let them hit

[dougm]

c'mon ladies, get the helmets on and battle like it was meant to. any idea of allowing full contact in the womens' game anytime soon?

[WIlax]

I think it would be awesome if they let girls have the same rules as men..I know our varsity lax girls are always like..ugh I wish I could play guys lax..because some girls find it boring..honestly I think that if you gave girls the option of playing against other girls with contact..that theyd play contact..thats just my opinion though

[sammyduelist]

c'mon ladies, get the helmets on and battle like it was meant to. any idea of allowing full contact in the womens' game anytime soon?
Like it was meant to? Wlax is closer to traditional lacrosse then Mlax is.

[dta06]

Personally I like Womans lacrosse the way it is. Wlax is a beautiful sport when played correctly.

[WIlax]

Well I dont have a problem with girls lax..Im just saying..maybe making it an option for girls? and like having two teams maybe? i think that would be cool..

[laxkid58]

idk, if u look at women's hockey there just as rough as the boys and thats how its supposed to be, but with Wlax i could take it or leave it, but lets get a few words from the girls themselves cuz wat do we know???

[CTLaxer]

c'mon ladies, get the helmets on and battle like it was meant to. any idea of allowing full contact in the womens' game anytime soon?

Won't happen. Ever.

[cali feeder]

Like it was meant to? Wlax is closer to traditional lacrosse then Mlax is.

Bud, if you wanna talk about traditional, Indian-style lacrosse, how they played it 400 years ago, you're talking about multiple DEATHS in a single game.

[laxkid58]

yea i did a report on the history of lacrosse, and traditional lacrosse is a game that lasted days at a time with 1,000s of guys on each side, covered in war paint, shooting at something as small as a tree stump, on a playing field that could stretch miles. it was their alternative to war. o and if the people in your tribe didnt think you were going as hard as you could the whipped you with snaps. but do your research before you make a point

[MassLax929]

Bud, if you wanna talk about traditional, Indian-style lacrosse, how they played it 400 years ago, you're talking about multiple DEATHS in a single game.
Not to mention some of the fields were like 4 miles long.

[CSlax06]

Won't happen. Ever.

What a productive post. Yeah.

How come CT? It might have to do with parents being over protective and such. Hmm...it would be interesting seeing women playing Mens lax though.

[ML_LAX09]

I think it's a terrible idea, no offense. WLax is great if played with great players. Also, what laxkid said, let's get some Women's opinions on this. Since we won't be playing WLax anythime soon...

[laxkid58]

Well ML_LAX....you never know lol......but yea wonder why only guys have been posting in this thread which is in the womens forum and i guess you could say its a legitamite thought but we need a woman's opinion and thoughts not a bunch of guys' speculation and debate on the issue at hand.

[lacrosse25]

without a doubt, we need more contact in the game. its getting to the point you touch your opponent lightly and you get called. its always a great game when you get a ref thats going to be leniet towards pushing. i don't think they'll get to the point of contact "helmets and pads though" just because there are a lotta teams out there that can't handle it....but who knows they made wearing goggles in college mandatory now so maybe in a few we'll see some changes.



Play for the game

[JCLaxDefense]

I do not want to be able to check body in wlax like you can in guys.

its getting to the point you touch your opponent lightly and you get called I agree with this quote though. Many refs at hs level dont let you lightly put your hands on the other play while your defending. It's really frustrating

[celtlax]

c'mon ladies, get the helmets on and battle like it was meant to. any idea of allowing full contact in the womens' game anytime soon?

why?...the game is fine, and yes there are too many calls in hs....but college especially, D1 wlax is fun too watch...it's fast and aggressive....sure there are some rules they can tweak and it's a start with hard boundaries, thru the crease etc....at least powers that be are trying....but there is no reason to emulate the mlax....

[ques]

celtlax when you watch a college game watch the contact that they get away with. I think the rules could be tweaked a little bit also. Like going back to letting the d put their sticks on the body. They seem to be still doing this in the college games I have seen. The refs let them do it then in the college games then when these same refs do our HS games the call it. The crease rule needs to be moved to hs also. Getting rid of the shooting space call when the ball is in the net already. There are more but this is a start.

