Safety Tips: Lacrosse

Lacrosse is a fast-moving, fun sport. But it’s easy for players to collide and get hit with sticks and balls by accident.

To help prevent injuries while playing lacrosse, follow these tips.

What Lacrosse Safety Gear Do Players Need?

The right protective gear is important. All lacrosse equipment should be approved for the sport and fit correctly. While both girls and boys play lacrosse, the game rules are a bit different. Boys' lacrosse is a contact sport including checking and blocking with the body and stick, so the equipment is different.

Safety gear lacrosse players need includes:

Helmets. Players must wear helmets with facemasks in boys' lacrosse, but in girls' lacrosse, headgear is optional in most places. Choose a helmet that’s approved just for lacrosse by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). This means that it has been tested and has passed safety rules. Players in girls' lacrosse may wear a soft helmet called headgear. Just be sure it's marked as meeting the ASTM standard.
Goggles. Eye protection is required for players in girls' lacrosse. Most goggles are made of steel cages that protect the eyes, but some people choose plastic goggles. These help with peripheral vision (what you see on the side when looking straight ahead).
Cleats. Choose shoes with ribbed soles or molded cleats (spikes build into the soles).
Mouth guards. These protect the teeth, lips, cheeks, and tongue. They're required for all lacrosse players.
Gloves. Lacrosse gloves are required in boys' lacrosse. They should protect the fingers, hands, and wrists, while letting the hands move freely and grip the stick. Make sure there are hard plastic inserts to protect the thumbs. Players in girls' lacrosse sometimes wear lightweight field gloves, mostly in cold weather.
Elbow and shoulder pads. These are almost always required in boys' lacrosse. They help protect the arms and upper body. For more protection, some players wear full arm guards or rib pads.
Cup. Boys usually are required to wear protective cups to prevent testicle injuries. It’s a good idea to wear them even if they’re not required.

What Lacrosse Safety Gear Do Goalies Need?

Goalies need this special gear for lacrosse:

Head and neck protection. Helmets with throat protectors attached to them are required for all goalies.
Gloves. Goalies can wear regular lacrosse gloves, but some like gloves that are longer or have extra padding. Goalies in girls' lacrosse must wear padded gloves.
Chest protector. All lacrosse goalies must wear chest protection. The chest protector goes under the jersey.
Arm and leg protection. Lacrosse goalies tend to wear arm pads and padded lacrosse pants under their shorts. Goalies in girls' lacrosse must also wear protective shin guards at the youth and high school levels.
Stick. Lacrosse goalies use sticks that have bigger, wider heads to help them block shots.

How Can Lacrosse Players Stay Safe?

Before starting the season, players should get a sports physical. Their doctor can check for any health problems and talk about sports safety. Most schools won't let athletes play unless they've had a sports physical within the past year. And being in good shape can help players avoid injuries.

Before games, players should:

Check the field to make sure there are no holes or other obstacles, including debris and broken glass. Store extra balls and equipment well off to the sides of the field before a practice or game starts.
Check the goals at each end of the field to make sure they're safe.
Remove any piercings or jewelry.
Warm up and stretch.

During games, players should:

Use proper techniques, like when it comes to stick-handling, shooting, and body and stick checking. Illegal use of sticks and illegal body checks are common causes of injuries.
Stop if they get hurt or feel pain. Players must get checked by an athletic trainer, coach, doctor, or nurse before going back on the field.
Know the symptoms of a concussion, like headache, dizziness or confusion. If they hit their head or don’t feel well, players should tell the trainer or coach right away. Follow return-to-play guidelines.
Stay hydrated, particularly on hot, sunny days, by drinking plenty of liquids before, during, and after games and practices.

What Else Should I Know?

The team's coach should emphasize safe, fair play at practices and games.
Players should be respectful of the referees and not argue with their calls. They should stay calm if an opposing player collides with them or does something they disagree with. They should not take it personally or start a fight — let the referees handle it.
It can help to play different sports throughout the year to prevent repetitive stress injuries (overuse injuries). These happen when someone trains too much or makes the same motions over and over.