A lacrosse stick (sometimes called a crosse) is a lacrosse player's most important piece of equipment. Every lacrosse stick consists of two parts, a head and a handle. They are often purchased separately. Lacrosse heads and handles are manufactured by companies, including Warrior Lacrosse, Brine, Corp., STX, Gait/Debeer Lacrosse, and Shamrock Lacrosse.
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Head
The Head of a lacrosse stick is the part used for handling the ball. Players catch, throw and cradle with the ball in the head of the stick. The head is usually made of plastic, but some players prefer classic wood heads. The differences between men's and women's lacrosse sticks are found mostly in the head; men's stick heads may be from 4 to 10 inches wide according to ILF rules[1], or 6.5 to 10 inches wide according to US Lacrosse and NCAA rules[2][3]. The goalie's stick may be up to 15 inches inside measurement at its widest point (ILF)[1] or 10 to 12 inches wide (US Lacrosse and NCAA)[2][3]. The sidewalls of sticks in Men's Lacrosse may not be more than 2 inches tall. Lacrosse sticks may be strung with mesh or leathers and nylon strings to form a pocket. In field lacrosse, the pocket of the crosse is considered illegal if the top of the ball, when placed in the head of the stick, is below the bottom of the stick's sidewall.[1][2][3]
US Lacrosse Rules dictate that the head of a woman's stick may be from 7 to 9 inches wide, and must be strung traditionally, with a pocket formed by a grid of leather strings (no mesh is permitted); however, the goalkeeper's stick head may be up to 12 inches wide an is allowed to be strung with mesh. The top of the ball, when placed in the pocket, must remain above the sidewall. Also, women's lacrosse usually features much more colorful heads[4].
Many people customize their heads by coloring the mesh and/or strings or dying the actual plastic head. Mesh and strings are sold in various colors so customizing a head this way is easy, however if one wishes to dye the head they would either need a custom job done or they would need to do it themselves.
Handle
Modern handles, more commonly referred to as shafts, are mostly hollow metal or composite. 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 traditional shafts are still made from other materials, including wood. Hollow metal handles must be covered with tape or a plug (commonly referred to as the "butt" or "butt end"), usually made of rubber, on the exposed end. Women's lacrosse handles are usually shorter than those found in men's lacrosse, since regulations limit the length of men's sticks (including the head) from 40 to 42 inches (52 to 72 inches for defensemen)[1][2][3], while women's sticks can be 35.5 to 43.25 inches long[4]. Offensive players' lacrosse sticks are often as short as possible, because of the offensive advantages of a short stick. Men's defensive sticks, however, are usually as long as the rules permit, to allow a defenseman to stay further away from the player he is covering while still playing defense effectively.
