Lacrosse – Equipment, Rules, & Skills
New to lacrosse? No Problem! This should help you understand what equipment to buy and where to buy it. Your son(s) will need all of this equipment starting on the 1st day of evaluations & practice. Please do not put this off. Evaluations will be in mid-November outside at Wade Field. Please refer to the club website for more details. We will hold our 1st day of practice right after New Year’s. Practices will be held indoors on Saturdays in January & February. We will go outside the 1st week in March for the rest of the season. Teams will typically practice 2 or 3 days per week at North Park. Games will start in early March. Bantam (1st & 2nd Grade) will play on Saturdays. Youth teams (3rd – 6th Grade) will play on Sundays. All home games are played at Wade Field.
All lacrosse players are required to have a Helmet, Shoulder Pads, Elbow Pads, Gloves, Mouthpiece, and Protective Cup. (Additional Goalie Equipment will be provided by the club.) Pictures are attached at the bottom of this message. You can get a mouthpiece & cup at pretty much any store that sells sporting goods. You can purchase lacrosse equipment at a few places in the area. I would suggest starting with Celtic Lacrosse in downtown Springboro. They sell a Starter Kit (about $225) that includes everything you need, except the cup, and includes a stick, ball, and mouthpiece. Just tell them your son(s) is in the Springboro Lacrosse Club, and they will set you up. Another option is Dick’s Sporting Goods at the Dayton Mall. They have everything you need but are limited in their knowledge and experience with the equipment. Some people are interested in used equipment to save some money and have had some success at The Play It Again Sports stores located in Centerville and Mason. The Mason store has much more of a selection. The color of the pads does not matter. Our helmets are White with a Blue Visor & Stickers. You can purchase lacrosse cleats at Dick’s Sporting Goods or online.
You can also find some great deals for equipment online. I have ordered from LacrosseMonkey.com, Lacrosse.com, eBay.com, Amazon.com, etc…. You can find anything on the web: http://www.lacrossemonkey.com/brine-lacrosse-starter-kig-uprising-ii.html
Helmet Information:
The helmet is the most important piece of equipment and the most expensive piece of equipment. The Cascade is the most popular and easiest to find. It ranges in price from $110 - $260. Buy the lower priced options at the Youth level. Our helmet colors are White with a Blue Visor. We also get Blue Vent stickers on the top of the helmet and a Blue Rocker sticker on the bottom back of the helmet. Your coach will give you a Panther Logo and any other needed stickers for the helmet once we get started.
Stick Information:
There are a gazzillion options when it comes to sticks. If you do not know what stick is best, buy the cheaper one! A good starter stick at the Youth level should cost you about $35 - $40. The brand does not matter. You can purchase a complete stick at any of the options mentioned above. Celtic Lacrosse includes the stick in their Starter Kit. Please do not confuse the right stick with what is called a Fiddle Stick. These sticks are basically toys and are usually around $20 or less. You should also puchase a “short” stick for you son(s). Your options are a “short” stick (3 ½ feet long) or a “long” stick (6 feet long). The Long Stick is for a Defenseman. However, these sticks are not used until the 5th & 6th Grade level. All players should start their lacrosse career with a Short Stick!
I have also included the Rules of Lacrosse below as well as some informational video clips to help your player get started. It’s full of great information that includes descriptions & diagrams. This will definitely help you as you learn the game and it’s rules.
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions I have not answered. I have heard them all, so do not be embarrassed!
Lacrosse Skills
Basic Techniques
How to Scoop Ground Balls
How to Cradle
How to Shoot: Basic
Face Dodge
Split Dodge
Roll Dodge
Dodging: Face, Split, Roll and Bull
How to Improve Your Stick Skills
How to: Wall Ball
Face Offs
Face-Off: Basic Rules and Technique
Advanced Faceoff: The Plunger Move
Advanced Faceoff: Jam and Laser
Forming a Pocket in Your Stick
Form a Pocket - Field Stick
Form a Pocket - Goalie Stick
Lacrosse Stick Rules:
o Regulation "short sticks" (used by attackmen or mid-fielders) must be between 40 and 42 inches long (measured from the bottom of the shaft to the top of the head).
o Regulation "long sticks" (used by defensemen) must be between 52 and 72 inches.
o The shaft may be constructed of wood, metal or synthetic material and must have a cap covering the bottom end .
o The head may be constructed of wood, metal or synthetic material shaped in a roughly triangular or slightly hour-glass shape, and has a pocket made of gut, rawhide, linen, or synthetic material to hold the ball. The head of the stick must be 6½ to 10 inches wide.
o The pocket of the stick shall be deemed illegal if the top surface of a lacrosse ball, when placed in the head of the stick, is below the bottom edge of the side wall.
