The Evolving Crosse

Lacrosse sticks have changed a lot over the years. Sticks used by Native tribes were different in their length and design.  Some had straight shafts and had a small wooden pocket, only slightly larger than the ball.  Others were curved shafts, made by steaming the wood in order to bend it, and used webbed leather to make large, triangular pockets for better ball control. 

Lacrosse equipment has evolved making it a safer sport. Wooden shafts were replaced by aluminum and light plastic heads for the pockets.  Lacrosse sticks continue to change and evolve, as they are being designed for increasing accuracy and control.

The Early Crosse

In the beginning, lacrosse was played by three different heritages of Natives, each with a varying takes on the lacrosse stick. There was the Great Lakes players (which included the Ojibwe, Menominee, Potawatomi, Sauk, Fox, Miami, Winnebago, Santee Dakota and more), the south eastern tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Seminole, Yuchi and others), and the north eastern tribes (Iroquois and New England tribes).

Great Lakes players used a wooden stick, three feet in length. At one end it had a round, closed pocket about three to four inches in diameter, only a bit larger than the ball.

Of the southeastern tribes, they played a double-stick version of the game. They would use two sticks, each of the length of two-and-a half feet, in each hand. They would use a small deerskin ball which could be cupped between the two sticks.

The northeastern stick is the longest of the three, it was more than three feet in length. The shaft ends in a crook and a flat triangular surface of webbing which took up two-thirds the length of the stick to form the pocket.

The Traditional CrosseUsually made

from hickory, the lacrosse stick is given its shape by steam the wood giving it pliability. Holes are drilled into the wood and then are weaved with nylon string to form a sidewall. The nylon is then hardened with resin. Leather strips are strung vertically, from the top of the “head" to the "throat" of the stick, then nylon string is woven horizontally to create the net.

The Contemporary Crosse

The head of the crosse is made of a strong plastic. In Women’s lacrosse the pocket is considered illegal if the ball is under the top portion of the sidewall. A men's lacrosse stick allows for a deeper pocket. It is illegal when the ball sits deeper than the lower sidewall. The differences between men's and women's lacrosse sticks is the head.

The Head

Men's stick heads are 6.5 to 10 inches wide. The goalie's stick may be 10 to 12 inches wide. The sidewalls of sticks in Men's Lacrosse cannot be more than 2 inches tall. Their sticks may be strung with mesh or leather and nylon strings for the pocket.

The head of a woman's stick can be 7 to 9 inches wide, and must be strung with leather strings (mesh is not allowed). The goalkeeper's stick head can be up to 12 inches wide and is allowed to be strung with mesh.

Mesh PocketThere are two types

of pockets, mesh and traditional.  The mesh pocket is a nylon webbing woven directly into the sides of the pocket.  Mesh pockets are the easiest to use though they are less accurate. The looser pocket makes it easier to control the ball when running or moving.  Goalkeepers often use mesh pockets to decrease the risk of rebounds.

Traditional PocketFor experienced

players traditional woven pockets give greater control and precision.  Traditional pockets have nylon laces woven around four adjustable leather strips.  These strips can be tightened or loosened for greater control. Traditional pockets are stiffer than mesh pockets. It gives greater accuracy for shots but provides less control when moving. 

The Shaft

Modern shafts are made of hollow metal. They are octagonal in order to provide a better grip. Most are made of aluminum, titanium, scandium, or alloys. Women's lacrosse handles are usually longer than in men's lacrosse. Regulations limit the length of men's sticks from 40 to 42 inches for attackers, 52 to 72 inches for defensemen, and 40 to 72 inches for goalies. Women's sticks can be 35.5 to 43.25 inches long. Women's sticks are also thinner in diameter.

Offensive players' lacrosse sticks are as short as possible, making it harder to be check.

Men's defensive sticks are usually as long as the rules permit (six feet), so a defenseman can stay further away from the player he is covering while still playing defence effectively.

A goalie’s lacrosse stick is usually long to provide a larger area that can be covered.

Works Cited“History of Lacrosse Equipment”. Lacrosse Central. 2005. On-line.

Internet. 1 January 2010. http://www.lacrossecentral.com/lacrosse-equipment-history/index.html.

“Lacrosse Stick”. Wikipedia. 21 September 2009. On-line. Internet. 1 January 2010. http://en.wikip edia.org/wiki/Lacrosse_stick.

“Men’s Lacrosse Stick Overview”. Lacrosse Central. 2005. On-line. Internet. 1 January 2010. http://www.lacrossecentral.com/lacrosse-sticks/mens/index.html.

Vennum, Thomas. “History of Native American Lacrosse”. USLacrosse. 2009. On-line. Internet. 1 January 2010. http://www.uslacrosse.org /museum/history.phtml.