Modern Lacrosse Ball

You have wondered while you were watching a lacrosse match, “What is a lacrosse ball made of?” The answer is pretty simple. A lacrosse ball is a solid, hard rubber ball. The International Lacrosse Federation, Major League Lacrosse, and the NCAA all have specific rules that state that lacrosse balls must be made of rubber. In addition these rules require the lacrosse ball to have a circumference of 7.75 to 8 inches. The different organizations have different rules stating what color the ball may be. The International Lacrosse Federation allows the ball to be either orange or white. Major League Lacrosse states the ball must be fluorescent orange, one of the reasons for this color is so that fans can follow the action better. And in the NCAA, lacrosse balls must be orange, white, yellow, or lime green.

Primitive Lacrosse Ball

Now that your question of “What is a lacrosse ball made of” has been answered according to the lacrosse standards of today, you may wonder if the lacrosse ball has always been made of rubber. If you asked “What is a lacrosse ball made of” in the early days of lacrosse, you would have received a different answer.

Lacrosse was invented by Native Americans, making it the oldest team sport in North America. Lacrosse games were often major events that would take place over several days or even weeks. Even though the sport then is similar to the sport played today, there are several differences. One difference is what the lacrosse ball was made of.

The Native Americans often made their lacrosse balls out of hair-stuffed deerskin. They also constructed lacrosse balls out of knotted leather strips. Lacrosse balls continued to be made of this material even when used by European players in the 19th century. The ball was modernized into its rubberized from that is used today in 1836. This was when George Beers codified lacrosse rules.

Apply the Knowledge

Now when anybody asks “What is a lacrosse ball made of,” you will not only be able to tell them what a lacrosse ball is made of today, but also the history of the lacrosse ball.

Next, you need to understand how to cradle. Using centrifugal force in order to keep the lacrosse ball from leaving your stick is a very useful curling technique, indeed. This is accomplished by using your wrist to make a curling motion with. A great way to practice this motion, to begin with, is by using a mirror. Standing in front of a mirror, put the ball in the sticks pocket (where the lacrosse ball rests in your mesh) and proceed to place your dominant hand roughly 2 inches below the sticks head. Face the head towards the mirror in order to see the ball clearly. Next, while curling your wrist, move the stick head in front of your face. Continue practicing until you begin to catch on. If more instruction is needed, watch lacrosse games on TV or video until you totally comprehend this move.

Now you can learn how to pass. In lacrosse, passing plays a critical role and is therefore the most important aspect of the game. You use passing to get yourself out of a jam, move the lacrosse ball up the field or to give your teammate a pass for a goal while the other teams defense is out of place. To begin practicing passing, keep the head of your stick near your ear and begin to flick your top hand wrist while pulling the bottom hand more towards your body. In time, you will better understand how your lacrosse stick will throw and can then made adjustments to your throwing in order to improve your accuracy.

The next step is learning to catch. Try to look the lacrosse ball into the mesh area of your stick when attempting to catch it. You must be aware that lacrosse games can be lost or won on ground balls. In order to grab a ground ball, begin by putting your foot fairly close to it as it’s on the ground. Next, make sure your head is roughly parallel with the ground and sink your hips down a bit. The lacrosse sticks butt needs to be lowered down as well. Finally, scoop through where the ball is, catch it in the mesh of your stick and move the head up towards your face. Eventually you will learn to catch, cradle shoot and pass using both hands. You need to be diligent and practice often, because it takes time to acquire these new skills.

More and more middle school girls are playing lacrosse these days. Some play 4 and 5 years before they try out for high school. The question is, is that experience as useful as it could be? The jump from middle school to high school can be tough. The play is rougher, and the rules are different. A middle school star may not be able to improve as fast when she hits high school if she has been allowed to play with certain bad habits learned in earlier years. It is often easier to teach a brand new kid to play, than break the bad habits of a 4th year incoming freshman player. As such, teaching then the basics from the very start is crucial.

