Straight Shooters: What's Wrong with This Picture?
by Matt Zash | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online | Zash Archive
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| LMO's Matt Zash explains exactly what's wrong with, and
the story behind, the photo in the above ad. Follow the link below
for advice from any of our "Straight Shooters." |
I just received the March 2009 issue of LM. As I flipped
through the pages, I came to notice the advertisement for Talon
Lacrosse just after page 12. I was wondering if you could give me a
judgment call on the stick of the attackman in the orange shirt. It
appears to me that his pocket is way too deep. A bag like that
would've been illegal in the late 80s and early 90s. Is that legal
today? Thank you.
- Patrick Tighe, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Patrick,
In case you were wondering, I’m 50 percent sure the culprit in the advertisement is Cort Kim. The picture was taken last October during the 2008 Hawaii Lacrosse Invitational in Honolulu. In Cort’s—or Blake’s—defense, there was a steady downpour throughout the three-day event, which only helped the pocket to sag deeper and deeper.
As a first-hand witness to the stick in question, the only thing I can compare it to is a crab net.
Anyway, back to the question. No, the stick is not legal today.
According to Section 19 of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Rule
Book:
"No player may use a crosse that has stringing that retards the normal and free dislodgement of the ball by an opponent. The pocket shall be deemed to have sagged too deeply if the top surface of a lacrosse ball, when placed therein, is below the bottom edge of the side wall…"
From my understanding, the National Lacrosse League (NLL) is the
only lacrosse league in which you are allowed to exceed those
limitations and have a pocket up to 5” deep, measured from
the outside edge of the head.
For more information on lacrosse stick regulations you can visit
www.uslacrosse.org.
Best,
Matt
ABOUT STRAIGHT SHOOTERS
We get questions all the time to which, frankly, we don't have the answers. Luckily, we've got four pros on hand.
Matt Zash, a former Duke All-American, currently plays for the NLL's New York Titans and MLL's Long Island Lizards. Lindsey Biles a former Princeton All-American and Tewaaraton Trophy finalist, ranks second all-time among scorers there. Rashad Devoe is a lacrosse-specific strength and conditioning coach that has worked with some of the best players in the country for over 13 years. Nathaniel Badder is the officials training and education manager for US Lacrosse.
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