Goalie Stick Rules:
o A regulation goalkeeper's stick must be between 40 and 72 inches long (measured from the bottom of the shaft to the top of the head).
o The stick must be between 10 and 12 inches wide (measured at its widest point).
Boy’s Lacrosse Ball:
o Solid rubber that can be white, yellow, orange or lime green in color
o 7¾ to 8 inches in circumference
o Between 5 and 5½ ounces in weight
Player Positions:
A regulation men's team is comprised of 10 players. These players are divided up into four positions:
o Attack
o Midfield
o Defense
o Goalkeeper
The recommended common characteristics for players in each position of a regulation team are described here.
Attack
Number of Players: 3 Attackmen Objective: Score goals Area of Field: Restricted to offensive end Used as: Primary ball handlers, passers, scorers and feeders Excellent stick skills with both hands and have quick Required skills: feet to maneuver around the goal
Midfield
Number of Players: 3 Midfielders Objective: Transitional force Area of Field: Entire field - offensive and defensive ends ball handlers, passers, scorers, feeders, transition the Used as: ball down the field for a scoring opportunity, and defend against opposing team's transition to goal Great speed and stamina.
Strong stick skills
Required skills: o Throwing o Catching o Scooping
Most teams rotate multiple groups through out a game. Defense
Number of Players: 3 Defensemen Objective: Defend the goal Area of Field: Restricted to defensive end Break up other team's plays
Prevent shots on goal Used as: Clear the ball to offensive units.
Receive outlet passes from goalie. Agility
Strong stick skills
Required skills: Aggressive (while under control)
Quick to respond when matching up against offensive player.
Goalkeeper
Number of Players: 1 Goalie Objective: Stop the ball from entering the goal Restricted to defensive end and positioned in the Area of Field: "crease" "Read" defensive situations
Used as: Direct defenders and midfielders to prevent scoring attempts from opposing team. Excellent hand/eye coordination
Quickness Required skills: Above-average stick skills
Courage and confidence
Out-of-Bounds:
o If the ball or a player in possession of the ball goes out of bounds, play is stopped and the other team is awarded possession. The clock is not stopped unless there is less than 2 minutes left in the game.
o However, an out-of-bounds ball resulting from a shot will be awarded to the team whose player is closest to the ball when and where it goes out of bounds. This rule provides either team with an opportunity to gain possession of the ball after a missed shot. The clock is not stopped unless there is less than 2 minutes left in the game.
Please refer to your official rulebook as it is important to note that it is when and where the ball went out of bounds that determines who is awarded possession.
o Offensive players should be keenly aware of their responsibility to back up missed shots taken by their teammates in these situations. They are scoring opportunities.
Substitutions:
In men's lacrosse there are two methods of substituting players during a game:
o Regular (or wholesale) substitution and
o Special substitution.
1. A regular or "wholesale" substitution can be made when play has been suspended by the officials. Such as after a dead ball, a goal or a penalty.
o During a regular substitution multiple players may substitute simultaneously for their teammates.
o Restrictions to regular substitutions can be found in the NFHS Rulebook (Section 23, Art. 1-3).
2. "Special" substitution is done "on the fly."
o Players (usually midfielders) are permitted to run off the field through the designated substitution area while the clock is running. As soon as one player exits the field another may step on.
o The player coming on the field should know:
o "Where is the ball?"
o "Which way are we going?"
o "Am I playing offense or defense?"
All special substitutions require each player to exit and enter the field of play so that each team remains onsides, i.e. each team has 10 players on the field at all times.