New lacrosse season is just around the corner; parents and players are all excited to brush up and get ready after a long and snowy winter.
Whether you are an experienced laxer or signing up for a tryout for the first time, it’s important to have the right gear. Not to mention the fact that there are many moving parts to put together a full set of gear players need.
To help you get ready, in this post, you will learn exactly what equipment you or your child needs. And in the end, there’ll be a checklist for men’s and women’s lacrosse individually so that you won’t miss a thing.
Jump to a section:
Men’s Lacrosse Equipment
Let’s start with everything you’d need for men’s lacrosse. Time to go on the field with confidence knowing you are perfectly prepared and ready to take the game to the next level.
A complete lacrosse stick
It only makes sense to start with the most important piece of equipment to actually let you play the sport, a lacrosse stick. When it comes to that, you have two options: 1). Buy a complete stick out of the box 2). Buy a head and a shaft.
In addition, there are additional elements like mesh, shooting strings and adjustable butt ends to consider. To make this easy to understand and digestible, let’s walk them through one by one.
- Lacrosse Head
If a lacrosse stick is the most important piece of equipment, the lacrosse head is the most important of the most important. It directly affects your catching, shooting and passing. Depending on what position you or your child plays, you would need to buy a head specifically for your position to maximize its functionality.
| Position | Head Type | Guide |
| Attacker/Middie | Pinched head shape for good ball control and retention | Best Attacker Heads |
| Defender | More forgiving head shape to cover more surface area | Best Defender Heads |
| Goalie | Different head shape from all other heads. Much wider for catching | Best Goalie Heads |
| Faceoff | Very similar to attack/middie heads using different plastics to have a better flex | Best Faceoff Heads |
Note, if you are a beginner that doesn’t have a lot of experience, it’s better to choose a complete stick at this stage.
- Lacrosse Shafts
This is the stick component of a complete set. It’s the part players hold and grip which means shafts are supposed to be strong and stiff. If you are a defensive player, one of your responsibilities is using the shaft to knock off the ball from your opponent.
Most shafts on the market today are either made of metal or carbon fiber. You can see the best lacrosse shafts in 2022 here and the best carbon fiber shafts in 2022 here.
| Position | Stick Length | Guide |
| Attacker/Middie | 30 inches | Best Attacker Shafts |
| Defender | 60 inches | Best Defender Shafts |
| Goalie | 30-60 inches | Best Goalie Shafts |
- A complete stick
For beginner/intermediate players, your best option is to buy a great complete stick that meets your preference and performs well. Most lacrosse brands have developed very high quality complete sticks as entry products for players to choose from.
See here: Best beginner complete sticks
- Mesh, Shooting Strings, Butt-ends
The mesh you buy today is prominently nylon or a nylon blend. You can learn more about them here. If you buy a full stringing kit, it will also come with top, sidewall, bottom strings to complete stringing the pocket.
Shooting Strings serve more like a tool to fine-tune your pocket to increase or reduce whip. If you are an advanced stringer, stringing your own pocket is the biggest hack as you can easily adjust your pocket when something feels off.
Most shafts come with a butt-end. If it doesn’t, Amazon has many great options.
Required Lacrosse Protective Equipment
In men’s lacrosse, players need to wear several pieces of equipment to ensure safety. Although lacrosse isn’t the most dangerous sport, it is considered a high contact sport.
Here’s every protective equipment you need:
Helmet (with chinstrap)
To avoid concussions and any head injury, a good quality helmet is a must. A lacrosse helmet is a full cage helmet that is a hybrid of a football helmet and a hockey helmet in design and size.
See here: Best helmets in 2022
Mouthguard
A mouthguard is required in official games. Depending on if you purchase a customized mouthguard or a traditional mouthguard, prices vary.
See here: Mouthguard options on Amazon
Shoulder Pads
There are two types of shoulder pads lacrosse players can wear, full shoulder pads and shoulder pad liners. Full shoulder pads cover from the top of your shoulders to the top of your waist. These are ideal for beginner players and offensive players.
A more stripped-down version, shoulder pad liners offer less coverage. These are ideal for professional players and defensive players.
