Lacrosse was an official sport in the 1904 and 1908 Olympics, with teams from Canada winning the gold medal on both occasions. In 1904, two teams from Canada and one from the United States competed, with the Shamrock Lacrosse Club defeating the St. Louis Amateur Athletic Association 8-2.

Canada would take the gold again in the 1908 Olympics in London, as Great Britian and Canada battled in a single match, as the third team from South Africa withdrew just before the games began. Both teams showed vastly improved offenses, but the Canadians would pull away late for a 14-10 victory. 

After 1908, lacrosse was removed from the official program of events, although it was held as an unofficial demonsration sport in 1928, 1932, and in 1948. Large crowds of up to 75,000 fans showed up in 1932 in Los Angeles, and also filled Wembley Stadium in 1948 for the final demonstration game, featuring a 5-5 tie between Great Britain and the United States.