The Importance of Good Lacrosse Netting

Choose the Right Lacrosse Goal Netting for Your Indoor Lacrosse Facility

The importance of dependable netting for your lacrosse goals cannot be overstated. Lacrosse shots can reach speeds of 80 miles per hour or more, and good netting should hold up against the fastest of them (unless you like stopping often for mid-game maintenance!).

Using a poorly made net that breaks easily is also a serious safety hazard. Since lacrosse is a sport that allows players to position themselves behind the goal, a shot that isn’t stopped by the goal netting or the goalie could easily hit and injure a player.

It almost goes without saying that choosing high-quality netting for your lacrosse goals will save you time and money on goal maintenance, as well. Even though it may be more expensive upfront, a sturdy net will cut costs in the long run because it will last you quite a while. A cheap net will need to be repaired or replaced much more often.

The three most important factors to consider when shopping for new lacrosse goal netting are:

What Are the Dimensions of a Lacrosse Goal?

Most official outdoor lacrosse leagues across any level of play employ a 6’ x 6’ square goal net. However, on an indoor lacrosse field, the goals will usually be a 4’ x 4’ square. Make sure you know which type of goal your field will be using and pick a goal net to match the appropriate lacrosse net size.

Lacrosse goal netting also comes in a variety of thicknesses. Thicker netting will be able to withstand harder throws and wear more slowly, meaning less frequent maintenance. On the other hand, a thinner net is more lightweight and portable, and usually less expensive. A good choice for most lacrosse goal nets is a #21 twine size with a 3/4" square mesh.

The Best Net for Your Lacrosse Goals’ Purpose

The type of lacrosse goal netting you should use also depends on what you plan to do with your lacrosse goals. Practice goals generally use nets with rounded corners and are lightweight and easily portable. These are great for warming up on the sidelines or getting in some extra training at home in the backyard. Official goals that are intended for use during games have many heavier-duty frames with square, welded corners. If you are building or upgrading an indoor lacrosse facility, you need square goal netting that will fit the official goal style.

Better Ball Containment

Whether you’re playing lacrosse indoors or outdoors, no one likes chasing the ball when it goes out of bounds. A stray throw can grind the game to a halt and force everyone to wait while someone runs after the ball and searches for it. Barrier netting will help to contain the ball when it gets away from the players so that time isn’t wasted looking for lost balls, and the flow of the game isn’t interrupted.

Safer Players and Spectators

Using barrier netting will also keep everyone both on and off the field as safe as possible, which should be a primary concern in any sport. Lacrosse is a fast-paced, physical game, and there’s a lot of potential for injury if safety isn’t taken into account. Barrier netting will keep players protected by providing a sturdy, elastic material to catch them when they are pushed off balance and into the barrier. Netting is much more effective for this purpose than a hard wall or a flimsy barrier that could be knocked down or tripped over.

A barrier net will protect fans, as well. As already mentioned, it’s normal for lacrosse balls to travel at very high speeds, and any shots that are accidentally sent spectators’ way could hit and seriously injure someone. That’s definitely not the best way to experience a lacrosse game. Barrier netting will keep the ball away from fans, while still allowing them to fully see what’s happening on the field through the netting’s transparent mesh.

Easier Maintenance

Unlike a solid, permanent barrier, lacrosse netting is easy to remove and reinstall. This makes life much simpler when it’s time to repair or replace the net. It also provides the flexibility to adjust the barrier as needed for different purposes, or even transport it between different facilities.