Frequently asked questions.

Any age from 5 or 6 up through high school works. The typical progression is:

U9 / U11 (K–4th grade): Focus on stick skills, catching, throwing, ground balls. No body checking. Modified rules and shorter fields.

U13 (5th–6th): Introduction of controlled body contact and full-field play (boys). Positional play starts.

U15 / HS (7th grade+): Full rules, tryouts for competitive teams, spring HS season.

It's completely normal to start in high school with no prior experience. Local coaches expect it. The learning curve is fast because footwork and hand-eye skills from other sports carry over.

Basketball — off-ball movement, picks, spacing, transition.

Hockey — line changes on the fly, angles of pursuit on defense, physical play.

Soccer — endurance, field awareness, kick clears, goalie footwork.

Football — physicality (boys), tackling angles, blocking mechanics (screens).

Baseball — hand-eye coordination, throwing mechanics.

Most of the fastest-improving new lacrosse players played 2–3 of these.

Start with the main directory. Filter by age level and program type (Youth / Club / High School). The Huntsville Lacrosse Club is the primary youth pipeline in the area; each high school runs its own boys' and/or girls' teams. Most programs run a fall no-cut developmental season and a spring competitive season.

Required: NOCSAE-certified helmet, colored (non-clear) mouthguard, shoulder pads, arm pads, gloves, athletic supporter, and a legal boys' stick (40–42 in short-crosse for attack/midfield).

Also standard: cleats (soccer/football/lacrosse cleats work), athletic tape, water bottle, bag.

Goalies additionally need: a goalie stick, chest protector, throat guard, and (recommended) shin guards.

Starter packages from Dick's, STX, and Warrior run $250–$450 all-in. Higher-end helmets (Cascade LX / Warrior TII / Cascade S) alone are $200–$350.

Required: ASTM-certified girls' headgear (mandatory in most HS states as of 2022), goggles, mouthguard, and a legal girls' stick (35.5–43.25 in).

Also standard: cleats, gloves (optional but recommended), athletic tape, water bottle, bag.

Goalies additionally need: a goalie helmet with face mask, throat guard, chest protector, gloves, and shin guards.

Starter packages run $150–$300. Girls' sticks are typically less expensive than boys' sticks; the headgear standard is more recent so newer models may be pricier.

School lacrosse (HS): $0–$300 in program dues on top of equipment. Varies by school.

Club youth: $200–$800 per season depending on age and travel schedule. Add tournament fees and travel costs.

Elite travel club: $1,500–$4,000+ per year including tournaments, showcases, uniforms, and travel.

USA Lacrosse membership ($30–$45 per year) is required for most sanctioned events.

Yes. Many clubs offer loaner gear for first-year players, and starter clinics often provide sticks. Buy a stick first ($30–$80 for a beginner complete), watch a season, and then invest.

In Alabama, HS boys' and girls' lacrosse is a spring sport. Practice usually starts late January or early February; games run February through May, with playoffs in May.

Many programs also play fall ball (Aug–Oct), which is developmental and less structured — a great time for new players to try the sport.

Fall ball is the off-season developmental period between August and October. Games are usually lower stakes, teams mix players across grades, and rules are often modified. It's the ideal time for a new player to try lacrosse without the pressure of a competitive spring season.

Youth: 1–2 practices per week plus a Saturday game.

HS in-season: 4–6 practices per week plus 1–2 games.

Club/travel: 2–4 practices per week plus weekend tournaments once or twice a month.

Boys' (10 on the field): 1 goalie, 3 defensemen (long poles), 3 midfielders, 3 attackmen.

Girls' (12 on the field): 1 goalie, 5 defenders, 5 attackers, 1 center.

See our Rules page for a full breakdown.

HS boys': four 12-minute quarters (about 90 minutes real time).

HS girls': two 25-minute halves in traditional format, or four 12-minute quarters in shot-clock states.

College: four 15-minute quarters at both men's and women's levels.

Players catch, cradle (rotate the stick to keep the ball in the pocket), pass, and shoot with the crosse (stick). The ball can also be kicked, but not thrown by hand. On the ground, the ball is picked up by scooping it into the crosse pocket.

Faceoff (boys'): Players clamp the ball on the ground at midfield after each goal and to start each quarter.

Draw (girls'): Two centers hold their sticks back-to-back at hip height with the ball between them; the ball is released upward.

Structurally similar, but they play differently. Boys' lacrosse is a full-contact sport with heavier protective equipment; girls' lacrosse is a limited-contact sport designed to reward stick skills and positioning. The stick pockets, field markings, penalty structure, and number of players on the field are all different.

At the youth level, many small programs run co-ed teams for the youngest age groups. From ~U13 up, boys' and girls' programs are separate. Colleges compete strictly within their gendered division under NCAA rules.

Injury rates are comparable to soccer at the youth and HS level. The most common injuries are ankle sprains, muscle strains, contusions, and concussions. Boys' has a higher rate of impact-related injury; girls' has a higher rate of stick-related contusions and lower-body injuries.

Full protective equipment (helmet, mouthguard, pads for boys'; headgear, goggles, mouthguard for girls') dramatically reduces the severity of most incidents.

Alabama state law and NFHS / USA Lacrosse rules require any player suspected of having a concussion to be removed from play immediately and cleared in writing by a qualified health-care provider before returning. Coaches, officials, and parents all share this responsibility. See USA Lacrosse Safety.

Most competitive players do both. The school team gives you a peer group, a coach who sees you daily, and a spring competitive season. A club team lets you play year-round, get more reps, and travel to events with college coaches watching (starting around U15).

At the youngest ages (K–4), a single well-run recreational or club program is plenty.

A club team is any team not tied to a school — organized by a nonprofit, a coach, or a business. Club teams practice year-round (with breaks in HS season), travel to tournaments, and often focus on player development and recruiting exposure.

Under current NCAA rules, D-I and D-II coaches can't initiate individual communication with a player until September 1 of the player's junior year. Before that date, players can email coaches, attend camps, and visit campuses, but they won't get a personal reply from D-I/D-II staff. See the full timeline on our Recruiting page.

For D-I opportunities, in most cases yes — coaches recruit heavily from established club programs at events with lots of college coaches present. For D-II, D-III, MCLA (club college), and NAIA, the answer is more nuanced; HS film + solid grades + a good HS coach recommendation goes a long way.

Inside Lacrosse Power 100 (boys' national), Inside Lacrosse Women's rankings, MaxPreps state and national HS team rankings, USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America lists, and LaxNumbers for Alabama-specific boys' team rankings. All linked on our Recruiting page.

The main venues are John Hunt Park, Mill Creek Fields, and Joe Davis Stadium for tournaments and championship games. Most HS teams practice on their school's football or soccer fields. See Field Locations in the main directory.

Visit uahchargers.com. Charger Park hosts UAH men's and women's home games; single-game tickets, season tickets, and student passes are available through the athletic department.

A mix of: local Huntsville Lacrosse Club summer sessions, regional tournaments across the Southeast, national summer showcases (for HS-age recruits), and college prospect camps. See our Camps & Clinics page for options.