Equipment:
There are three main pieces of equipment in Lacrosse: the stick, mouth guard, and goggles. There are also many optional items such as cleats, gloves, and special lacrosse socks. Goalies use much more equipment than the rest of the players because they need more padding.
There are three main pieces of equipment in Lacrosse: the stick, mouth guard, and goggles. There are also many optional items such as cleats, gloves, and special lacrosse socks. Goalies use much more equipment than the rest of the players because they need more padding.
Lacrosse Stick – Unlike in men’s lacrosse, all the sticks are between 35.5 and 52 inches, players in different positions prefer different lengths. There are four major parts of the stick. The shaft is the handle. The butt is a small rubber cap at the bottom of the stick. Most importantly are the head and the pocket. The head refers to the entire piece, while the pocket is the net inside, and it is required that the pocket is shallow enough that the top of the ball over the top of the plastic of the head when the stick is held parallel with the ground. The stick is often also referred to as the crosse but this can be confusing because this term can also be used to describe the pocket.
Goggles – Lacrosse goggles are not like what you typically think of with goggles, like swimming goggles or even lab goggles, they don’t have a lens. They are a metal cage that protects the eyes. There are two types of goggles. Pictured to the right is the more protective of the two, it stops the ball from hitting the nose, which often results in a broken nose. Most girls prefer the less protective version because it's lightweight and easier to see through.
Mouth Guard – A mouth guard is a plastic piece fitted to the mouth to protect the teeth. It’s the same as mouth guards worn by soccer and football players. To learn how to fut a mouth guard watch this YouTube video.
Cleats – Cleats are not always required but many players choose to wear cleats to prevent slipping. Cleats are special running shoes with plastic or metal pieces sticking out on the bottom to help grip grass or turf to make it easier for the player to run. Some divisions of women's lacrosse do not allow metal cleats because they can hurt players if someone steps on someone else's feet.
Uniforms - The most unique thing about women's lacrosse uniforms are the "kilts." Most teams use kilts: a skirt much like those used for tennis, usually with spandex shorts on the inside. Kilts are not required though, some teams still use shorts, much like running shorts. All players are required to have a white and a colored jersey, one for away and one for home. If a team doesn't have the appropriate uniforms they may be required to forfeit.