Beginner lacrosse kit: first find out which game, and whose rules.

First: which game, and whose rule book

World Lacrosse governs four disciplines, men's field, women's field, box and sixes, each with its own rule book. Men's and women's field lacrosse are different games, and their equipment rules are never interchangeable. The World Lacrosse books current on 23 October 2026 are men's field 2025-2027 v1.0 (a v1.1 dated January 2026 exists but was not read for this site), women's field 2025-2026 v1.0 (a v1.1 dated March 2025 exists but was not read), box 2026-2028 v2.0 (May 2026) and sixes 2026-2028 v2.0 (May 2026). The men's field book applies to World Lacrosse competitions, and each national body may set its own start date and vary the rules for national play.

In the United States, USA Lacrosse writes the youth rules for 14U and below, the NFHS writes the high school rules (boys' and girls' separately), and the NCAA writes the college rules. The NFHS and NCAA rule books were not read for this site, so this guide gives only what their published change summaries and releases say. USA Lacrosse's youth rule books could not be opened on the research date, so its youth equipment rules are not confirmed here; the youth kit guide says what is known. The quickest answer for any beginner is the rule book the league names: check the rule your league uses.

Coaching comes before gear

We suggest starting through a programme or club with qualified coaches, who will also cover sizing and fit; this guide describes neither. USA Lacrosse's Bronze coach certification, required of all its active coach members, covers a background check, abuse prevention training, cardiac care, concussion awareness, cultural competency and an annual rules test; Lacrosse Canada's coaching runs through the National Coaching Certification Program. See how people learn and wheelchair and adaptive lacrosse. This site does not recommend any club, coach, camp, shop or maker.

Men's field: what the rules require

Glove palms show why the code matters: World Lacrosse lets men's field players cut the palms out, while the NFHS requires them fully covered. Each rule applies only to its own games. The detail is on gloves and pads and helmets and NOCSAE.

Women's field: what the rules require

Under the World Lacrosse women's field rules (2025-2026, v1.0), every player wears a professionally made mouthguard covering all upper teeth (Rule 6.A.5); field players may wear close-fitting gloves, nose guards or eye guards, but not headgear or face masks (Rule 6.A.2). World Lacrosse decided on 12 May 2026 to require eyewear, and permit soft-shell headgear, for women's field players at its events from the 2029 Women's U20 Championship (for eyewear, or an earlier continental qualifier for the 2030 Women's Championship). In the United States, eyewear has been mandatory at youth, scholastic and collegiate levels from 1 January 2005 under a May 2003 US Lacrosse decision (ISHN; MedStar Health; other sources date some school and college requirements to 2004, as the women's kit guide sets out), and USA Lacrosse made headgear optional, with any headgear worn under its rules required to meet ASTM F3137 from 1 January 2017 (still optional under NCAA, NFHS and USA Lacrosse rules in September 2021, per USA Lacrosse Magazine; the current books were not read). World Lacrosse's FAQ says women's field players are not required to wear commotio cordis protection, and no US source found requires it of girls' or women's field players, though the current girls' and women's rule books were not read. The women's lacrosse kit guide has each rule in full.

Box and sixes

Box (World Lacrosse 2026-2028, v2.0): Rule 2.5.1 requires protective gloves, shoulder or vest pads, rib pads, a helmet with facemask and chinstrap, and a mouthguard. Under Rule 2.5 the helmet and facemask combination must be approved by NOCSAE or the CSA and pass a ball and stick test, and from the 2028 Box Lacrosse World Championships shoulder pads must carry NOCSAE certification or a comparable standard and commotio cordis certification. Lacrosse Canada's box equipment page lists gloves, shoulder pads, bicep pads, elbow pads and kidney pads, without marking each as required or recommended, and warns that many field lacrosse elbow pads may not give the protection box lacrosse needs. Lacrosse Canada allows three helmet set-ups, set out on helmets and NOCSAE.

Sixes (World Lacrosse 2026-2028, v2.0): one book for women and men, with no body-checking. Men wear a helmet with facemask and gloves (Rule 2.4.1M), every player wears a mouthguard (Rule 2.4.2), and from the 2027 Sixes World Championships World Lacrosse events add certified helmets and shoulder pads for men and eyewear for women's sixes field players (Rule 2.4.1W). See sixes.

What no piece of kit does

Nothing in this guide says a product is certified, safe or legal. The standard on the label and the rule of the body running the game decide, and certification marks are checked by the officials and the governing body. No helmet is concussion prevention: NOCSAE's helmet standard ND041 requires a warning that no helmet protects against all impacts. No chest protector is commotio cordis prevention: NOCSAE's ND200 requires a warning that no protector can prevent all cardiac or other injury, and a 2023 review in Sports Medicine (Peng and colleagues) says registry studies and animal models have not shown chest barriers to prevent the arrhythmia. A suspected injury, a blow to the chest or head, or a suspected concussion needs medical care. See concussion by body and commotio cordis.

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