Would you please forward this to ALL coaches.  This is from Pat Dillon at USL.  I have heard concerns from a few officials regarding goalies NOT wearing NOCSAE LACROSSE certified helmets.  The officials believe that they are Field Hockey helmets.  Effective TODAY (5-3-10), NO GOALIE will be allowed to play in a contest without a LACROSSE helmet.  If they do not have an approved LACROSSE helmet, they will forfeit.

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Many of the goalies are now wearing field hockey helmets/masks which are designed for ground level shots and do not offer protection to the back of the head and have thinner facemask bars in the front.  The officials in our area have stated as long as it has the NOCSAE sticker on it, it is legal.  NOCSAE approves many types of helmets for athletic competitions and they are missing the point that it must be designed for lacrosse as stated in the rules.  ”The protective helmet,
designed for lacrosse, must meet the NOCSAE test standard.”  I feel this is a great safety concern for all players and legal concerns for the coaches and schools (teams) who approve of their players of using these masks and the officials who govern the rules of the game.  Field Hockey helmets/masks do not conform to lacrosse specifications.  The helmet worn for lacrosse and approved by NOCSAE must be made specifically for lacrosse – note the area of the rule which I’ve put in Bold face type above.  You are correct that NOCSAE approves many types of helmets.  The tests they conduct are sport-specific.  Second, we have recently come across some goalies wearing loose fitting hockey shell pants that increase the body thickness greater than one inch.  The rules are vague because it states that the increase cannot be significant but that gloves cannot have padding thicker than one inch.   A clarification would be greatly appreciated as we have seen some rather “wide” goalies with hockey equipment on their thighs.  I believe goalies are wearing the hockey pants because they contain the required padding for the thigh area.  This is an acceptable use of this product for lacrosse goalies.

How are lacrosse helmets tested?