Gear file for lacrosse — girls.

Girls lacrosse is a non-contact sport (with rule-defined stick contact and minimal body contact). The equipment is much lighter than boys’. The sticks are not the same, the stringing rules are not the same, and the gear is not interchangeable with boys’ lacrosse.

One more thing before the list: girls lacrosse requires goggles. Not optional. Not “recommended.” Required at every organized level. Buy them at the same time as the stick.

Some links on this page are affiliate links to Amazon. We earn a commission if you buy; the price you pay does not change. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Ages 5–7 (Starter / Intro)

This is the year of let’s-try-this. The entire kit at this age is stick, goggles, mouthguard, and cleats. That is it. Don’t overbuy.

A youth girls lacrosse stick

Girls sticks are different from boys sticks. Different head shape, different stringing rules, shorter overall length. Buy a girls-specific starter stick, not a hand-me-down from an older brother.

How to choose: 35 to 38 inches is the right length for this age band. Look for a stick that is already strung with a beginner pocket — shallow stringing that lets a 5-year-old actually scoop the ball off the ground. A deep pocket on a starter stick fights the kid instead of helping them.

Goggles (required — buy these first)

Girls lacrosse requires ASTM-certified goggles at every organized level. This is not a boys’ game rule that trickled down. This is a girls-specific requirement and it exists for good reason. The ball can fly and sticks make contact. Goggles are not optional gear.

How to choose: goggles should fit snugly without pressing on the cheeks or resting on the nose. The frame should sit about a finger-width above the eyebrow. The chin cup should be snug.

A mouthguard

Required. A boil-and-bite mouthguard is all you need.

Cleats

Soccer cleats work for girls lacrosse at the youth level.

Ages 8–12 (Junior / Developmental)

Stick skills start to separate players. The gear list stays the same.

A better girls stick

At this age, position-specific sticks start to matter for some players. Most kids are fine with a general-purpose stick at 36–40 inches.

Ages 13+ (Middle school, high school, and travel)

High school provides the team jersey. You provide stick, goggles, mouthpiece, and cleats.

A few honest notes

Girls and boys lacrosse are two different sports. Different sticks, different goggles, different rules, different culture. Don’t mix the gear.

Used gear is plentiful. Annual gear swaps happen in February and March in lacrosse-heavy markets. thing beyond that is optional.

Ages 8–10 (First real season)

By 8 or 9, your kid has played a season and knows if she likes it. The gear can get a little more serious. The stick is still the most important investment.

An upgraded stick

After a season or two, a kid will outgrow both the size and the setup of a starter stick. At 8 to 10, a stick in the 38 to 40 inch range with a little more structure in the head gives better control at speed.

Girls sticks have specific stringing rules that matter more as kids improve. The pocket cannot be too deep — the ball cannot drop below the bottom edge of the head when the stick is held level. This is a rule the ref checks. Most kids at this age start developing stringing preferences, and most lacrosse shops will restring a head for a small fee.

How to choose: Have your kid hold the stick at the throat (just below the head) and swing through a cradle. It should feel balanced, not head-heavy. A head-heavy stick tires the wrist fast.

Goggles that fit now

If your kid has grown, check the goggle fit before the season starts. Goggles that fit at 7 don’t always fit at 9. The frame should sit flush to the face without gaps at the temple.

Lacrosse-specific cleats (optional)

Mid-cut lacrosse cleats add ankle support, which matters on field turf and once speed increases. Not necessary at 8, useful by 10 especially if she’s playing a lot of games.

Gloves (optional)

Gloves are not required in girls lacrosse but some kids prefer them for grip and to cut down on stick sting from a hard check. Lightweight receiver-style gloves work. Full lacrosse gloves are overkill for most players at this age.

Practice balls

NOCSAE-stamped lacrosse balls for backyard wall ball and driveway practice. White or yellow are easier to track than the standard orange or green for wall work.

Ages 11–12 (Goggles required, position gear starts to matter)

This is the age where girls lacrosse gets real. The skill gaps widen. Positions become defined. Coaches start talking about attack versus midfield versus defense, and the gear choices follow.

A position-appropriate stick

Attack players want a stick with a tighter pocket and faster release. Defenders want more length and a pocket that holds through a check. Most players in the 11 to 12 range don’t know their permanent position yet — buy a general-purpose setup and let the coach guide from there.

Head shape matters at this age. Narrow heads give more accuracy. Wide heads give more catching surface. For a kid still figuring out her position, a mid-width head is the right call.

Upgraded goggles

By 11, a player’s face has changed enough that youth goggles may not fit. Higher-end goggle models in the standard adult size offer better visibility and less fogging. Look for models with a softer face gasket — it’s more comfortable during long games and sits better under a ponytail.

