box lacrosse 1998, the NLL entered into the Canadian market for the first time with the Ontario Raiders. Although 5 of the league's 9 teams are based in American cities, more than two-thirds of the players are Canadian. During play, a team consists of six players: a goaltender and five "runners". A runner is any non-goalkeeper position player, including forwards, transition players, and defenders. Runners usually specialize in one of these roles and substitute off the field when the ball moves from one end to the other. When the sport originated teams played with six runners. However, in 1953 the sixth runner,
Canadian Lacrosse League Canadian Lacrosse League The Canadian Lacrosse League (CLax) was a men's professional indoor lacrosse league based in Canada that ceased operations August 31, 2016 after league ownership and management deemed it to be no longer viable. Founded by Paul St. John. Similar to the National Lacrosse League (and unlike other Canadian box lacrosse leagues that play in the summer) the CLax played its games in the winter and spring. Similar to Major League Soccer, CLax operated as a single-entity ownership. Charlesway Corporation Limited, along with Rodney 'Demon' Hill owned and operated all aspects of the league. In the inaugural season,