Lacrosse Stick

A Lacrosse Stick, also known as a crosse, is a piece of equipment used to play Lacrosse. It is used to pass, catch, shoot, and cradle the ball, as well as to stick check or illegally cross check another player.

Head
A modern lacrosse stick consists of a plastic molded head attached to a metal shaft. The heads are strung with nylon or leather strings to form a pocket. The dimensions of the stick (length, width, sidewall height, and depth of the pocket) are governed by league rules, such as NCAA rules for collegiate players or FIL rules for international players. Recently, the NCAA updated the college men's rules regarding stick dimensions for the 2010 season in an effort to prevent players from having an unfair advantage due to excessive difficulty in dislodging the ball from technologically-advanced, modern sticks.

In men's lacrosse, the head of the stick may be 6 to 10 inches wide under NCAA rules (or from four to ten inches wide under international (FIL) rules). The head of the goalie's stick is much larger and may be 10 to 12 inches wide under US Lacrosse and NCAA rules (or up to 15 inches wide under FIL rules). The sidewalls of the head (i.e., the side portion of the head) may not be more than two inches tall. In order to be deemed legal for play, the pocket depth must pass the following test: when a lacrosse ball is placed in the pocket, the top edge of the ball must not sit deeper than the lowermost edge of the sidewall.

A legal men's pocket where the top of the ball is above the bottom of the stick's sidewall.In women's lacrosse, the stick dimensions are similar except the pocket depth is much shallower. NCAA rules dictate that the head of a woman's stick may be from seven to nine inches wide, and must be strung traditionally, with a pocket formed by a grid of leather strings. Nylon mesh stringing, permitted in men's sticks, is not permitted in women's sticks; however, the goalkeeper's stick head may be up to 12 inches wide and is allowed to be strung with nylon mesh. The legal depth of a women's stick pocket is determined by the following test: the top of the lacrosse ball, when placed in the pocket, must remain above the top edge of the sidewall.

Pocket
The pocket of the head is where the ball is carried and caught. It consists of interwoven string. Traditional stringing with leather strings interwoven with nylon strings has declined in popularity in favor of synthetic mesh stringing. Mesh is typically made of nylon and comes in a variety of diamond configurations, which can affect the pocket's throwing and retention characteristics.

Shaft
Modern handles, more commonly referred to as "shafts," are made of hollow metal. They are usually octagonal, instead of round, in order to provide a better grip. Most are made of aluminum, titanium, scandium, or alloys, but some shafts are still made from other materials, including wood, plastic, or fiberglass. The open end of the hollow shaft must be covered with tape or a plug (commonly referred to as the "butt" or "butt end" of the stick), usually made of rubber. The head of the stick is usually attached to the shaft with a screw to keep it in place.

Stick length is governed by NCAA regulations, which require that men's sticks (including the head) be from 40 to 42 inches long for offensive players, 52 to 72 inches long for defensemen, and 40 to 72 inches long for goalies. Offensive players usually prefer their sticks to be the minimum length (40 inches) in order to give them the advantage of having a shorter stick to protect from defensive checks. Conversely, defensive players usually prefer their sticks to be the maximum length (72 inches) to permit them the greatest range in covering their offensive player.

For women, the sticks can be 35.5 to 43.25 inches long. Women's shafts are also smaller in diameter.