[Goalie18]

when played correctly and with finesse wlax is amazing, but being a goalie i feel limited by the "goalie can't score" rule and would like to elimintae that, however when u eliminate that you endanger the other field players. Personaaly id love to play with guys rules.
Also new girls who want to learn think its similar to soccer and therefore we get lots of newbies but if they though it looked more like football and hockey there would be a lot less.
I say, bring it

[dougm]

goalie18
you should look up goalie ginny capicchioni.
she was signed to an nll contract a few years back. i thought it was a joke but ginny stayed w/ the program and won over alot of us caveman box fans. i believe ginny still plays box up in canada in the senior b leagues.

[laxgoalie89]

i think itd be awesome cuz i kno all my teammates wanna play it that way cuz girls lax is too polite and theresnt that much intensity. dont get me wrong, i like how its played and its nice and all but if i had a choice id choose guys way and i kno im not the only one in this.

[JCLaxDefense]

I think college lacrosse is played with lots of intensity and is very aggressive.
Like going back to letting the d put their sticks on the body. They seem to be still doing this in the college games I have seen. I never knew that womens used to be able to do that. Yeah when I watch games it does seem like they use their stick, and I just wish it was legal. As long as people arnt like hitting them with it, I think it's fine.
It's just refs are way too strict with calls at the high school level. I barely put my hands on a girl when defending her, and they call me for stick contact. But my stick isn't even on her, it's my hands. idk I just think it's really annoying.

[lokiinspired]

As an attack player, I'm reluctant to say defense should get some more leeway with contact... but it's so true. Even light pressure is getting the whistle. It's slowing down the game. Across the body also seems to be called every few seconds.

However, I don't believe in the helmet and pads style of play for girls. At least on my team, I don't think anyone would be interested. As has been mentioned, womens lacrosse can be played beautifully and with a great deal of intensity when everyone is on the same page and working 100%. Watching a D1 game is truly amazing and I would never want that to change.

[NC_Goalie_Girl]

I think it would pretty cool to play with the guys lax rules, but i doubt it would ever happen. There are simply too many overprotective parents. I would love a few small changes though; as a goalie I would love to be able to score, I just think that would be so cool. I also think that a limited checking rule would be nice, like some kind of rule where pads wouldn't be neccesary, but you could do some kind of mildly agressive check without being called, although i'm not sure how that would work... But as a whole I wouldn't change the major rules, just a few minor ones that wouldn't really effect the game as a whole.

[Goalie18]

dougm
ginny only played 11min in the nll allowing 6 goals and making 7 saves

i still think goalies should be allowed to score, or at least take off those shin guards!

[NC_Goalie_Girl]

[QUOTE]or at least take off those shin guards!

Amen to that

[dougm]

dougm
ginny only played 11min in the nll allowing 6 goals and making 7 saves

i didn't say she was a successful goalie but in the dog eat dog world of boxla, she showed determination, perseverance & guts. alot of us who play/follow box think that too many field players lack what-it-takes to play indoors. they can't take the heat. gonny stuck it out, played up in the cdn leagues which can be alot tougher than what is allowed to go in the nll, and the american box championships. i thought it was a joke signing, total publicity, but i gotta say she shows alot of spunk. i really admire that.

the girls that i know who play lax, maybe its because quite a few watch the wings, want it alot rougher. ok, no fights, but who says they can't body slam like the boys. they do it in chick ice hockey.

[ques]

Lets have a pic of your shin guards.

[Garor]

I thought women weren't allowed to body check in ice hockey? Anyone?

My opinion for changes to the women's game:
1. Moving on the whistle.
I mean come on! Who cares? It's like playing without hard boundries, it doesn't make sense. Almost all sports can move on the whistle.
2. Get rid of the 8 meter shot
There is no reason for someone to have an open shot on goal. 8 meters can destroy the game the way they are called. I'm not saying people should be allow to foul, but a new way to deal with this should be addressed.
3. Change the rules that inhibit the goalie.
Scoring, longer shaft length, get rid of mandatory shinguards and goalie pants. It's only a matter of time until they make sure the goalie can't have a real pocket.
4. Allow the body ball.
5. Allow more contact.
I'm not saying full out body checking, but good physical defense should be rewarded.

