Lacrosse Stick Size Chart (How To Find The Right Stick Size For You)
The size of your lacrosse stick can vary, depending on the position and age group you play in. It can be confusing, especially for new players, but you need to know whether your stick is legal prior to stepping on the field. Coaches will not always notice an illegal stick, but refs may initiate stick checks during the game. An illegal stick will lead to a penalty for your team and you will not be able to use the stick again! Do not waste your money on illegal sticks and force yourself to buy another one. In this article, we will walk you through the different stick lengths for different levels of play. It is also common to cut sticks down for younger players for comfort or personal preference. As a bonus, we included these steps at the end of the article.
How Long Is A Lacrosse Stick?
Lacrosse sticks, including both the shaft and head, can vary from around 37 inches (~3 feet) to 72 inches (6 feet) depending on the position you play and sometimes your preferences! In general, lacrosse heads will generally add anywhere from 10 to 12 inches to the end of your shaft. All lengths listed in this article will include both the head and the shaft.
How To Measure A Lacrosse Stick
The length of a lacrosse stick includes both the head and shaft. Use a tape measure to determine the length of your lacrosse stick from the topmost point of the lacrosse head to the end of the shaft.
Attack & Midfield Stick Length
Attack and midfielders use what are commonly called “short sticks” or “shorties”. These sticks have the strictest size regulations of the three main categories of lacrosse sticks.
Adult Length
Starting at the 12U level, short sticks are required to be between 40 and 42 inches. This convention remains the same through the professional levels of the sport. Lacrosse shafts and head sizes are fairly standardized across the industry so you won’t have to worry about most head and shaft combinations when shopping for a lacrosse stick. Box lacrosse regulations also require sticks to be within this range.
Youth Length
Below the 12U level, short sticks must be between 37 and 42 inches. Unless the player needs a stick less than 40 inches long for comfort, you can buy a youth lacrosse stick that will last a player years. In 7U and below, players (except goalies) only use short sticks and sticks may be allowed to be shorter than 37 inches and the club coach should be consulted on legal stick lengths.
Defense Stick Length
In field lacrosse, defensemen start using longer sticks at the 10U age level. The maximum and minimum length requirements do change with age.
Adult Length
Like short sticks, the requirements for stick length conform to high school and college lengths starting at the 12U level. Starting at this level, a defenseman’s stick is required to be between 52 inches and 72 inches. Typically, you will see defensemen playing with 72-inch sticks as using smaller sticks takes away the advantages the extra length gives defenders.
Youth Length
At the 10U level, the long poles are allowed to be within 47 to 52 inches. If you don’t want to buy a stick at this length because a longer stick will be required in a year or two, when players will likely start using 72-inch sticks, you can buy an old, used adult-length defensive shaft and cut it. Cutting a lacrosse stick will be covered later in the article. If you decide to just buy a youth stick, you will at least only have to replace the shaft when the player requires a larger stick.
Goalie Stick Length
Goalie sticks are the most customizable of the three stick categories and it allows goalies to use the perfect stick for them.
Adult Length
Starting at 12U and up, the goalie stick 40 – 72 inches. This means you can essentially have a short stick or a defensive shaft with a goalie head on it. Almost all field goalies will use sticks that are on the shorter end of that range and it is not uncommon to see a goalie use a shaft for a short stick as a goalie shaft. But, clearly it’s not required to be.
Goalies in box lacrosse are required to use sticks abiding by the same range but they will use sticks on the longer end of that range due to the different way goalies play in the two variants of the sport.
Youth Length
At 10U and below, goalie sticks are required to be between 37 and 54 inches. At this age, you could use a short stick you have lying around for the shaft and buy only a goalie head. If the player grows out of that stick length, they can buy a slightly longer goalie shaft for competition at older age groups. Shorter sticks for goalies are likely allowed at levels 7U and below and the player’s coach should be consulted for legal stick lengths.
Lacrosse Stick Size Chart
How To Cut A Lacrosse Shaft
As mentioned earlier in the article, it may be beneficial to cut an old shaft for a youth defenseman, or maybe a goalie, rather than buy a new stick destined to be replaced. You can also make two short sticks from a single defensive shaft! Another reason to cut a stick would be to reduce the length of the stick by a few inches for the comfort of the player.
Materials Needed
To cut a lacrosse stick, you need something to measure a length (tape measure, meter stick, etc.), a marker, and a hack saw. A miter box can also be useful to keep your saw lined up with the markings on the stick.
Step 1
Measure, with a tape measure or meter stick, where you want to cut. Mark that spot with a sharpie or other kind of marker.
Step 2
Measure again!!!!! If your tape measure does not line up with your original marking, wipe the mark off the stick and start over.
Step 3
Put your stick on a surface that will not flex. Make sure you can hold the stick down without it slipping. Additionally, you want the surface underneath the stick to be a work surface that you do not mind sawing into a little.
