Goalies Today

[laxgoalieking]

Is anyone else put off by the size of most keepers midget and above?IMO with todays equipment the position has become less about how Good you are and more about how Big you look. The majority of guys now where boddam which pretty much makes anyone look big. With the new leg gaurds theres no where, you cant go low. Add on teh fact that most guys have gone back too wood which takes away even more net to shoot at. And you have guys like Stevenson,Higgins,etc.. IMO with todays equipment the position has become less about how Good you are and more about how Big your Equipment is. Look at pretty much any junior team(whitby being the only exception i have seen) and at least one guy will have a Boddam upper, now im not trying to rag on boddam too much but in my oppinion they are ruining the game. I know its a bit extreme to say but thats how i see it.

I was just talking to Josh Ernst of the Mississuaga Junior A team and he told he acctualy gets made fun of for wearing his browns instead of boddams, At first i figured it was just some guys on his team jokeing with him and maybe some openents. Boy was i ever wrong, Turns out it was neither a team mate or a member of the oposition, or even a coach or exect for the thawks, it was a referee. Now my point is not if its right or wrong for a ref to make a comment like that but rather is that where the game has gone, Is it really expected of a tender to wear big gear? Has it gone to the point were now its not even a luxury or choice, but rather a nececity? I mean when a Ref says you need bigger gear what does that say about the game today? Here is a picture of Stevenson a friend of mine who plays for AKO
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/fratmen_lacrosse_2007/detail?.dir=133dre2&.dnm=4394re2.jpg&.src=ph Thats Him in his gear, the same kid who wheighs maybe 170 wet and when he turs side ways is a sliver with a tooth on top. Is it really necesary for him to wear that much gear? Probably not. Does it stop the ball? He still lets in 10 on 30 in some games. Dont get me wrong im not saying that EVERYONE is relying on size, I know that most guys in Junior A got where they are on skill and not just equipment. Take Jole weeber in Whitby one of the best goalies in teh OLA, hes also the smallest. Or guys like delormier of the 50-06 titans guy is amazing at playing his angles and wears a maxlax 1000. Then you have Rick Passfield, the only word that comes to mind when i look back at all the times i watched him play is simply...amazing. Played his angles better then anyother goalie then i have ever seen.

Is this gear really needed? How much better would the game be today if gone where the 3-2 semi-final Playoff games, And when someone says"it was a goaltending battle" it acctauly means the two keeps used their talent with their angels and reflexes instead of their huge equipment. Are gone the goalies of the 40's,50's,60's,70's,80's, and even early-mid 90's? is it really that rare today to see a goalie who can play the ball just was well as any guy on offense?

In closing I was just looking for the oppinions of others on the subject. I know that I ragged on Boddam, But thats my opinion of their product. Also please excuse any spelling or grammar errors i may have made, Im tired.

[#15Roadies]

How to explain this easily... it is innovation that will change the game, not simply 'the equipment,' no matter what rules you put into place. Most goalies nowadays follow along the same path as the guys that have a similar style, and the manufacturers simply supply to the demand. You cannot blame the manufacturers for meeting the majority demands of the players.

Hockey has gone through a similar change - in the old days if you saw the gear that goalie wore to stop shots from Bobby Hull, you would wonder about their sanity. But they relied on quick reflexes not bulk. Why the bulk up in hockey? Well for one the bigger, harder shooters practicing year round. But also the composite sticks nowadays that add an extra zip & rise to hard shots. It is easier just to bulk up and play the angles than learn to develop reflexes and anticipation to that level.

Could we apply the same concept to lacrosse? Well look at the innovation in lacrosse sticks over the years - from the standard woodie to the modern zip-bang plastic sticks of today. Modern sticks have opened the game right up because we are no longer dependent on a few suppliers and their woodstock.

So with the more accurate and versatile stick, comes the less accurate and less versatile goalie and the bulking of equipment. And where does it go from there?

There needs to be a goalie somewhere in sometown that says I am giong to try something different. In the old days, some goalies would run up the floor and get into the play. Can't do that with most goalies today.

