BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) What's Your View? Girls Helmets Revisited

While the topic of girls helmets has been discussed on BOTC previously, the Sunday, July 8th Newsday article (Pages A10-A11) by Bob Herzog has again put the topic front and center in the mainstream media.

Reports are that Brown University will be staging research using crash test dummies to determine the extent to which helmets will protect girls from concussions resulting from stick-to-head contact. If there is a chance to curtail these injuries, what type of helmet will be the resulting recommendation? Hard shell, soft shell? Face masks, eye guards?

US Lacrosse is listening to this debate. Ann Carpenetti commented that there has been little or no research on the subject to date. Many can argue that the girls side of lacrosse is a finesse game, but reports here on BOTC and the Newsday article indicate that the game is now pressing the physical aspects over the former finesse approach. Certainly, the college game does not lend itself to the finesse over athletic form of play.

Quotes in the article cite that some female players are more confident with the soft shell helmet as a minimum yet still feel that a hard shell will encourage even more physical play.

As always BOTC asks, "What's Your View?"

I vote for helmets. As noted, the game is becoming less about finesse and more about physicality. In a perfect world, there wouldn't be head injuries in a girls' game, but we see it all the time regardless of the rules of the game. Better safe than sorry.

Here are some of the key differences between the girls and boys games as referenced in the article.

Boys Rules

Players must wear a hard-shell helmet with face guard.

Stick-to-body contact is integral to the game.

Checking is permitted anywhere on the stick.

Pockets in sticks are allowed because of the checking.

The length of the stick is different for different positions.

Played with 10 members on each team: a goalie, three defenders, three midfielders and three attackmen.

At least four players must remain on the defensive side of the field and three on the offensive side at all times.

Players may shoot at anytime.

Girls Rules

Players must wear a mouthpiece and protective goggles. They may wear a soft padded helmet but not hard-shell headgear.

Checking is permitted on the head of the lacrosse stick only.

No deep pocket in the stick is allowed. No mesh pockets.

Length of stick is the same for all field players (typically 42 inches).

Played with 12 members on each team: a goalie, five defensive players and six attack players.

At least five players must remain on the defensive side of the field and four on the offensive side at all times.

Shooting is permitted only when pathway to goal is clear.

Defenders cannot block an attacker's pathway to shoot on goal unless they are within one stick-length of the attacker.

Cannot shoot a loose, uncontrolled ball; cannot hit another player with the ball; cannot hit the goalie in the head with the ball.

First it would nice that the person writing the article knew what they were writing about (five defensive players and six attack players-what happened to the middies??)-its makes you wonder about his research and what else he got wrong. Girls should not wear helmets but the rules have to get harsher. Right now a yellow card is 2 minutes. Make it 5 minutes. 2 cards and your out. You can't have girls checking to the head, slashing or checking the hands. Clean the game up. There are too many whistles called now because there are no real penalties. And the ref have to get better. To many inconsistency in the calls. Give them helmets and the game will become more violent

there are D-Wings and A-Wings in grils lacrosse. they are not refered to as midfielders. Person writing the arctical is correct

You know what I'd like to see? Accumlated fouls being treated as they are in basketball. Keep fouling and exit the game.

GREAT IDEA!!! Lots of little ones ad up. The scorekeeping becomes the issue then

I concur powder. 100%

This is great idea. They do it in basketball, why can't they do it in lacrosse.

Now - getting back to helmets. I do not want helmets in the girls game and I am a male coach. I love the girls game the way it is. When you take the time to learn all the rules (and no I do not agree with all of them), you understand how the rules were created to maximize safety for the girls.

What the refs need to do is seriously crack down on all of the swings around the head. it amazes me that in games refs will allow full swings with no releases whatsoever and say it was a clean check then blow a whistle on a girl for pushing or extending her arms on defense. What's more dangerous?

If players were allowed a certain amount of fouls, they would have to curtail their aggressive play or they would exit the game or foul out. Now we have certain teams in college, HS and club lacrosse that fouls as a tactic. They use it to their advantage to slow the ball down. It is in the refs discretion to warn the fouling team that they can be carded if the continue to foul. However in literally hundreds an hundreds of games coaching, I have not seen this once.

n some cases it is used as an intimidation factor. Just foul the girl, because you only have to go 4m behind her.

Let's enforce the rules as they are written and leave helmets for the boys.

Both are great posts...I will ask the question, do we need FULL checking or could the game be played with only MODIFIED checking rules. I realize that it puts the defense at a disadvantage but it would minimize head shots and keep the wild swings to a minimum.

Let's enforce the rules as they are written and leave helmets for the boys. [/quote]

Or maybe have the refs use yellow card then red card ( out )

I agree - no helmets. and lets use the same theory as basketball. 4 fouls and you are out. A yellow card count as 2 fouls. Play the game by the rules and it won't be a problem with people fouling out. You want to play a aggressive style, pay the price. The girls game can be a great game, lets clean it up. Helmets will not clean it up, only make it more aggressive

The girls can barely play defense as it is...

Why do people always say that. If you give girls helmets for their own safety but keep the rules exactly as is why would the game become more violent...they still aren't allowed to check. My niece has had a few injuries including concussions from hits to the head (sticks and balls) Why not protect them before there is a serious injury. Let them play with helmets for safety's sake and still crack down on the rules to make sure the added equipment isn't an open invitation for more physical play.