What Are Lacrosse Balls Made Of?

Lacrosse is a fast-growing sport in America, especially among college athletes. Lacrosse is generally played outside on a field with a ball, goal and sticks that include netting. What is the ball made of, how big is it, and how did it come to be used in the sport? Have lacrosse balls always been made of the same material and who are the current manufacturers?

Construction

A solid rubber ball is used to play lacrosse. It is typically white but can be many other colors, including black. It is smaller than a tennis ball, but harder.
It is usually between 7.75 and 8 inches (about 19 to 20 cm) in circumference and about 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) in diameter. It weighs between 5 and 5.25 oz.

History of the Sport

The indigenous peoples of North America first played lacrosse in the 15th century and perhaps even earlier, according to STX Lacrosse. Some games would involve thousands of tribesmen and games would last two to three days. Sometimes the goals were several miles apart and the fields were often without boundaries.
George W. Beers is credited with creating many of the modern rules of the sport that are followed today.
Lacrosse gained NCAA recognition as a sport in 1971.

History of the Ball

Native Americans used a ball made of hair-stuffed deerskin or knotted leather strips, and a similar type of ball was also used by the European players of the 19th century. Its usage ceased in 1867 when Beers cemented the rules of lacrosse and replaced the old-style ball with the solid hard-rubber ball that is used today.

Fun Fact

Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, who played for the Cleveland Browns, is said to have preferred lacrosse to football.

Manufacturers

There are two well-known manufacturers of lacrosse balls, Warrior Lacrosse and Brine. Warrior is the exclusive supplier of lacrosse balls to Major League Lacrosse with its orange "grippy" ball. Brine is the official supplier of lacrosse balls to college teams that are a part of the NCAA.

References

• STX Lacrosse History
• Lacrosse.com

Resources

• Mississippi State Lacrosse History