So... innovation - there are several technologies that are being worked on, most notably for sports helmets that increases the protective value of a type of foam padding like 25X what it is today. That would translate into a rough 25% reduction or more of the foam need to provide protection. (there is an article around about it, maybe I'll post later) Provide better protective technology, with perhaps some other innovation in goalie style and team system, the game will change again. I can see the day when goalies will want to be more mobile, but we just aren't there yet and there needs to be some prototype goalies (and some accepting coaches) to take on the losses while they experiment with making those changes.

[PCO6]

Would the Box game suffer if there were no lacrosse specific upper body armour? If the only option goalies had were hockey uppers and all goals were back to the original 4'x4' may be that would be a good thing. It would certainly be cheaper for clubs to purchase equipment. Not being a goalie, I have no idea whether the protection would be as good and I could see that upper mobility in terms of throwing may not be as good.

[BoxLaxGoalie]

i think goalies wear wayy to much gear these days,ive always been a goalie who doesnt depend on oversized gear to help me get in front of the shots, this year i got stuck with gear thats so much bigger than im used to, its not illegal but its so big. i hate it, and my association doesnt have ANY other gear to give me so i dont have a choice unless i feel like buying my own which doesnt exactly come cheap. The smaller the gear, the better. The bigger gear limits movement and slows me down when i need to run.

[whattimeisit]

I'm a JB goalie and I agree completely that goaltending pads have gotten ridiculous. I've used small pads for years, and while protection was never a concern, I would always seem to be on the losing end of games of which the other goalie was completely bulked up.

This year I had no choice but to purchase a pair of Boddams. Believe me, I would love it if the CLA put in some major padding restrictions, so that goalies would go back to being more than just fat objects taking up space. But my philosophies, while noble, weren't helping on the score sheet. The new Boddams are quite innovative though. They do take up a lot more space, but they are also much lighter, much better ventilated, and have much better protection, especially on the arms.

I use a plastic stick and absolutely refuse to use a wooden stick. Players aren't allowed to use wooden sticks, neither should goalies. The plastic stick is just so much more versatile and less maintenance, and really helps with the breakout.

If I were in charge:

-cap goalie equipment size at its current levels
-increase net size to NLL specifications
-ban the use of wooden goalie sticks
-penalties for oversized gear>> first game, 5 minute penalty.. second game, 1 game suspension. that would give the goalies a chance to be warned about the oversized gear, and give them a chance to obtain some legal equipment

Thoughts?

[BoxLaxGoalie]

i agree with the stick thing especially, wooden sticks are no good

[BoxGoalie30]

I'm a goalie and I agree with you all 100% on the equpiment, I'm not really diggin the whole monster shoulders and winged arms. In my opinion we need to make the game more about talent rather than who has the biggest pads.

[Stonewall35]

Would the Box game suffer if there were no lacrosse specific upper body armour? If the only option goalies had were hockey uppers and all goals were back to the original 4'x4' may be that would be a good thing. It would certainly be cheaper for clubs to purchase equipment. Not being a goalie, I have no idea whether the protection would be as good and I could see that upper mobility in terms of throwing may not be as good.

Cheaper, yes. However, you would likely see more goalies likely getting injured using strictly a hockey chest protector as opposed to a box lacrosse specific one, especially in the upper arms and shoulders. Also, hockey chest protectors are not designed to stop lacrosse balls (from experience, have had massive welts on my arms).

As for todays equipment, I feel that it is just fine as it is. It all conforms to the CLA rules and guidelines.

Also, if you take the wood stick away from the game, you would likely take away what has been a part of the game for as long as the sport has been around. If you can develop your stick skills with a wood stick and play with it throughout, then the plastic stick should be no problem weight wise. I also believe (as my signature says) that TRADITION should be kept in the game at all times in regards to sticks, therefore I use the wood stick first and foremost in box.

[whattimeisit]

Agreed on the comments on hockey chest protectors. They're not designed for lacrosse-- it hurts when you get hit. Especially on the arms and in the chest..wait a second....

