If you have ever watched a game of lacrosse, then you may have noticed that whenever a player scores a goal, they drop their stick. If you have ever wondered why this happens, then this article will contain all the information you need.
Why Do Women’s Lacrosse Players Drop Their Sticks?
The reason that players drop their sticks after they have scored a goal is to enable any checks to be carried out if required. When a goal has been scored, then the opposition can ask for the stick of the player to be checked to ensure there are not any problems with it.
If the stick is dropped immediately, then there is no chance for the player to tamper with the stick. When a goal is scored, all the other players will look to the scorer to ensure that they have dropped their stick.
What Checks May Need To Be Carried Out?
There could be a number of reasons why the opposition would want to check out the stick after a goal has been scored. The main reason is to make sure that the goal should be allowed. If the stick that is used to score the goal is discovered to be illegal, then the goal will not be allowed to stand.
The checks that are carried out will usually be measuring the length of the stick or ensuring that the strings on the stick are all arranged as they are supposed to be.
What Happens If The Checks Uncover A Problem?
If there was a problem with the stick then the player would have to start using a new one immediately. The goal that they have just scored will also be cancelled.
In most cases, if a problem is uncovered, it is because of a genuine mistake rather than a deliberate attempt at cheating. A player would not really get away with using a bigger stick without it being noticed, but there could be an issue with the netting that could be a potential problem.
How Do You Know If A Lacrosse Stick Is Legal?
Experienced players can just look at a stick and know whether it is illegal. The main visual clue would be that the stick is bigger than normal. Sticks that are used by attacking and midfield players will be between 40 and 42 inches in length. The sticks that are used by defenders and goalkeepers are longer and so players in an attacking position should not be using any of these longer sticks.
A lacrosse stick should also not have any extra strings, which is something that is harder to spot. There should also be no strings that dangle down from the net. It is possible for the strings to move into an illegal position while the game is being played and so this is something that really needs to be checked.
What Would Happen If A Player Did Not Drop Their Stick?
If a player did not drop their stick after they scored a goal, then it would be unlikely that the goal would stand. This is because it could not be proven either way if the stick was illegal when the goal was scored. The player may also face other sanctions, but this will be at the discretion of the referee.
How Does This Rule Differ From Men’s Lacrosse?
The main difference in respect of dropping your stick after scoring between men and women is that men do not have to automatically drop their stick. This does sometimes happen, but only if they have been asked by the referee.
This is not the only difference between the mens and womens game, but it is one that stands out as being quite obvious. When you become used to seeing the women drop their sticks, it is very noticeable when men don’t do this.
Final Verdict
Lacrosse can be a very interesting game to watch, but it may seem confusing if you are not aware of all the rules. This article should give you a better understanding of why women players throw their sticks on the floor after they have scored a goal.
This is something you may see quite often if you are lucky enough to be watching a game with a lot of goals.