The women's game is fun to watch, when refs let players make some contact and don't get whistle happy. I hate seeing games turn into 8 meter contests. It's not the way the sport should be!

[Garor]

First pic is of the actual shin guards which are basically little kids xxs in size. Put them next to a ruler and you can see they're about 5 inches give or take an 1/8th or two. Also put a deck of cards and my ipod nano next to them for comparison.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a364/lilaxgurl23/Random/100_1141.jpg

Second and third are of me with them on during a game. I just use calf high socks over them for now. Not the best pictures but I think you get the idea (also edited to keep my identity private).

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a364/lilaxgurl23/Random/173947008403_0_BG.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a364/lilaxgurl23/Random/shin.jpg


WOW. There will be a rule modification with your name on it.
Good use of what you could find.

[Goalie18]

lilax, once again SO true. my shins guards are about 5" but ill be looking for smaller ones

[livinglegend]

Won't happen. Ever.

womens box in canada is full contact same rules as mens lacrosse they even fight its pretty intense

[ques]

Thanks for the pix. They what do what soccer has done and make the rule read "age appropriate"

[CTLaxer]

First pic is of the actual shin guards which are basically little kids xxs in size. Put them next to a ruler and you can see they're about 5 inches give or take an 1/8th or two. Also put a deck of cards and my ipod nano next to them for comparison.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a364/lilaxgurl23/Random/100_1141.jpg

Second and third are of me with them on during a game. I just use calf high socks over them for now. Not the best pictures but I think you get the idea (also edited to keep my identity private).

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a364/lilaxgurl23/Random/173947008403_0_BG.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a364/lilaxgurl23/Random/shin.jpg


she's got legs....and she knows how to use them...she's got legs....(that's all I remember from the song).

Anyways, my goalie's shinpads were about just as minimal. I told her to go and get children/youth soccer shinpads. My hand is literally larger than the pads, and she removed some of the foam padding too!

Anyways, to expand upon my previous comment of "Won't happen. Ever.", the current, and future, rules committee members will never let this happen, it's taken forever to get restraining lines, hard boundaries, and crease follow through, etc. Not only that, there is no need for the girls game to become full contact. The game is different. PERIOD.

I find that the only people calling for a change more like the men/boys are either guys who haven't the slightest idea about women's lacrosse, or the one or two girls who played boys lacrosse first since there were no girls teams (obviously these are just generalizations, but hold mostly true).

If there are enough young girls who actually wanted to play like the boys, they'd have started it already. As for those who compare hockey, or box lacrosse, those are totally different instances. Hockey has different hitting rules, there's either no open ice hits or no hits on the boards (I can never remember which). Box lacrosse in canada...please. There's no field lacrosse in canada (again, generalization, I know some exist and it's growing), so the only option for girls is box. I know girl's/women participate in both non-contact leagues as well as mixed gender full contact leagues....but you seriously can't compare this to what we have in the states so don't even bother.

And finally, my personal opinion is women's lacrosse is a much better game to watch/play when it's played correctly and at high levels. I find myself watching more women's sports these days than men's sports because for whatever reason, I notice the women play with more finesse, skill, and talent than their male counterparts. Obviously there's no "HUGE" hits, or crazy dunks, record inducing home runs, or sick wrap checks. There's also not a ton of guys trying to out muscle the win from eachother. Instead there are athletes who utilize skill, talen, and teamwork to get the job done rather than just testosterone and bench press ability. So, with that said, I'd rather not have the girl's/women's game change in that respect (there are some serious changes that need to be made, but full contact/helmets is not one of them).

(This last part is my personal opinion, and if you don't like it...oh well)

[laxer47]

only in Canada and then only in Alberta. Full contact, balls out box lacrosse. Our big concern is what to do with the bruises when we want to go out looking all pretty again. . . grad dresses with lovely purple arms. . . some of us need to use bicept pads. It is so much fun!

[ColtsLax]

And finally, my personal opinion is women's lacrosse is a much better game to watch/play when it's played correctly and at high levels. I find myself watching more women's sports these days than men's sports because for whatever reason, I notice the women play with more finesse, skill, and talent than their male counterparts. Obviously there's no "HUGE" hits, or crazy dunks, record inducing home runs, or sick wrap checks. There's also not a ton of guys trying to out muscle the win from eachother. Instead there are athletes who utilize skill, talen, and teamwork to get the job done rather than just testosterone and bench press ability. So, with that said, I'd rather not have the girl's/women's game change in that respect (there are some serious changes that need to be made, but full contact/helmets is not one of them).