Today's equipment is probably fine, and it would be a disaster move for the CLA if they tried to change the equipment size regulations (it would severely hurt companies like maxlax, boddam etc and would leave many goaltenders and organizations with useless equipment). I said it before, the solution is to make the nets bigger. The NLL's not going to change the sizes of its nets any time soon, and it is the premier league for box in the world-- shouldn't we be getting our junior leagues playing by the same rules?

Regarding the wood stick, I'm sure people were saying the same things when the first plastic player sticks came out. But times change. Wooden sticks offer an unfair advantage to the goalies that use them-- look at how much more net they cover! Plastic stick goalies are constantly at a disadvantage. I've used a plastic stick my entire life, and just recently have been advised to switch to wooden one, as apparently "every one in JR A uses wooden" and if I don't change I won't make the cut. That shouldn't be an issue.

Consider: Two identical goalies have identical pads and identical statistics, yet one uses a wooden stick and one uses a plastic stick. Which one would you say is more skilled? The one that has more net to cover or the one that has less? (And please read my words, in no way am I saying wooden stick goalies are unskilled)

We should be promoting a higher skill level from our goalies, and getting our junior game playing by the same rules as our professional game. How does this NOT make sense?

[laxgoalieking]

the NLL doesnt support OUR leagues so why should we support theirs?

[PCO6]

... hockey chest protectors are not designed to stop lacrosse balls

I'm not sure I understand what the difference is. In both sports you have a similar sized object travelling at about the same speed. You typically have more shots per game in lacrosse so I could see that as a factor. Would you say that a higher percentage of lacrosse shots per game are harder than in hockey? I don't know how the sports compare in terms of high shots vs low shots per game but I would think that in hockey with wider nets, goalies would rely on their arms more than their chest.

[#15Roadies]

Way off topic, but:

The NLL "supports" our leagues, but not necessarily in a direct financial way because they are not in a financial position to do so. If you look at all the promo that the Toronto Rock does for the OLA - allowing 50/50 draws at games, putting their name on promotional materials, visiting schools, having players out in the community, etc. By promoting the sport, they promote fans and new players who will eventually become OLA members through minor.
They actually support OUR leagues pretty good and probably far more than any other team in the league.

People assume that because they are a "professional" league, they should be loading up OLA coffers with all that "spare" money. Well for one, with a league attendance average around 10k, over 8 home games, and a limited merchandising market, how much spare money do you think they have? They are low-end semi-pro at best.

Maybe when the league is drawing 15k per game, over 20 home dates and players are making in the hundreds of grands, they will just give the OLA 'transfer' fees and leave it at that - no more promotions or player visits to schools, etc. Whick kind of support would you prefer?

[Stonewall35]

I'm not sure I understand what the difference is. In both sports you have a similar sized object travelling at about the same speed. You typically have more shots per game in lacrosse so I could see that as a factor. Would you say that a higher percentage of lacrosse shots per game are harder than in hockey? I don't know how the sports compare in terms of high shots vs low shots per game but I would think that in hockey with wider nets, goalies would rely on their arms more than their chest.

In hockey, the shots always start from the ice and are either along the ice or go up from there. Most shots in hockey are no more than one foot off the ice, therefore goalies have used the butterfly style more often now.

In lacrosse, the shots start from any height and can go in any direction. Goalies have to stand up more until they see where the shot is going.

[CanuckLax]

I'll chime in on a couple things from various posts...

-woodies are the original stick, they are legal for goalies AND runners and should always be so. At some point in time someone thought them to heavy or cumbersome and started making plastic well good for you, but no one should complain about when others don't wish to play with tupperware.

-Goalie gear has been getting bigger for decades. Before the most recent lax boom and the newer lax-specific goalie gear, keepers were piling on football shoulder pads onto hockey goalie stuff and bulking up. Goalies were taking there Rebel legs pads and flattening them to make them as wide as possible... Boddam came in and through R&D dollars, hardwork and engineering took all those things goalies were DOING ANYWAY and put together safe, light products that fit withing the rules of lacrosse.