How to choose: hold the goggles up and look through the lenses before buying. The field of vision should feel natural, not pinched. Try them on over a game-day ponytail since that changes the fit at the back.

Mouthguard — still required, and now more important

By this age, girls are running faster and stick contact is harder. A better-fitting mouthguard is worth the upgrade. Boil-and-bite still works. Custom dental mouthguards are available through dentists for around $50 and are noticeably more comfortable for kids who complain about the standard type.

Arm pads or arm guards (optional)

Girls lacrosse allows arm pads. Not required, but a player who plays defense or takes a lot of stick checks will feel it on the forearm by mid-season. Lightweight arm guards are available in youth and adult sizes.

What about helmets?

Girls high school lacrosse added optional soft headgear in 2018 (via the NFHS rule change). It is not required at the youth or middle school level in most states. A few programs and individual coaches encourage it; most do not require it. If your kid had a head impact and is coming back from a concussion protocol, it is worth discussing with her doctor.

Girls lacrosse helmets are soft-shell, not hard-shell like hockey or football helmets. They are not the same as boys lacrosse helmets.

Ages 13–14 (Upgraded sticks, club consideration, recruiting visibility)

By 13 or 14, the girls who are staying in the sport are playing year-round. The gear investment is real. Club and travel lacrosse starts to dominate the calendar.

A high-end stick

At this age, the stick is personal. Head shape, pocket setup, shaft flex and weight — players have real preferences and their game reflects the gear they use. This is the age where your kid should help pick the stick, not you.

How to choose: let her handle multiple heads before buying. The pocket should feel like an extension of her hands when she cradles at full speed. She will know within a few seconds if a head is right.

A full gear check

Before the season starts, run through everything: goggles fit and are not scratched, mouthguard is intact, cleats still fit, stick stringing is legal. A goggle lens scratched enough to impair vision is a liability in a fast game.

Club and travel play

Club lacrosse adds a second (and sometimes third) full season. The gear requirements stay the same, but the volume goes up. Some club programs have preferred stick brands or specific goggle models. Check with the program before buying.

At this age, recruiting visibility starts to matter for the top players. College coaches watch club tournaments. None of that has anything to do with the gear list, but it changes how families think about the investment.

Stick bag or backpack

A lacrosse-specific backpack or stick bag carries the shaft without it getting dinged. Not critical at 11, pretty useful by 14 when a kid owns two sticks (game and backup) and a full gear kit.

How girls’ lacrosse rules change what you buy

Three things are different from the boys’ game, and they affect the gear list directly.

Goggles, not helmets. Boys lacrosse requires a full helmet. Girls lacrosse requires ASTM-certified goggles. This is the biggest gear difference at every age. Girls goggles are sport-specific — swimming goggles, ski goggles, and safety glasses are not legal substitutes.

No body contact. Girls lacrosse prohibits body-to-body contact. Some stick checking is allowed. This is why girls do not need shoulder pads, chest protectors, or the full pad kit boys use. It also means a different kind of athleticism — footwork and positioning matter more than physical toughness.

Pocket rules. The pocket in a girls stick cannot be too deep. When the stick is held horizontally, the ball must sit at or above the bottom edge of the head — the ball cannot sink below the sidewall. This rule gets checked. A stick that passes the test in September may fail in March after the mesh has stretched through the season. Have the stringing checked before playoffs.

How to choose a girls stick

Three checks.

One. Length. 35 to 43 inches across all ages. The stick should reach about chin height when held head-up at the player’s side. Shorter for control; longer for reach on defense.

Two. Pocket. Beginner pockets are shallow and easier to scoop. Girls’ stringing rules are stricter than boys’. New players want shallow; experienced players will customize. Any lacrosse shop can restring a head. It is worth doing at the start of every season.

Three. Weight balance. Hold the stick at the throat (just below the head). It should feel balanced, not head-heavy. A head-heavy stick fatigues the wrist and slows the cradle. If it feels awkward to you holding it, it will feel awkward to a 9-year-old trying to run with it.

If you don’t know what you’re buying, take your kid to a lacrosse-specific shop. They will help you choose the right setup.

A few honest notes

Boys and girls lacrosse sticks are not interchangeable. The heads are shaped differently, the stringing rules are different, and a boys’ deep-pocket setup is illegal in a girls’ game.

Used lacrosse gear is plentiful. Most lacrosse-heavy regions have annual gear swaps in February or March. Worth showing up — you can find helmets, sticks, and goggles at a fraction of retail.

The gear cost from age 5 to age 12 is manageable. Club ball from 13 to 17 is where the real money goes. Go in knowing that.