Is There a Difference Between Men & Women's Goalie Sticks?

Lacrosse goalie sticks are very similar between boys and girls, but there are some differences including the size of the stick and the depth of the pocket. The game differs between men and women as well in the level of physical contact and aggression. Goalies use goalie sticks to catch and throw the ball away from their goals.

  1. Length

    • Men's sticks range from 30 inches to a maximum of 60 inches while women's sticks range from 36 inches to a maximum of 44 inches. Goalies typically use a longer stick that is closer to 42 inches long for men and 38 inches for women that has a special head/net much larger than the net on other sticks.

    Pocket Materials

    • Players commonly use two types of pocket materials in lacrosse: mesh pockets and the traditional pockets made of leather and nylon strings. Harder mesh pockets make shots more accurate and fast, but the mesh can be difficult to handle. Only men's lacrosse players are allowed to use mesh. Women's lacrosse teams have to use the traditional leather or nylon strings, which can be strung in a variety of ways to either increase accuracy of the shot, stick handling or catching ability.

    Pocket Depth

    • Lacrosse rules state that the top of the lacrosse ball must be above the bottom edge of the sidewall on a man's stick to be of legal depth. For women, the heads are shallower and the ball must remain above the bottom edge of the sidewall, even after placing pressure on the ball in order to be legal depth. The shallower pocket makes it more difficult for women players to retain the ball in the pocket.

    Other Differences Between Men & Women's Lacrosse

    • Men's lacrosse is a more physical sport than women's. Men can body check one another, but women can't make physical contact. During a men's game, 10 players take the field: three midfielders, three attack men, three defense and one goalie. Women have 12 players: five on offense and seven on defense, including one in the goalie position.