See here: Best shoulder pads in 2022
Arm Guards
Getting hit by heavy checks and slashes can be very painful. This is why arm guards are the best protection you can have to protect your arms. There are mainly three different types of arm pads, arm guards, arm pads and elbow pads from the most to the least protection provided.
See here: Best arm guards in 2022
Gloves
Now we have covered almost the entire upper body; there’s one more thing left, your hands. Gloves should not only be very protective but also be very comfortable and unrestricted to wear.
Also remember to look for gloves that have good ventilation, because they can get pretty smelly because of the sweat.
See here: Best lacrosse gloves
Rib Pads (Optional but highly recommend)
Although rib pads are not required equipment, beginner players should consider wearing them for extra protection. There’s always an element of uncertainty to every sport, so if you are afraid of rib injuries, be sure to put rib pads on the list.
See here: Best rib pads
Cleats/Turf Shoes
You need a pair of good-quality cleats to perform at a high level on the field. Since lacrosse involves a lot of aggressive direction changes and movements, the importance of a pair of lacrosse cleats can’t be overlooked.
If you can’t find a good pair of lacrosse specific cleats (many cleats are out of stock), buying a pair of football cleats could be a potential solution.
See here: Lacrosse cleats/turf shoes
Lacrosse Bag (Optional but very useful)
Ok so far we went over a couple of things you need. How do you keep them all organized? That’s right, you buy a lacrosse bag so that you can put them all in one place without worrying about losing a glove or an arm pad.
It’s super convenient and useful.
See here: Lacrosse bags to buy in 2022
Women’s Lacrosse Equipment
To be an elite lacrosse player requires speed, precision and agility. Because women’s lacrosse minimizes contact, players don’t need to wear most of the protective gear required for men.
At a glance, women laxers need a complete lacrosse stick, goggles or headgear, mouthguard and cleats to legally play on the field.
A lacrosse stick
A great lacrosse stick is the most important weapon on the field for players aside from your athleticism and intelligence. Very similar to men’s lacrosse, you can buy either a full stick or a head and a shaft separately.
It’s actually more common for women players to buy a complete stick since there is a wide range of options from beginners up through elite levels. Additionally, most pre-strung heads are nicely strung which saves your time and energy.
See here: Best women’s lacrosse sticks
See here: Best women’s lacrosse heads
Mesh, Shooting Strings, Butt-ends
Ever since women’s lacrosse approved the use of mesh pockets, most women players opt for using mesh pockets over the traditional leather and string stringing. For simplicity, you can simply buy a full stringing kit that comes with top, sidewall, bottom strings to complete the pocket.
See here: Best lacrosse mesh
Shooting Strings serve more like a tool to fine-tune your pocket to increase or reduce whip. If you are an advanced stringer, stringing your own pocket is the biggest hack as you can easily adjust your pocket when something feels off.
Most shafts come with a butt-end. If it doesn’t, Amazon has many great options.
Goggles/Headgear
Goggles are the only required protective gear for women’s lacrosse. Players wear them to protect visions and avoid any head injuries.
They are pretty lightweight but durable so they provide the support and protection players need. Equally important, be sure to find a pair that gives you or your daughter the most comfort.
See here: Best lacrosse goggles
Mouthguard
A mouthguard is required in official games. Depending on if you purchase a customized mouthguard or a traditional mouthguard, prices vary.
See here: Lacrosse mouthguard to buy today
Cleats/Turf Shoes
Without a good pair of cleats, you can’t perform at the highest level that matches your ability. They support your ankles and knees with cutting, dodging and sprinting through the field.
See my buying guide on women’s cleats. The shoe size you are looking for might not be available. Check out other major retail websites:
Lacrosse Equipment Checklist
To compile everything together, here’s a complete checklist for everything you’ll need to play this season:
Men’s Lacrosse Checklist
- Lacrosse Stick
- Helmet (w/ chinstrap)
- Mouthguard
- Shoulder Pads
- Arm Guards
- Rib Pads (Optional but highly recommend)
- Gloves
- Cleats/Turf Shoes
- Lacrosse Bag (Optional but very useful)
Women’s Lacrosse Checklist
- Lacrosse Stick
- Goggles/Headgear
- Mouthguard
- Cleats/Turf Shoes
