Lacrosse requires the use of various equipment, ranging from the functional, a lacrosse stick, to the protective, a helmet. All of these items are needed, to ensure both players' safety and the quality of the game.
Lacrosse Stick
The stick is the most important piece of equipment in lacrosse. While all sticks may look similar, there are important differences, specifically between men's and women's sticks. All sticks have two components: the head and the handle. However, men's sticks vary in size depending on position. Defenders usually have longer sticks than midfielders and forwards. However, women's lacrosse sticks are all the same size, regardless of position. Another difference between men's and women's sticks is the pocket, which is where the ball is held and is formed by the lacing of the head of the stick. Men's pockets are much deeper, while women's sticks cannot have a pocket deeper than the size of the ball.
Helmet
Men's lacrosse requires players to wear a protective helmet. All helmets must have a chin pad and chin strap firmly attached to the helmet. Additionally, the helmet needs to have a face mask. All players on a team must wear identical helmets matching their team colors.
Eyewear
Women's lacrosse does not require headgear, except for the goalkeeper, who must wear a helmet. Instead, women must wear protective eyewear. All eyewear must meet specification standards and be approved for play.
Protective Equipment
Both men and women are required to wear mouthpieces which must cover all the upper teeth. Men's lacrosse requires the use of protective equipment such as gloves, shoulder and arm pads. Women are not required to wear these protective items. However, both male and female goalkeepers must wear protective equipment including chest and throat protectors.
Uniforms
All players must wear identical jerseys with numbers on both the front and back. Men wear shorts with their jerseys, while women typically wear skirts or kilts. These must be of the same dominant color of the jerseys.
Lacrosse Ball and Goal
A lacrosse ball is slightly larger and heavier than a baseball. It should be between 7 ¾ inches and 8 inches in circumference and weigh between 5 and 5 ¼ oz. The goal is the same in men's and women's lacrosse. It has dimensions of 6 feet high and 6 feet wide.
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