Problem 1: High Cradle

One of the rules that’s different is that checking is allowed only below the shoulder in junior lacrosse. This is well intended, and crucial for safety in middle school. But, it encourages kids, when cradling, to slide their top hand way down their stick shaft, and raise their stick head up high above their head. This works great in middle school. It allows many kids to run the field with the ball in a high cradle, shoot and score. The kid and her coaches think this is a good thing, and everyone cheers and claps.

In high school, checking is allowed up and over the head, as long as it doesn’t go toward the head, or break the plain of the sphere or bubble around the head.. But, when they get to high school, this cradle is too high, and is very checkable, leading to more forced turnovers. Worse than that, it draws other kids to check in that area, because that high stick is so inviting. That happens to be where the head is, and checking near that area is not legal, but it happens anyway.

Not fixing this leads kids and parents baffled when they get to high school and are ineffective. Far too many kids are coming into the high schools with this habit, and it’s really hard to break. The only answer is to start at the ground up.

Solution: Slide Hands apart and cradle vertically, in tight.

This problem is easily solvable, by sliding the top hand all the way up the shaft in tight spaces, and cradling shoulder to nose. The hands should be at the top and the bottom of the stick shaft. If there is stick showing at the bottom, it can be pulled by the opponents cross, causing a dropped ball. If the top hand is at the top, it keeps the cradle in closer to the head, less checkable.

A drill to help this shown in my DVD, “Your Stickwork Will Save you!”. Cradle with dominant hand at the top, bottom hand close to the butt end of the stick. Cradle right in front of the face, shoulder to shoulder. The stick is vertical, and making the same sized arc top and bottom. While cradling, sit down. Then lay down onto your back, still cradling. Now, still cradling, back stand up. If you do this enough times, you can do it without dropping the ball. When you can do it without dropping the ball, do the same in your non-dominant hand. When you can do 10 in a row on each hand, without dropping the ball, please come and try out for my varsity team. I need you!

Problem 2: Diagonal Cradle

The cradle in the boys’ game is much different than the effective cradle in the girls’ game. Kids run into problems when their coach (often an ex-men’s player) teaches a cradle that is diagonal… across the body. This allows a low point in their cradle, next to the shoulder of their top hand. I call this a “hanging stick”. It is easily checkable, and leads to lost possessions.

Solution: Lay down Stand ups… with a roll

This drill is actually shown in my DVD “Your Stickwork Will Save you!”. Cradle with dominant hand at the top, nose to shoulder. While cradling, sit down. Then lay down onto your back, still cradling. Now, still cradling, roll up onto your left shoulder. Keep cradling, roll back to center and sit up and stand up. If you do this enough times, you can do it without dropping the ball. When you can do it without dropping the ball, do the same in your non-dominant hand.

Problem 3: Running instead of passing the ball

Timing and passing is everything is girls’ lacrosse. No one can run as fast as the ball can be thrown. The problem is many coaches get frustrated when their kids can’t catch well. So, they tell them to run the ball. At least they can win that way. I do not agree with this philosophy at all. If they are forced to pass at a young age, their skills multiply faster than if they have to learn at an older age.

Solution: Pass even if it hurts… even if it loses games

It’s a numbers game. The more balls that are thrown at a player, the more they will be forced to try to catch. A kid who has have 5000 balls thrown at them may catch 2500 of them If a kid has had 10,000 balls thrown at them, and they catch 5000, they are going to be a better player than the previous player. Catching will become easier, and more effective. Coaches should be forcing their kids to pass, keeping in mind, that in the end, they are creating better players who will be better at catching than if they ran the ball a lot. The 3 pass rule doesn’t touch the amount of passing I am talking about. I am talking about teaching them to look up as soon as they catch the ball. Then they should be changing the flow of the direction of the ball as much and as often as possible… even if it’s not downfield in a given pass. Each time the ball goes on a flat or diagonal pass, the defense has to re-set.

Problem 4: Teach them how to give catch.

