Lacrosse is a fast-paced, popular team sport. Like any sport, equipment plays a large part in the game of lacrosse. Equipment needed to play lacrosse includes sticks, protective equipment, balls and uniforms. All this gear must meet specification standards set forth by the rules of the game.
Lacrosse Stick
The stick is a vital piece of equipment in lacrosse. All sticks have two components: the head and handle. The head, or top, of the lacrosse stick must be made of wood, fiberglass, plastic or another synthetic material. The rules of the game state that the head of the stick must be 7 to 9 inches wide. Traditionally, the pocket is strung with four or five vertical thongs and between eight and 12 cross-lacing stitches. The stick handle, or shaft, is the only part of the stick made of hollow metal alloy. This is where the players hold the stick. Most handles are made from aluminum, titanium or other alloys. While men's sticks vary in length depending on position, all women's sticks are the same size. Women's sticks must be between 35½ inches and 43¼ inches long.
Protective Equipment
Except for goalies, women do not wear helmets like male lacrosse players do. Instead, they are required to wear protective eyewear. All eyewear must meet specification standards and be approved for play. In addition, women must wear mouthpieces that cover all the upper teeth.
Goalie Equipment
Only the goalkeeper is required to wear additional protective equipment. Goalies must wear helmets, chest protectors and throat protectors. In addition, they may wear padding on the hands, arms, legs, shoulders and chest as long as it does not excessively increase the size of those body parts. Goalies are the only players with unique sticks in the women's game. The head of a goalie stick is wider to give them a better chance of stopping an opponent's shot. The stick must be between 35.5 and 48 inches long.
Other
A lacrosse ball is slightly larger and heavier than a baseball. It should be between 7¾ inches and 8 inches in circumference and weigh between 5 and 5¼ oz. Women's lacrosse balls must be yellow in color. The goal is 6 feet high and 6 feet wide. All players must wear identical jerseys with numbers on both the front and back. Women typically wear skirts or kilts. These must be of the same dominant color as the jerseys.
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