-I watched Junior A Brampton vs. Orangeville last night, both goalies had Boddam uppers, both goalies had Boddam leg pads, both teams were quality opponenets both undefeated going into that game, final score 9-7. Lotsa goals still being scored out there.

-Lax shots are harder plain and simple, goalies need sport specific gear. Last year in the NHL all star skills event 2 guys were able to get shots over 100 mph. In lax MANY MANY Junior B, A, College and pro players can shoot over 100, so proportionally that translates into younger lax players all the way up shooting harder than hockey players of similar ages.

-Innovation is important, it's about time we had companies making goalie gear that actually stops balls without leaving bruises. We no longer wear the leather maskless buckets of our fore-fathers so why should we wear lesser gear for a goalie?

[CanuckLax]

I think there's a bigger picture here and this post is more personal than originally thought. Do you really care about the effect on the game or is this post about you? Is this really about your position in the lax goalie world and a resentment towards those that have the means to drop $900 on some Boddam Pro series because you can't? Are you bitter about not playing junior and being intermediate? Did some guy with money take your job, an you believe the only reason he got the job was his gear not his skills? I don't know you that's why I ask, this isn't the first time you've ragged on big gear or Boddams or the lack of skill of others.. what's the deal?

[CanuckLax]

Further to the thought the goalies being too big and therefore less scoring and therefore less excitement.... I feel that the REAL culprit that has caused the stifling of offense in junior is the complete degradation of the rules set not unlike the slippery slope the NHL was on before they attempted the correction.

In today's junior game their is CONSTANT off ball/loose ball fullchecking which is illegal, there are CONSTANT moving picks which are illegal, there is CONSTANT violent slashing on the O and the D which is illegal, offense players CONSTANTLY initiate contact in the offensive zone including retaliating on defensive coverage which is all illegal.

No wonder no one can score anymore when you are allowed to in essence mug your opponent. Call the rules as they are written and you'll see the glorious game you remember from your youth.

[OldPtboBoy]

The bigger goalies get the less mobile they will be. Lacrosse has always been about movement. Kids are taught from a young age to pass, and fake and practice accuracy. The goalies will never be too big for a talented lacrosse player. Barring screwing a 4x4 piece of plywood onto the face of the net there will be holes. That's the beauty of the box game over field. It's harder. It's more physical, faster, tougher, and more difficult to master. We don't need higher scoring games, leave that to basketball.

That being said.......as the father of a young goaltender kids are being put in equipment that is far too big for them. My son has his own equipment that was fit for him. He can move, run and throw the ball well. I see other kids in competition that can't get their hands together close enough to grasp a stick to throw. They're told to hold the stick between their legs and shuffle. These kids will never get the chance to become good goalies. This is where I agree witht the agument to a point.

If the equipment is legal, fine. If it's the largest possible size and the kid or adult can still play effective in it, fine. But when they are putting people in equipment for the sole purpose of being bigger, they are taking away from the game.

However, it's no different than player sticks. Length and head pinch cheats. No one is screaming about illegal pinches or short shafts. Is it fair for defenders or goaltenders that nearly every player on the floor (myself included) is using an almost illegal stick? No, It doesn't make any difference. A defender can still dislodge the ball, the ball doesn't always go in the net, we're lacking the reach that others might have.

Goalies are checked before everygame, imagine what would happen if the players sticks were all checked prior to play.

Lacrosse is about finding the edge. The closest possible point to that edge that still offers you an advantage. Goalies will get to a point where "bigger" steps over that line and they no longer have an advantage.

[BoxGoalie30]

I am going to have to disagree on the Hockey chest protector comments guys. I play with a CCM Vector Chest protector in Box. There is no difference in the protection a hockey chest gives you compared to the protection a box chest gives you. I'm telling you, the only difference between the hockey chest and the lacrosse chest is that they took the elbow cups from the back to widen the arm area, and added some padding up and down the arms.. and lets not forget the genius who decided it would be a great idea to put football shoulders on a chest protector.