When a player catches a ball, she has 2 choices on how she does this, and she needs to learn the right way from the start. It’s a very subtle difference. A parent or an untrained eye might not be able to see the difference. And they might not even know that there is a difference. When the ball gets to her stick, she can wrap the stack head around the ball… essentially starting her cradle early. With the shallow nature of a girls stick (vs. a boys stick) this wrapping can cause the webbing or one of the side walls to knock ball out. This decreases her catching percentage. Or, she can learn from the beginning to give catch:

Solution:

The Girls game requires soft hands and a lot of finesse with your stick. The proper way to catch is a give catch. This involves contacting the ball in the air, about 2 feet above and in front of the shoulder. At the point, the stick needs to be moving with the linear trajectory of the balls path. It needs to be moving more slowly than the ball at contact, but not by much. As the stick’s web slows the ball, the elbow bends, and the stick head moves back towards the shoulder. This is the give. The stick’s backward movement should stop between the ear and the shoulder, and then the cradle should be started. That brings us to the next thing…

Problem 5: Turning to go down field too early.

I see so many young and inexperienced players making a fatal error in how they move when the ball is thrown to them. I think they think that they have to move toward the goal they want to score on right away. It’s just not so in this game. Because of the fact that we have no pocket, and because of the fact that running to the ball that is in mid air jams the ball into the pocket, making it easier to catch that way… it seems we have no choice. That means that teaching and encouraging over the shoulder passes is not a good thing with younger players. And letting them turn down field without first accelerating toward the ball, and completing the give catch before pivoting and heading down field is a mistake too.

Solution: A Big circle drill

Have your team make a huge circle, with the kids about 15 yards apart. Give a ball to the first player. Have her take 2 steps one way from the intended passie, cradling, then pivot, look up, and pass to the next kid in the circle. That kid should be moving to the ball, and when she catches it, she should take 2 more steps through her catch, pivot, and look up and throw it to the next kid, who is cutting to her. And so on. The ball moves around the circle. The next kid always needs to start cutting to the girls with the ball right as soon as she sees that she is pivoting in her direction. The pass needs to come off within 2 steps of the pivot. Timing is everything. If you have a big team, this circle could use up your whole field, and you could use several balls.

When they get good at the above drill, add this: in the moment that the previous player catches the ball, take 2 steps in another direction, then cut to, but diagonally for the ball. Do this drill right to right, left to right, right to left and left to left. The direction that they pivot to should always be the way that they can hide the ball from their defender.

Dr. Jen Milus has been in sports performance enhancement and injury rehab since 1985 and private practice for over 12 years. Dr. Milus is dedicated to helping athletes perform at peak levels, as well as prevent and treat sports related injuries. When training athletes of any level, having an understanding of what an athlete is going through both physically and mentally is paramount. Dr. Jen Milus has just this understanding. Dr. Milus is a Palmer College of Chiropractic Alumni. She has competed at elite levels as a distance and ultra distance runner. Dr. Milus has also competed in triathlons, mountain biking, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, softball, obstacle course racing, racquetball, volleyball, golf and body building. Dr. Milus is an active sports coach. She has coached softball, soccer, and is currently a lacrosse coach. She has worked with young athletes to collegiate and Olympic level phenoms. She has trained men, women, and children to enhance their power, agility and strength while preventing and treating their injuries. Empowering an athlete gives confidence which spans Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Milus

In rough contact games such as lacrosse, head protection should be a requirement for all players. Lacrosse helmets are the best way to protect the head from injuries caused by falls or accidental hits from lacrosse balls, lacrosse sticks, or other players. But it’s not enough to wear just any helmet – your head protection must be designed for the specific risks of lacrosse.

Anatomy of a lacrosse helmet

The typical lacrosse helmet has protruding chin and jaw areas for protecting the lower part of the head. In face forward falls, the chin and the jaw usually absorb the most impact. This design gives them adequate protection to prevent jaw or dental injuries. A typical lacrosse helmet also has a face mask or a set of grills on the front part of the helmet. This protects the face from oncoming balls or sticks without reducing the player’s field of vision. The face mask also prevents eye injuries and surface damage such as cuts, scratches, and bruises.