(This last part is my personal opinion, and if you don't like it...oh well)
Ive watched many a Wlax game, and i quickly lose interest due to constant stopage of play for minor contact and similar silly fouls like the moving on dead balls thing.

Womens lax can be a cool game to watch when played properly, but so few teams play that way consistently rarely at the HS and only occasional at the D1 level.

Wlax sometimes reminds me of Field Hockey for the stoppage of play and silly rules. One of the reasons my sister never picked up the game was because she couldnt use her body

[ques]

Another thing to change would be the body ball.

[GoBucks]

Yes! Let's at least change the game a bit. Here's what I think needs to be implemented:

-More leniant body-to-body contact rules
-A specific out-of-bounds mark. If the ball goes out of bounds, then STOP PLAY.

That's about it. And lilax, let's get a face pic eh?

[C4ND1_R4V3R]

Thank you! It would be nice to have the luxury of a brutal game for once. It would be best if it were a separate league though, cause not all girls want to be bleeding and bruised.

[GoBucks]

Ok I see about the pics. With the out of bounds rule, I've heard that in women's lacrosse you can keep playing even if the ball goes a reasonable distance out of bounds. I guess I heard wrong.

[Garor]

Ok I see about the pics. With the out of bounds rule, I've heard that in women's lacrosse you can keep playing even if the ball goes a reasonable distance out of bounds. I guess I heard wrong.

The rule was changed. Hard boundries were implemented. Last year? I don't really remember.

[laxlove6]

first of all, field hockey does not have silly rules, neither does lacrosse. i agree with ctlaxer's comment above...hard boundaries i believe came in last year

[Kranklax34]

yep... i play Varsity girls lax, and it is SO BORING to watch!!! haha give us helmets and chest protectors and let us play, damn it! haha and yea... Women's hockey doesn't have different ruls than men, so why should lacrosse??

[Lax-Umpire]

I watch well over 100 games of WLAX each year and can not understand why one would want to put the pads on and start hitting. This game is a great game that can be VERY physical and still has more grace and speed than any other game INLCUDING mens lacrosse.

Girls want to hit - there is a sport for that and it is called Mens Lacrosse.

[RYU]

Men's & women's lax have about as much in common as ice hockey & field hockey or football & rugby. Just accept that they are different sports that attract different ppl rather than arguing why one should emulate the other.

That being said, among serious wlaxers I know, at least half of them have told me they'd like to at least try playing by mlax rules or rules that are closer to mlax. I foresee eventually there will be big enough demand to have separate leagues of women's contact & non-contact field lax. Look at contact sports like women's rugby, boxing, or wrestling. All are thriving in the US.

[LAXMomx3]

when played correctly and with finesse wlax is amazing, but being a goalie i feel limited by the "goalie can't score" rule and would like to elimintae that, however when u eliminate that you endanger the other field players. Personaaly id love to play with guys rules.
Also new girls who want to learn think its similar to soccer and therefore we get lots of newbies but if they though it looked more like football and hockey there would be a lot less.
I say, bring it

I wonder if you'd still like to play by the guys rules if you had to wear what the men goalies wear.. which is close to zilch. Plus, with the deep sticks of boys, they can sonic boom a ball into goal. Ouch!!

I love to watch boy the girls and the guys play. They are also very different games. I think the fluidity of the girls game is just wonderfully skillful with an amazing amount of grace. The guys is just pure adreneline excitment. The heads of sticks themselves are completely different. I've seen starters on varsity HS teams get beat by a 7th grade girls on ground balls when trying to play with a girls stick.

They have essentially become two very different games. The rules are completely different too. A guy can kick the ball down the field, whereas it's a change of possession if the ball even bounces of a girl's body to give her advantage. Give a girl a guy's stick and it's like catching a ball in a laundry basket.

[ColtsLax]

I wonder if you'd still like to play by the guys rules if you had to wear what the men goalies wear.. which is close to zilch. Plus, with the deep sticks of boys, they can sonic boom a ball into goal. Ouch!!