Think about it guys, a hockey puck and a lacrosse ball, about the same, both arent going to feel to great if hit. Sure the hockey puck usually stays low to the ice (as stated above) but you do have those risers that the players can get on you, and do you think the companies are like, oh well the odds of someone getting hit by a slap riser are slim, so lets not give them as much protection up top as we could, but lets go crazy down low!! If you guys would play just one game with a Hockey chest, I bet it would change your mind and you would save yourself some money, granted you are going to have to be playing your angles better.

[laxgoalieking]

I think there's a bigger picture here and this post is more personal than originally thought. Do you really care about the effect on the game or is this post about you? Is this really about your position in the lax goalie world and a resentment towards those that have the means to drop $900 on some Boddam Pro series because you can't? Are you bitter about not playing junior and being intermediate? Did some guy with money take your job, an you believe the only reason he got the job was his gear not his skills? I don't know you that's why I ask, this isn't the first time you've ragged on big gear or Boddams or the lack of skill of others.. what's the deal?
WOW.....once again referr to the latter quote


If for some reason you think im upset at being cut from the junior squad, you've been severly mislead. My goal going into the warriors camp, and later the gaels, was to get noticed, and show what i could bring to future Green Gaels squads. A feat I, and others, beleived I accomplished with my play on the floor at the classic. Now was i dissappointed? Yes, who wouldnt be after giving up one goal in 2 games, espeacily since the one goal was a 5 on 3 powerplay for the saints. I learned alot from attending both camps, evenmore so after waldo took me somewhat under his wing. Getting cut was without doubt one of the better things that has happened in my lacrosse career. Now i get to play for two great coaches in the Richards brothers, aswell as work with a great goaltending coach, a great grpup of players, And most importantly improve my game as much as possible so i can make that jump to the next level.

I agree that hockey chest pads are not for lacrosse, their designed to stop shots from the feet not from the shoulder hight that lacrosse is played at. The smaller equipment will sort the good goalies from the plugs, It will force golaies to play their angles properly and use their reflexes.

Roadies- last time i checked the NLL was a 14 team league, I dont doubt that the rock and other canadian teams help develope lacrosse in canada. But the league as a whole does nothing to help, they just take.

[#15Roadies]

"But the league as a whole does nothing"

Because the league as a whole is not a whole lot more than a sum of its parts. I doubt the folks at the NLL head office aren't paid much more than the paid folks at the OLA head office. But that isn't the point. I think this semi-pro model depends on its membership teams to take care of the promotion in their own cities and areas.

I mean, how much coin do you think Arizona has once all the bills are paid? Not much, and certainly much less to give away to the CLA, OLA or WLA.

[slinkyspine]

For the Hockey C/A dispute.


Yes, a hockey chest protector is a slightly smaller, and protective option. Also it is usually cheaper. Don't buy into cost, please do not. A hockey chest protector is for things going from low to high. A lacrosse ball come high to low. If you wear a hockey c/a you are liable to break a collar bone or a shoulder. Since the protection isn't meant for impacts from above, oftem the collar sticks out to protect the low angle. This leaves valuable unprotected areas, for a travelling ball to hit.


The way each are designed, they should NOT be switched for use in the game it wasn't designed for.




Think of it this way. Would you wear a hockey helmet on a bicycle or a bike helmet for hockey? Hell no, because that would be dumb and unprotective. Same principal applies, not to the extent, but similar.

[PCO6]

... If you wear a hockey c/a you are liable to break a collar bone or a shoulder. I've played, coached, refereed and watched a lot of games since the days when goalies generally wore baseball cather's equipment in net and I've never seen a broken collar bone or shoulder from a shot. I'm not saying it hasn't happened but if it has it must be pretty rare.

[slinkyspine]

I bruised my collar from a shot in hockey, and the protection is designed for that, it could eaisly happen.

[goaliedownunder]

the gear i had before my boddam uppers allowed shots to hit the inner part of my collarbone, near the neck, resulting in massive bruising, but luckily no breaks. this was from shots coming down vertically on me, unlike a rising slapshot. if i were wearing hockey uppers, with the decreased protection from this angle (for obvious hockey-related reasons) i would surely have suffered a worse fate.

