Women's Lacrosse - Helmets or No Helmets?

When the average person sees a women’s lacrosse game for the first time, they often conclude that women’s lacrosse and men’s lacrosse are similar – similar at least until they actually watch a men’s lacrosse game.  Immediately it is obvious that these games are quite different.  In fact, some rather tongue in cheek smugly claim that the women’s game is not really lacrosse at all.  It looks more like a glorified game of freeze tag, while the men’s game more resembles an amped up hockey game that allows high sticking!

One very noticeable difference is that the guys are decked out in pads and armor like “Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots,” while the girls are wearing their dainty skirts and little face masks.  The girls don’t wear helmets, but why?  Both games involve fast, strong athletes using sticks to hurtle a hard rubber ball at speeds that can eclipse a fastball pitcher in baseball.  The guys dress like it is war, and the girls dress like they will never get hit.

This is because women’s lacrosse is designed to NOT be a contact sport.  Men’s lacrosse is a game where you can body check your opponent, and pummel him with a stick and you won’t get into trouble!  Many casual spectators and parents are more aware of concussions because of recent publicity the injury has received in professional sports, particularly football.  They are beginning to urge US Lacrosse to sanction similar hard helmets for women players like what the men wear.  Soft helmets are already sanctioned, but critics are concerned that they really only protect against contusions not concussions.

Soft Women's Lacrosse Helmets

However, if women’s lacrosse adopts hard helmets, it will fundamentally change the game.  A hard helmet will more than subtly communicate that women’s lacrosse is actually a contact sport like the men’s game.  Helmets tend to give a player a sense of invincibility so she may play much more physically that she may otherwise play without a helmet.  More physical play raises the risk of concussion not diminishes it.  Following on the heels of helmets will be the rest of the pads and armor that is characteristic of the men’s game.  While helmets would make the women’s game more like the men’s game, there is a certain elegance and grace to the women’s game that likely would be lost.

If anything should be added to the women’s game, rather than helmets, women should wear knee and ankle braces.  Leg and ankle injuries are far more common in the women’s game than concussions.  And while the women’s game is becoming more physical with bigger and stronger players, the risk of concussion can be reduced by more aggressive enforcement by referees of the 7 inch no-check halo around the player’s head.  While helmets may seem an important safety addition to women’s lacrosse, they actually could do more harm than good.