I love to watch boy the girls and the guys play. They are also very different games. I think the fluidity of the girls game is just wonderfully skillful with an amazing amount of grace. The guys is just pure adreneline excitment. The heads of sticks themselves are completely different. I've seen starters on varsity HS teams get beat by a 7th grade girls on ground balls when trying to play with a girls stick.

They have essentially become two very different games. The rules are completely different too. A guy can kick the ball down the field, whereas it's a change of possession if the ball even bounces of a girl's body to give her advantage. Give a girl a guy's stick and it's like catching a ball in a laundry basket.
guy dont have to wear next to nothing they just choose to do so. they are only required to wear a helmet, CP, cup and gloves. it doesnt hurt that much, and so what, i think most quality goalies can take a hard shot like that no matter the gender. i hate how girls rules are dumbed down because people think the girls cant handle a little physicality.

[ColtsLax]

first of all, field hockey does not have silly rules, neither does lacrosse. i agree with ctlaxer's comment above...hard boundaries i believe came in last year
ive watched plenty of field hockey, and the fact that you cant use your body to screen the opponent from the ball, the no kicking rule, the rule where you cant hit a girls stick with yours, I think, are all silly and slows the game down.

in Wlax, the movement rule, the goalie limitations, and the 8 meter, are also silly.

these rules are silly because they add nothing to the game only slow things down.

[nclaxkid]

I would love to play mens rules.
Midfield would be so much fun.
I could get knocked over and knock over other girls.

[dougm]

nclaxkid;
the majority of girls that i know that play lax want it tougher. i know i'm a neandertal boxla fan so i don't find violence & finesse in lacrosse mutually exclusive. there is way too much parents/schools that are afraid that their kids may get hurt. mnobody wants their kid hurt - heck my 6-year old daughter plays w/ my lacrosse stick and loves to crosscheck my knees, i'm afraid that i will have her future vice-principal on speed-dial, but a sport is a sport and if you enjoy competition, so be it.
when you get closer to 50, its take it easy on the old man. but at your age, you'll bounce back.

[nclaxkid]

Well, I wish we could have a choice. But then again as you get older you'll play in leagues with bigger, stronger girls.
Yeah, I don't want a concussion.

[Blackhawk1]

yeah us Mlaxers want to play Wlax! Switch gear with your leagues girls team. Thats what we did and we showed up to the wrong practice. Imagine a field of men in short shorts (and the muscular hot one which is me) play lax. Fun day.

[JEeagleslax]

my personal belief...as a girls hs player...is that if u let us hit it would be WAYY worst than guys. we r wayy more aggressive than guys are and we get more angry. i think we would end up taking it past the rules and just beating the crap outta each other. i love the game as it is...i have had guys shoot on me(im a goalie) and i prefer the girls...guys are A LOT less accurate...sorry boys... and tend to hit the goalie more. the bruise on my calf for 2 months last summer spoke for itself. at least the girls shoot around me.

PLUS: i think girls lax is harder anyways
1. we have to use self-restaint and not beat up players who tick us off
2. we have to use our FEET for defense...not necessarily our sticks
3. we have to take more time to place our shots...instead of just ripping off as many as we can

there r more that i remind my guy lax player friends of all the time but i cant think of um at the moment

[D3Goalie9]

Women's hockey isn't allowed to hit like men's is. have you watched hockey at the college level? The rules are very different when it comes to physical contact...you can't slam somebody up against the boards. Women's hockey has enough injuries during games without that, but I do enjoy watching women's hockey more than men's. Can't say the same thing in lax though. Men's lax is great to watch and play, but I think women's is more fun to play than watch for sure.

[dougm]

I agree with you to some degree here. I don't think that girls are more aggressive than guys (or that guys are necessarily more aggressive than girls), however I do think that females tend to take grudges and don't let them go. I think if we were to run into trouble with hitting too much, it would be with wanting to get revenge throughout the game. Most guys can just drop it after they get their hit in, but a girl would probably hold it against their opponent and go at them all game. A ref could control this though, so I don't know how much of a problem this would really be.


could wlax be like box where guys ask for no quarter nor is one given. guys can come out of the locker room bruised up and think nothing of it of sharing a brew between warriors.