IMO, only the newer gear on the market even protects you from feeling a shot in the belly, or leg, or the arms. the padding is finally protective enough to protect, rather than just stopping the ball, if that makes sense.

im all for measuring goalies and their pads, and with my new boddam gear passed all tests before the games at the world last week. all i need as a goalie is legality, and protection. i dont care about the size as a major factor, just protection.

my $0.02

[RichWutLax]

i played a team last week , the goalie was the size of the net WITHOUT pads on , then she went and put boddam uppers and legs on and then had a wooden stick she didnt move the whole game , just a little to the left and a little to the right ...ridiculous ..

[goaliedownunder]

that would be a sight to see!

but the rules say "fitting to the contours of the body" (or something like that!), so if the team was lucky enough to find a 4x4 goalie WITHOUT pads, good on them! and as long as the goalie was measured and passed, so what. its not like the goalie is 5'5'', 140lb wearing oversized gear and taking up the whole goal, which i think is a bigger problem than finding someone with the natural traits of a box goalie (ie 4x4 without pads!!)

i might be crazy, but im pretty sure my team would replace me with a square, short goalie if he/she was that big!!

[vimoose]

my son, a first year midget has played midget,Int B and even Junior A this year. He has practiced regularly with the Junior A and he needs the safest gear available. There are rules and the Boddams are tagged and legal. He was wearing STX leg guards and Maxlax uppers last year and the start of this year. He is now wearing Boddam uppers and leg guards and he tells me the difference in protection is incredible. The Boddam uppers are cooler to wear and the leg guards are also better fitting with the two set of straps in them. The bottom line is safety..my 15 year feels safer and more comfortable facing shots coming from 21 year olds wearing the Boddams,that is all I need to hear .

[CanisDufus]

If you guys would play just one game with a Hockey chest, I bet it would change your mind and you would save yourself some money, granted you are going to have to be playing your angles better.

Played a season with an Eagle Fusion C/A, big and protective for hockey but painfull for lacrosse. Never again.

I have played senior with guys clocked at 120+ MPH compared to roughly 85 MPH for hockey. On top of shots from above or below and a 40+ MPH gain in speed you have unpredictability of where the shot is coming from. In hockey you know the puck is coming from the ice, but in lacrosse a shot faked high can quickly go low and vice versa. In lacrosse it is also easier to make the goalie lose track of the ball, making it more likely you will take a shot while unprepared.

[PCO6]

I have played senior with guys clocked at 120+ MPH

Those guys must be good! The NLL's 2007 hardest shot competition was won by Josh Sims at 102 mph which is what I believe John Grant Jr. shot in 2006.

[slinkyspine]

Those guys must be good! The NLL's 2007 hardest shot competition was won by Josh Sims at 102 mph which is what I believe John Grant Jr. shot in 2006.
However true that may be, there are some not so athletic people in mens leagues and such that arent amazing runners, dodgers, hitters... really have no outstanding qualities. Except their shot.


Similar to golf, there are people who can't do anything execept drive it 400 yards. I'm sure theres people who shoot 110 mph + with a run and wind up but can't do much else and thats why they never went anywhere.

If I take a run and swing a underhand as hard as I can... I can get it to 94 mph



Would that happen in a game? No, since 15 steps isnt gonna happen. But none the less I can get it in the 90's

[CanisDufus]

Those guys must be good! The NLL's 2007 hardest shot competition was won by Josh Sims at 102 mph which is what I believe John Grant Jr. shot in 2006.

120 may slightly high (not much) but 102 seems low for a pro to me, I searched google and got something similar :DOH: However I'm guessing you need to be somewhat accurate for the radar to register? If they whip it as hard as possible and miss the net, it's no good. So isn't possible they are holding back to retain some accuracy since in a skills competition you only get so many attempts?

[PCO6]

The hardest shots registered at the NLL and the NHL All Star game skills competitions over past number of years have been surprisingly close (slightly over 100 mph). The competitions are pretty simple - hit the net - the speed gets recorded. There may be lacrosse and hockey players who are not playing in the pros that can shoot harder but I'd be surprised.

