A lacrosse ball is the solid

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...

ball that is used, with a

lacrosse stick A lacrosse stick or crosse is used to play the sport of lacrosse. Players use the lacrosse stick to handle the ball and to strike or "check" opposing players' sticks, causing them to drop the ball. The head of a lacrosse stick is roughly triangular ...

, to play the sport of

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

. It is typically white for men's lacrosse, or yellow for women's Lacrosse; but is also produced in a wide variety of colours. The old

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

specifications are: ;Mass: 140 g – 147 g ;Diameter: 62.7 mm – 64.7 mm ;Rebound: From 1,800 height 1,092 – 1292 mm (70% rebound from falling point) ;Rubber content: 65% The new

specifications are: Color: Can be white, yellow or orange Circumference: 7 3/4 and 8 inches Weight: 5 and 5 1/2 ounces Must be solid rubber Ball must also be dropped from a height of 72 inches upon floor and needs to bounce at least 43 to 51 inches . According to the 2015 and 2016 Men's Lacrosse Rules and Interpretations: "The ball shall be white, yellow, orange or lime green smooth or slightly textured solid rubber. The ball must meet the current NOCSAE lacrosse ball standard." Later, in further defining the required specifications, the document states: "The measurements for the ball shall include the following: The ball shall be of white, yellow, or orange solid rubber. The ball may measure between 7 3/4 and 8 inches in circumference. The ball may weigh between 5 and 5 1/4 ounces in weight." Beginning with the 2014 season, all three governing bodies for lacrosse in the United States (

US Lacrosse USA Lacrosse is the national governing body of men and women's lacrosse in the United States. It provides a leadership role in virtually every aspect of the game and has more than 450,000 members throughout the United States, and offers programs a ...

, NFHS,

) have mandated that only balls meeting the NOCSAE ball standard may be used for competition. Balls must be emblazoned with the words "Meets NOCSAE Standard" in order to be deemed legal for play by game officials. Starting by June 2016, all lacrosse balls have had to meet the new NOCSAE Standard. for use in official NCAA and NFHS play. Canadian official games require CLA approvals.

History

Originally known as "stickball", the earliest lacrosse balls were made from wood and later from buckskins filled with fur. These were made naturally and was meant to keep the game connected with nature. This was until Dr. William George Beers in 1860 codified the rules including having the ball made with rubber.

Manufacturers

The only US manufacturer of Lacrosse Balls is Guardian with the PEARL X Lacrosse Ball. It is the only lacrosse ball with a 100% grease free warranty. PEARL X lacrosse balls are made of polyurethane vs latex rubber that hardens and becomes slick over time. It is similar to the innovation Titleist made with it ProV-1 golf ball when they replaced Balata rubber balls with their polyurethane ProV-1 in 2001. Other brands import their latex rubber lacrosse balls from China:

Warrior Sports Warrior Sports is an American sports equipment manufacturer based in Warren, Michigan. The company currently focuses on ice hockey and lacrosse, producing sticks, helmets, gloves, goalie masks, and protective gear for both sports. Warrior enter ...

, STX,

Brine Brine is a high-concentration solution of salt (NaCl) in water (H2O). In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawater, on the lower end of that of solutions used for br ...

, Champro, Wolf. Signature Lacrosse was removed from the SEI certified list in 2020 and 2021 for falsifying safety specifications to the NOCSAE organization and were selling unsafe lacrosse balls. Wolf Athletics is the official ball supplier of the

Premier Lacrosse League Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) is an American professional field lacrosse league, composed of 8 teams. The league's inaugural season debuted on June 1, 2019, and included a 14-week tour-based schedule taking place in 12 major-market cities. The le ...

. ≈ On January 14, 2022 at the US Lacrosse Convention, REPS Lacrosse revealed the first "Smart" Lacrosse Ball dubbed the "R1 by REPS". The ball comes equipped with an patented embedded suite of sensors which tie into th
REPS Lacrosse App
This marked the first major development in lacrosse ball technology since the PEARL-X lacrosse ball introduced a "non-grease" ball.

References

{{Lacrosse topics

Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

Ball A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but can sometimes be ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used f ...

https://www.nfhs.org/media/3812049/2020-sei-user-notice-sl-17.pdf