Lacrosse helmet materials

Lacrosse helmets must be made from very strong and durable material such as steel, titanium, and chrome. Steel helmets are reinforced with iron oxides and are generally resistant to heat, making them great for playing on hot days. Titanium helmets can be made of pure titanium or a mix of titanium and chrome. Titanium is lighter and more durable than steel, and are usually the material of choice for goalies. Pure chrome helmets are slightly heavier than titanium, but lighter than steel. These are less rigid and are easier to shape or bend, making them ideal for customized designs. However, they are less durable and tend to chip or dent more easily.

Any lacrosse player knows that a quality helmet is a necessity for participating in this thrilling game. When outfitting for lacrosse, the player needs to choose well-made lacrosse helmets. It is best to start by looking for one that fits properly. When choosing helmets online, customers should always be sure to measure the head of the player to get the proper size. The site staff should be available to answer any questions about fitting. Poorly fitting helmets can be almost as bad as not wearing one at all. An improperly fitted helmet can slip and cause poor vision, or at the very least be a distraction for the player.

Lacrosse helmets are typically made from high impact plastic. The better helmets can withstand direct impact, and disperse the energy from the impact throughout the helmet to reduce damage. This dispersal of G-force lowers the risk of injury from a direct hit to the head. As with most protective sports gear, it is often wise to purchase the most expensive models available. Newer models usually incorporate improved features. Players may also want to find helmets that are customizable with specific team colors. Choosing helmets from a reputable online company ensures that the buyer receives equipment that is high quality and meets all the current standards and team regulations.

Lacrosse helmets come with a fitted liner to help assure proper fit, and to reduce heat. Some come fitted with foam inserts, allowing for ease of fit and comfort. Many helmets also include facemask protection. Goalie helmets include an added throat protector.

Lacrosse balls are either orange or white in color. They are between 7.75 and 8 inches in circumference, and between 5 and 5.25 ounces in weight. The “crosse” or netted stick is between 40 inches to 72 inches in length. The “crosse” head is made of wood, plastic, laminated wood, or a material permitted by the International Lacrosse Federation (ILF). The shaft of the crosse is made of aluminum, wood or an ILF-approved material.

Players wear protective gloves, appropriate shoes or boots, and a helmet outfitted with a facemask and a chinstrap for safety. The rules do not allow the fingers to be cut out of a player’s gloves; in fact, fingers must be enclosed within, and should be a part of the glove. A player is not allowed to play with his fingers outside the glove. The goalkeeper wears a throat guard and a chest protector. Also, there is a box to protect the groin area. Should a player lose any of his equipment during the game, play is immediately suspended.

It is imperative for each lacrosse player to wear a jersey that has a block number centered on the front as well as the back. The front of the jersey should have a number that is 8 inches high, and the back number should be 10 inches in height. Nonetheless, the numbers on the front and back of the player’s jersey should be the same. Duplicate numbers are not allowed on the same team.

The visiting team generally gets a choice of their jersey color; the home team should wear jerseys of a contrasting color.

Traditionally, the Native American Iroquois tribe played lacrosse with a wooden stick, with a woven net at one end. The lacrosse ball was either made from the knot of a tree, or deerskin.

The wooden sticks were artfully hand-carved from hickory. The stick’s length measured about 48 inches. The modern sticks are made from plastic and other materials approved by the ILF (International Lacrosse Federation). Yet there are players who still prefer traditional equipment. Iroquois artisans like Alf Jacques make traditional wooden sticks for those players.

Alf Jacques vigilantly harvests hickory trees by selecting the trees with the fewest knots. Such trees produce the best sticks. When Alf Jacques harvests a hickory tree, he unfailingly plants a new one in its place. This is in respect to conservation and the “Great Circle of Life.” Jacques hand-carves the lacrosse sticks himself.