Step 4
Cut the stick along the marking you made in the earlier steps. After breaking through the initial metal layer on one side, you can rotate the stick slightly to continue working. This can help accelerate the process slightly. But continue cutting until your stick is in two clean pieces!
Goalie Handle Lengths | Universal Lacrosse Blog
Goalie Handle Lengths | Universal Lacrosse Blog
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This may seem like a very simple topic to field players, but when you are looking to get a new goalie shaft, the length is extremely important. If the shaft is too long it could get caught in the net, hit your legs or throw off your angles when taping the side bars to see where you’re at. If the shaft is too short, it can cause major issues with clears.
I was at a camp yesterday and a very concerned mother who just bought her son a very nice goalie shaft (STX Shield SC)wanted my opinion on how short to cut the new shaft. She was basically stuck between what the coaches were saying, what her son wanted and what her husband thought (because everyone always thinks they are right!) Her son was about 13 years old and about 5’8. His previous goalie shaft was actually an old attack shaft which was much too short for him. He felt as though he couldn’t clear to half field and his bottom hand would slide off when he went to throw. This is a common problem for most goalies and that’s when you know it’s time for a longer shaft. My advise to her was to put some tape around where he was thinking of cutting it as a temporary marker and play with it for a week. If his hand slides down past the tape, then move the marker down 2 inches. Once he gets the marker to where his hand isn’t going past it anymore, then that is the spot to cut the shaft.
Some goalies prefer to have the lightest shafts on the market where others may prefer middle of the road weight. If you are looking for the lightest goalie shaft, check out the Gait Matter. This shaft comes in goalie length (40 inches) and attack length (30 inches). This shaft also has the Gait signature concave grooves which help goalies grip their sticks a bit better. The built in end cap is also great because if your hands go down to the bottom on a clear, you don’t have to worry about the end cap falling off or really dropping your stick.
My advise to all fellow goalies is to not rush to cut down a goalie handle. The best part of the summer is not only going to camps, clinics and tournaments but trying to figure out what equipment works best for you. Purchasing a new shaft and making sure the length of the handle is perfect for you can really change your game for the better. So take your time….because once that handle is cut, you can’t glue it back together!
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Goaltender (box lacrosse)
Goaltender or goaltender is the playing position in indoor lacrosse or on box. More heavily armored than the field lacrosse goaltender, [1] since the invention of indoor lacrosse in 1931, the [2] box lacrosse goaltender has evolved into a very different position than its field lacrosse cousin. [3]
In Box Lacrosse, the goaltender usually has heavier armor than the goaltender in field lacrosse. Box lacrosse goalies are known for their massive upper body, large shin guards known as “irons”, and hockey-style helmets. [1]
Modern lacrosse goaltenders use three types of lacrosse sticks. Traditional wooden sticks that are made by bending long strips of wood and pockets woven from leather and rope. [4] This variant dates back to the origins of the game and is still popular with goaltenders at the amateur level (senior, junior and junior) but is more expensive as new clubs cost between 250 and 400 Canadian dollars. [5] Another long-used type of goal is the NCAA club head. [6] The NCAA head is much smaller and takes up less space between the legs, so it’s much easier to control the ball. [7] The newest stick model is the “coal triangle”. [6] Similar materials used in NCAA style stick, carbon triangle size mimics wood stick cover but NCAA style lightness. The style is becoming very popular at junior and junior levels, but is banned in the National Lacrosse League. NLL goaltenders typically use NCAA headed sticks. [8]
While many goaltenders traditionally wear hockey gloves to protect their hands from high speed shots, [9] [10] many goaltenders have switched to special gloves made specifically for lacrosse with a box. On the free hand of the goalkeeper, there is a possibility of damage to the back of the hand, knuckles and wrist from a strong blow. Lacrosse goalie gloves have an extra layer of padding on the outside of the glove to deflect devastating shots. This extra padding is found on both gloves and also serves to protect the inside of the wrist with the stick, which is often exposed in the crouch position when a lacrosse hockey goaltender is wearing hockey gloves. At the same time, lacrosse goaltending gloves are essential to give the goaltender wrist mobility when they need to be in possession of the ball. [11]
Boxing goalkeepers wear two different types of helmets. One type is a standard field lacrosse helmet, the other is a hockey mask. Field masks [12] have heavily reinforced face masks, as thick as the bars on a football helmet, and also provide a wider field of view than a hockey mask. Field helmets provide little protection for the throat area. Hockey mask [13] can be shaped so that the wearer’s head is comfortable. Very easy and quick to remove and molded specifically for shock absorption. Also, despite the reduction in the field of view of the user, it actively protects the throat area from direct shots. In recent years, baseball-style masks have been proposed as an intermediate between the two types of helmets. [14]
At junior level, most goaltenders must wear throat guards or “cow traps” [15] that attach to the helmet to provide additional protection to the throat and neck area. [16]
National Lacrosse League goalie Ty Belanger in the summer of 2015.