How do they differ?

How Women’s Field Lacrosse Differs from Men’s Field Lacrosse

• Physical contact: The main difference between men’s and women’s lacrosse comes down to contact. In the men’s game, body-checking is legal — and encouraged (especially by coaches) — while in the women’s game, it is not. As a result, there is far less protective equipment in the women’s game: Men wear helmets, mouth guards, gloves, shoulder pads, elbow pads, and often ribs pads, whereas women wear mouth guards and protective eyewear, but (with the exception of goalies) no helmets or padding.
• Number of players: In the men’s game, 10 players are on the field — three attack, three midfielders, three defensemen, and a goaltender. In the women’s game, there are 12 players on the field — four attack, three midfielders, four defense, and a goaltender.
• Sticks: Men's sticks have deeper pockets - the place where the ball is held. All women players must have a short stick (except for goalies) when men defenders are allowed to play with a long pole. All goalies use a specialed goalie stick.