A short stick in lacrosse is the type of stick, or crosse, that most offensive players use. Short crosses are easier to maneuver and control, and some defenders and goalkeepers prefer these sticks over the longer crosses used by most players at these positions. While stick regulations vary by age, gender and the level of play, most rulebooks define a narrow length range for short crosses that doesn't overlap with the much broader range for long crosses.
Men
The length requirements for short sticks can differ by the league, but most men's leagues use 40 inches as the minimum length for short crosses. The NCAA's 2011-2012 Rules and Interpretations state that short crosses must be between 40 and 42 inches in length. U.S. Lacrosse uses the NCAA's stick length requirements for post-collegiate play, so college and adult men's leagues that use either of these rulebooks allow short crosses to range from 40 to 42 inches. North America's largest professional indoor men's league, the National Lacrosse League, uses a broader length range of 40 to 46 inches for their short crosses.
Women
There are no professional women's lacrosse leagues as of July 2011, but the NCAA and U.S. Lacrosse rules dictate the length of short crosses for most women's college-level and post-collegiate games. Both women's rulebooks use a broader range of lengths for short crosses, much like the National Lacrosse League, which does not distinguish between defensive and offensive stick lengths. This allows fielders to choose shorter or longer crosses, regardless of their positions on the field. The NCAA and U.S. Lacrosse rules allow women's short crosses to vary between 35 1/2 and 43 1/4 inches in length.
Girls
U.S. Lacrosse also publishes rules for youth boys' and girls' lacrosse. These rules are applicable for younger players, but the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) dictates the rules for older youth lacrosse players. The NFHS uses U.S. Lacrosse's stick length regulations for girls. Since U.S. Lacrosse uses the same stick length regulations for girls and women, girls' short crosses at all levels of play can range from 35 1/2 to 43 1/4 inches long.
Boys
While U.S. Lacrosse and the NFHS do not differentiate between the stick lengths of older and younger girls, the regulations for boys vary by age. According to U.S. Lacrosse, boys who are 11 and under should use short crosses that are between 37 and 40 inches in length. For boys who are 12 and older, U.S. Lacrosse applies the NFHS rules. The NFHS endorses the NCAA's stick length requirements for these older youth players, so short crosses for boys over the age of 11 can range from 40 to 42 inches.
References
- Simply Lacrosse: Lacrosse Stick Guide
- U.S. Lacrosse: U.S. Lacrosse Men's Division Post-Collegiate Club Council: Recommended Rules of Play for 2010 (.pdf)
- NCAA: Men's Lacrosse: 2011 and 2012 Rules and Interpretations (.pdf)
- National Lacrosse League: 2011 Rulebook (.pdf)
- U.S. Lacrosse: 2011 Women's Rulebook (.pdf)
- NCAA: Women's Lacrosse: 2010 and 2011 Rules and Interpretations (.pdf)
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