What are the chances of getting caught with a shaft too short?

[red9535]

My buddies DB803 broke in a game today, right near the head. Took off about 3 inches. Its just over 27" long now. He was going to throw it away since its out of warrenty, so i snagged it. I took it home, drilled a new hole, and threw a head on it, and its amazingly light. Its defintely shorter then a regular one. Heres my question

What are the chances of getting caught with this in a game? What about if i used it in a face off?

[LaxRef]

If you're saying it is less than 40" fully assembled, the chances are good you'd get caught.

[Mrmccoolsatool]

I mean, if your a big playmaker the chances are greater than if you werent. If you get called for a stick check though i mean your caught... is it worth costing your team a 3min NR?

[Torque42]

i would get a power butt from stx, that adds like 2-3 inches onto the stick, maybe it can be illegal that way

[laxattack1616]

or make a mccool permanant endcap that is really one and extends past the shaft

[red9535]

If you're saying it is less than 40" fully assembled, the chances are good you'd get caught.


Its about 37 1/2". Heres some pictures to help.

Chances of getting caught with this in a game? And on a face off, is it more obvious?

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/7407/shortie0013tz.th.jpg (http://img528.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shortie0013tz.jpg)
With the tape measure


http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/3474/shortie0025tx.th.jpg (http://img528.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shortie0025tx.jpg)
Next to my regular stick

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/2010/shortie0036qx.th.jpg (http://img367.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shortie0036qx.jpg)
With a few of my other ones.. Its defintley shorter, but short enough to notice out of nowhere? ?

[red9535]

Yeah, im the big 'playmaker' a lot, thats why i was worried about it. I'm the starting faceoff mid/center mid.

[LaxRef]

Its about 37 1/2".

With a few of my other ones.. Its defintley shorter, but short enough to notice out of nowhere? ?

Someone is going to notice. If you don't get checked on a coach's request, you'll eventually get picked by the officials for an inspection.

People notice if it's even an inch short. Two-and-a-half inches? Please.

[red9535]

Someone is going to notice. If you don't get checked on a coach's request, you'll eventually get picked by the officials for an inspection.

People notice if it's even an inch short. Two-and-a-half inches? Please.


Good enough, your opinion as a ref makes all the difference for me, so i'd rather not risk it. I guess this one will just have to stay at home as a goof around stick. It would probably be a bad habit anyway, playing with a shorter stick.

[hulllaxplayer]

what level do you play???in like U15 or under id say its fine...but high school or above no

[red9535]

High school

[Shorelax]

I don't understand why kids do this. What is the advantage?? I really think it is psychological. I have been playing the game for 25 years (still playing masters), officiating for 3 and I do not see the advantage an inch or half inch in shaft length provides. I certainly see the advantage a pinched head or deep pocket can provide. I'm not challenging the rule - but the motivations of the players.

Guys – Why do you do this?

High risk - low reward.

[Longpole5435]

I don't understand why kids do this. What is the advantage?? I really think it is psychological. I have been playing the game for 25 years (still playing masters), officiating for 3 and I do not see the advantage an inch or half inch in shaft length provides. I certainly see the advantage a pinched head or deep pocket can provide. I'm not challenging the rule - but the motivations of the players.

Guys – Why do you do this?

High risk - low reward.


On the contrary, as a defender, I can tell you a shorter stick is definetly an advantage. It makes it easier to hide (you'd be suprised how much 2.5 inches is) and therefore, harder to take the ball away. It can be the difference between dodging and scoring and dodging and getting stripped.

And they do it because they want an advantage. But we all know real men don't have short shafts :chuckle:

[spenny]

you WILL get caught, particularly with more than 3 inches missing. that's a huge and obvious difference.

keep it for a beach stick or for when you string and test heads, or make the day of a U9 player.

[Snake~eyes]

I'm with LaxRef.. just ask your self, is getting a 3-minute NR penalty worth using the stick?

[rjattack19]

put one of thos stx power butts on there itl make it like a half inch longer

[red9535]

Yep, i decided its obviously not worth it. After playing with it, and watching myself in a mirror, its defintely noticable. Its just a messaround stick, or when i string a new head messaround stick. Yeah, maybe il give it away to some littleman whos alowed to use it in his league

Thansk guys!

[LaxRef]

I guess the only thing I can think to add is that if you do get caught, you'd better have soft hands and be a good listener. :naughty: :love:

[TheKOB]

maybe you could pick up a wide head and pinch it, thereby lengthening the head. That combined with a big ole butt (end) might do the trick.....

But honestly, just go out and buy a new shaft :)

[cloo24]

or you could go out and buy some wood cut it so it fits and makes the shaft long enough and you're golden

[Mrmccoolsatool]

well in those pictures it looks liek you have plenty of shafts, why not just use one of them?

[Farny]

I played with a 38 inch stick throughout almost all of middle school. Someone told me in middle school the shaft just had to be as long as your arm or something (Weird). But is there any rule against it in Middle School? I never got my stick checked.

[FredtheCat]

Is that an Agile guitar in those pics?

[LaxRef]

I played with a 38 inch stick throughout almost all of middle school. Someone told me in middle school the shaft just had to be as long as your arm or something (Weird). But is there any rule against it in Middle School? I never got my stick checked.

This is almost wholly decided locally. The NFHS rulebook includes some "standard" rules for younger age groups which may or may not be used in your area. They allow sticks as short as 37" for players through 5th grade. It appears to me that those rules require 40"-42" sticks for older short sticks.