[slinkyspine]

The hardest shots registered at the NLL and the NHL All Star game skills competitions over past number of years have been surprisingly close (slightly over 100 mph). The competitions are pretty simple - hit the net - the speed gets recorded. There may be lacrosse and hockey players who are not playing in the pros that can shoot harder but I'd be surprised.
In hockey for sure, once in a while a guy in Junior B or Senior AAA will shoot in 100-110, just because thats one of the things that got them there. Lacking many skills, but if you just let go a shot capable of killing a goalie you'll be looked at. Same goes for lacrosse.

[FergusGOALIE]

lol brock brings me up but its true the ref laughed and said there was no point in measuring me although he did still

[OldPtboBoy]

While most shots do not reach 100 mph the fact remains that a 40-50 mph shot to an unprotected area is going to do some damage. 60-70 could mess you up a bit. 80 and up will quite likely break a bone and or cause some internal damage.

A 50 mph shot coming down from an overhead shot will hurt a goaltender that is unprotected. The only reason I could see for making equipment smaller is no goals being scored. That would hurt the game. Making the nets larger with an equipment size cap would be another option...........but...........

Goals are being scored. Goals are being scored in MSL/WLA using a 4x4 net, at the same rate as they are in the NLL in a 4x4'6" net. All of the goaltenders are using the largest possible legal (or illegal) equipment. The talent in the game has progressed to the point that smaller goaltenders could end up letting in twenty goals a game. Would that be exciting? I don't think so. How would you define a goalie duel? A twenty to nineteen game? Would a great goals against average in the future be 17?

Cap the equipment size? You could, but, you can't cap the size of the goalie. You can't cap the amount of net that a goalie can legally take up.

(d) Arm and Chest Pad: Shoulder cap protectors must follow the contour of the shoulder cap in a rounded manner without any pointed or squared projections / extensions beyond the shoulder. The contoured padding must not be more than five inches (5") in width outside the said goaltenders most outer bone point on each side. In addition the padding may not climb higher than three inches (3") above the plane of the said goaltenders shoulder.

If we were to cap the amount of net that a goaltender could legally take up guys like Mike Miron would be underprotected. You take a very large guy and restrict his protection? Not fair. That being said you would open the door for a smaller goalie (as laxgoalie king said) to over protect and create additional bulk using pads. The only other option would be restricting the size of the actual player in the net. Goalies can only be between the dimensions of 5' to 6', with shoulders no wider than 46" and a waist size of 36. Inseam measurements and arm length measurements would be required. That way only one set, brand and size of goal equipment would be used without augmentation. Both the goalie and his equipment could be measured before the game. You get too fat? You're out. You work out too much? You're out. You have a growth spurt? You're out.

I know that's both a little extreme and alot rediculous but it's pretty much what you would have to go to in order to make all things equal. The league and association now define and decide what equipment is legal. They define the size of the nets. It is one all encompassing and very general rulebook. Everybody has the right and opportunity to use it to their advantage or the disadvantage of an opponent. But that's always been a part of the game too.

[lax goalie94]

i got to agree with stonewall(about the hockey vs lacrosse pads), i get welts even with my lacrosse uppers! :roll:

[axemen lacrosse]

i got to aggree with you, goalie are to big. as i goalie myself i think the chest protectors are way to big. either you make the nets bigger or make the pads smaller. or maybe make the creace a bit smaller

[OldPtboBoy]

I never thought I'd see the day that a goalie would wish himself a disadvantage "axemen". Not only smaller equipment, but larger nets and smaller crease........Are you sure you're a goalie????
I wouldn't think so. For a guy that's 5'6" and a hundred and fifty pounds I'd think that you'd need some protection. I'm by no means saying that your not, my son's three foot nine and 60 lbs. (and a goalie) But he's not wishing bigger nets on himself, or less protective equipment.

Why not just take the first ten shots with no equipment and then play with soccer nets in the third period? No actually that would be field lacrosse.