1. Carry Any Size Stick
The stick is the most important piece of equipment for any lacrosse player. The main parts of lacrosse sticks are the shaft, the head and the pocket. It can range from 40 to 72 inches in total length with defenders commonly using the longer sticks and goalies using ones with a bigger net to block shots. Lacrosse players use the pocket to catch, throw and shoot the lacrosse ball. A woman's stick is a little different in that it has a tightly strung netting rather than a pocket, making ball control more challenging. Lacrosse sticks are usually made of metal and plastic netting made from leather or nylon strings.
2. Have a Ball?
Lacrosse players pass, catch and shoot a small solid rubber ball to play the game. The International Lacrosse Federation has some strict regulations concerning the ball. Their rules say the ball must be white or orange in color and from 7.75 to 8 inches in circumference. It should weigh about 5 oz. and, when dropped onto a hard wood floor from 72 inches high, should bounce up anywhere between 45 to 49 inches.
3. Suiting Up
Men participating in lacrosse must wear certain protective gear. These items include a helmet with a face mask, a mouth guard and gloves. Most participants take further steps to protect themselves by wearing shoulder, rib and elbow pads as well. The goalie wears all of this as well as a throat protector and leg padding. Players usually wear cleats to provide better traction on the field, and all players should wear an athletic cup for protection.
4. Women's Requirements
Since the women's lacrosse is a non-contact sport, they don't have to wear all of the protective gear worn by the men. Instead, women are only required to have eye wear and mouth guards, though some chose to wear gloves, nose protection and a softer helmet than the men wear. The female goalkeeper wears additional equipment, including a helmet with a face mask, a throat and chest protector and additional padding for the rest of the body.
5. Field Gear
In addition to gearing up the players, the lacrosse field must also have specific equipment for a game to run smoothly. Each end of the field must have a goal that measures 6 by 6 feet and 7 feet deep. A field must also have a way to keep the game time and penalty time, preferably on a scoreboard visible to spectators. The field must also have specified team areas, a substitution area through which players must enter and leave the field during play, and a specified area where players go to serve penalty time.
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