Is it me, or has there been a significant increase in the number of broken sticks this year, sometimes with significant consequences? I see two possibilities. First would be the quest for lighter equipment. And I would question whether the incremental value of the latest technology is worth the downside of giving the other team a 20 second extra man at probably the worst time. The other is that a lot non-blatant cross checks aren't getting called, which the players realize and put more stress on the sticks.
Increase in broken sticks
- Thread starter mdk01
- Start date
It's not you. It was discussed during one of yesterday's telecasts in the quarterfinals. But when Quint started claiming that he has been cautioning about it and favoring heavier equipment, that turned me off.
I think it's somewhat of a tradeoff. You carry a lighter stick, but risk a break at what could be a crucial time in the game. I recall it happened to us this past season. I would leave it up to the individual player. If breakage continues to increase or becomes a safety concern, then it should be addressed.
I think it's somewhat of a tradeoff. You carry a lighter stick, but risk a break at what could be a crucial time in the game. I recall it happened to us this past season. I would leave it up to the individual player. If breakage continues to increase or becomes a safety concern, then it should be addressed.
I don't know what Quint is talking about. Players don't have choices of how heavy shafts are. The options are limited in that regard.
The biggest issue is either materials which I can't speak to, or the fact that cross checking is now legal essentially.
The biggest issue is either materials which I can't speak to, or the fact that cross checking is now legal essentially.
Seems like it is only called when the head or neck is contacted or the arms are fully extended out in the open.
I would say that there are 3 components to this as I see it.
When I coached we told our SSDMs to crosscheck and make the refs make a call, WE would generally, get 3 or 4 before we got a penalty.
As a ref we are looking for egregious hits and we are going to allow crosscheck holds (which are now legal) it is the extension of the hands and thrusting that we are looking for, so yes cross-checking has been essentially legal for about 6-7 years.
The size of the players, D-01 lacrosse players are huge and strong, when you try and cross-check hole a guy like Handley or O'neill that is a losing proposition for the stick.
As a guy who grew up loving and playing hockey I am continuously amazed at what the sport of lacrosse allows regarding stick checks and cross checks. IMO, lax took away too much body to body stuff and allows too much stick to body contact. Even legal checks are OFTEN deemed "unnecessary" because a guy winds up on the turf.....and I hate that. Meanwhile a normal HS attacker/midfielder finishes every game with multiple deep arm bruises from stick work. My sons club team currently has three kids with healing fractures (two wrists and a hand). These are not from big body checks. I'm a medical professional and I am all too aware of the risks of head injuries of any severity, but the pendulum has swung too far in lax with the near removal of body checks and free swinging stick work.
Part of those arm bruises/fractures come from the reduced arm padding that players wear today. And back in the days of wood sticks, it would have been the rare attackman who lasted a game with today's padding, even though slashing was called much more strictly.
I've been on a soap box here for a couple of years saying they've been overboard on body check. If the contact to the face or neck is incidental, i.e. shoulder and/or forearm contact make the primary contact to the chest and the top of the helmet or brushes the head/neck it should not be called.
My feelings exactly. I grew up with lacrosse all around me, and I never understood why it's okay for some donk to whale on somebody with his stick. body contact, yes, stick work, no.
I was okay at lacrosse, growing up in Maryland. But after a long wrestling season I never wanted to put myself in a position where some yahoo is allowed to do that. I was hurting enough already that time of year. So I just played pickup and on the beach with my buds.
Anybody can hit somebody with a stick. It's not like it takes skill or toughness...
It's part of the game. I would say the late 90's were the height of stick swinging from what I can tell. We don't see nearly the array of checks we used to. The juice isn't worth the squeeze. These sticks have so much ball retention. You see some dudes with 3 guys on them and still don't get dislodged.
The equipment issue is real. I would take out the elbow protectors from my pads completely exposing them. But I felt a lot more free. Not sure I'd make that same choice today lol
The guys that get me the most are the DMids who shove their small arm pads up to their biceps completely exposing their arms. Those dudes are a big part of the clearing game and they get destroyed. Arms take a bad enough beating. Those dudes are savages.
The equipment issue is real. I would take out the elbow protectors from my pads completely exposing them. But I felt a lot more free. Not sure I'd make that same choice today lol
The guys that get me the most are the DMids who shove their small arm pads up to their biceps completely exposing their arms. Those dudes are a big part of the clearing game and they get destroyed. Arms take a bad enough beating. Those dudes are savages.
Bigger stronger kids swinging lighter sticks on kids wearing less protection on top of the fact that the ball stays in the stick better today which causes defenders to throw harder checks to try and dislodge the ball. Kids still alter their equipment to make it lighter but doing that makes them less effective. Want to eliminate some of the checking, then make the sticks so the ball can come out. widen the dimensions or make the pocket not as deep. I have seen checks right on the stick where the ball stays in the stick and it is virtually impossible for a SSDM to take the ball away from an offensive player, especially in HS.
My guys both had/have most of their arms exposed. Crazy. One stick check to the arm (or anywhere on my body) and I’d be on the ground asking for EMS
What kills me is you can hear those stick checks in a loud stadium…the pop of the check…gotta hurt
Of course one is retired now so he doesn’t have to wear pads playing golf 😉
It wasn't hard to tell the lacrosse players once Spring hit and the short sleeves came out. Everyone's arms were just wrecked.
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