The curved end of the conventional lacrosse stick has webbed netting, which is woven in such a way that it creates a pocket. This webbing facilitates the catching, throwing and carrying of the ball. Originally, this webbing was prepared from slippery elm bark. The trick was to boil the bark until it became soft. The consequent soft bark fibers were contorted to form the lacing for the webbing. Apart from the slippery elm bark, sinew was also used to make the webbing. Today, the webbing - even if it is a traditional stick — is usually made from leather and nylon.

The webbing is a significant part of the stick because players are not allowed to use hands or feet when touching the ball. Consequently, the webbing should be tight enough for the purpose of throwing the ball, yet loose enough to facilitate catching and carrying the ball.

Lacrosse is a sport played by two teams of ten players each for men, or twelve players each for women. The players use netted sticks known as the “crosse.” The purpose of the game is to use the “crosse” to pass and catch a ball (made of rubber), and goals are scored by hurling the ball into the opposition net. It is popular mostly in North America, and is the continent’s oldest and possibly fastest growing sport. Lacrosse is actively played at the high school, college, youth and professional levels. The sport is especially popular in America’s northwestern region; it is also Canada’s national summer sport. Colorado, California, Texas and Tennessee have rapidly growing lacrosse communities.

In its current form, a men’s lacrosse team consists of ten players: one goaltender, three defensemen, three midfielders and three attackmen. The field is usually grass or artificial turf. It is somewhat necessary for the players to wear helmets and other safety equipment, as body-checking is an essential part of the game. Women generally do without the helmets, but have protective eyewear (the goaltender wears a helmet mask). The protection is comparatively lesser, as hitting is not allowed in the women’s game. Minor stick-checks are accepted, though.

The sport was originally invented by Native Americans. Lacrosse was called “dehuntshigwa’es” or “men hit a rounded object” in Onondaga; it was known as “da-nah-wah’uwsdi” or “little war” in Eastern Cherokee; “Tewaarathon” or “little brother of war” in the Mohawk language; and “baaga’adowe” or “the Creator’s game” in Ojibwe. Since the game concentrated on just one ball, action sometimes got violent. Players intentionally injured opponents with sticks. Games lasted for days at times, and injuries to players were commonplace. Sometimes, competitors died. Lacrosse played a vital role in the religious and community lives of the tribes. Native American Lacrosse was typified by a profoundly spiritual involvement, and those involved did so with the aim of bringing honor to themselves as well as their tribes.

Major League Lacrosse (MLL) is a professional lacrosse league in the United States. The league officially began in 2001. It was established in 1999 by Jake Steinfeld, Dave Morrow and Tim Robertson. Jake Steinfeld is also famous for coming up with the “Body By Jake” line of videos and exercise equipment. Dave Morrow is the president of Warrior Lacrosse Equipment and a former lacrosse player.

The MLL season starts in May and runs until August. MLL rules have slight differences with traditional lacrosse rules. The changes include a two-point goal line 15 yards from the goal; a limit of three long-stick defensemen per each team; and a 60-second shot clock etc. The 60-second shot clock was initially a 45-second shot clock. That rule was altered in 2005.

Major League Lacrosse announced in 2005 that the league would include Los Angeles for the 2006 season. It was later announced that Denver, Colorado, would also have a team representing it in the MLL. The league was to later add teams from Chicago, Illinois and San Francisco, California. Those teams were to figure in the western division from the start of the 2006 season.

The league was initially divided into the American Division, constituting Boston, Bridgeport and Long Island; and the National Division, constituting Baltimore, New Jersey and Rochester, for a four-year period from 2001 to 2005. For the first two years, the league played a 14-game regular season. In 2003, the schedule was relaxed to a 12-game regular season.

The Major League Lacrosse teams in the Eastern division are: Baltimore Bayhawks; Boston Cannons; Long Island Lizards; New Jersey Pride; Philadelphia Barrage; and Rochester Rattlers.

The Western Conference has the Chicago Machine; Denver Outlaws; San Francisco Dragons; and Los Angeles Riptide