Popular in Canada and the eastern United States, lacrosse is a difficult, fast-moving game adopted from the Canadian Indians. It is widely considered the most brutal organized sport in existence; much of the game is based on the saying, "The rules are--there ain't no rules." In addition, players wear only helmets and gloves for protection (although in women's lacrosse, body contact is not allowed). As the Canadian Indians played it, lacrosse was a rough, often dangerous sport in which sticks were quite often used to beat opponents. Frequently, the game involved as many as a thousand warriors and might have taken place over four or five miles (6-8 km) of territory. In 1839, Canadians began playing the game and founded the Montreal Lacrosse Club in 1856. Standard rules were established by 1867, and the National Lacrosse Association was founded that same year. In 1868, the Mohawk Club of Troy, New York, introduced the game to the United States, and as early as 1881, regular matches were being held throughout the United States.