A long stick, also called a long pole or long crosse, is a longer defensive lacrosse stick used primarily by close defensemen and long-stick midfielders in men's field lacrosse. These sticks are associated with defensive responsibilities and are noticeably longer than the crosses commonly used by attackmen and many midfielders.
NCAA men's lacrosse regulates both the dimensions of defensive sticks and how many players can use them on the field. The distinction helps explain why players at different positions carry different equipment.
- Subscribe To FloLacrosse To Watch The NLL
- FloSports, NLL Announce Exclusive Multiyear Global Streaming Partnership
- Box Lacrosse On FloLacrosse: 10 AWESOME Things To Know About The NLL
What Is A Long Stick In Lacrosse?
A long stick is a defensive lacrosse crosse primarily used by close defensemen and long-stick midfielders in men's field lacrosse.
A crosse is the stick players use to carry, pass, catch and shoot the ball.
Long sticks are associated with defensive specialists, although carrying one does not prevent a player from participating in offense.
The stick is a piece of equipment, not a separate player position.
What Is A Long Pole In Lacrosse?
A long pole is another name for a long defensive lacrosse stick.
The terms long pole, long stick and long crosse generally describe the same equipment category in men's field lacrosse.
Long pole also can be used informally to describe a player carrying one.
These sticks are commonly associated with close defensemen and long-stick midfielders.
How Long Is A Defensive Lacrosse Stick?
NCAA men's lacrosse regulates the length of defensive crosses, which are longer than the sticks typically used by attackmen and short-stick midfielders.
The equipment rules govern the complete crosse, not simply the shaft.
A defensive stick must meet the applicable competition's specifications. Stick-length requirements should not be assumed to be identical across NCAA men's, women's, youth and box lacrosse.
Why Do Lacrosse Defensemen Use Long Sticks?
Close defensemen commonly use long sticks because their primary responsibilities involve defending opposing players and protecting the area around their team's goal.
Close defense is a specialized role in men's field lacrosse.
Players in that role typically focus on matchups in the defensive end, while other players may concentrate more heavily on offensive or transitional responsibilities.
The longer defensive crosse is a common part of that specialization.
What Is The Difference Between A Long Stick And A Short Stick In Lacrosse?
The main difference is the length of the crosse and the playing roles typically associated with each type.
Long defensive sticks are commonly used by close defensemen and long-stick midfielders.
Shorter crosses are typically associated with attackmen, offensive midfielders and short-stick defensive midfielders.
A short-stick defensive midfielder, or SSDM, can specialize in defense without carrying a long pole.
Stick length alone does not determine whether a player can participate in offense or defense.
What Lacrosse Positions Use Long Sticks?
Close defensemen and long-stick midfielders are the primary users of long defensive crosses in NCAA men's field lacrosse.
Close defensemen generally protect the defensive end near their team's goal.
Long-stick midfielders, commonly called LSMs, perform specialized midfield responsibilities that emphasize defense and transition.
These roles explain why long poles appear in different areas of the field during a game.
What Is A Long-Stick Midfielder In Lacrosse?
A long-stick midfielder is a specialized men's field lacrosse midfielder who uses one of the team's permitted long defensive crosses.
The position is commonly abbreviated LSM.
Long-stick midfielders can contribute to defense, loose-ball recovery and transitions between defense and offense.
LSM is a tactical specialization rather than a separate mandatory NCAA position.
How Many Long Sticks Can A Lacrosse Team Have On The Field?
NCAA men's lacrosse limits the number of long defensive crosses a team may use on the field simultaneously.
The restriction concerns the equipment carried by players, not simply how many athletes are designated as defenders or midfielders.
Teams can have different defensive and midfield specialists available, but their on-field equipment must comply with NCAA rules.
Can You Score With A Long Stick In Lacrosse?
Yes. A player carrying a legal long defensive stick is not automatically prohibited from scoring.
Although close defensemen and LSMs generally focus on defensive responsibilities, they can participate in offensive situations.
A defender may carry the ball toward the offensive end while complying with the applicable offsides requirements.
A goal scored with a legal long stick does not receive a different point value.
Can You Check With A Long Stick In Lacrosse?
Yes. NCAA men's lacrosse permits certain forms of stick checking, subject to rules governing legal contact.
Using a long defensive stick does not make otherwise illegal contact permissible.
Stick checking and body checking are governed by specific rules, and players must follow those requirements regardless of stick length.
Do Lacrosse Goalies Use Long Sticks?
Goalkeepers use specialized goalkeeper crosses rather than the standard defensive long poles associated with close defensemen and LSMs.
Goalkeeper crosses have their own equipment specifications and may feature larger heads.
The goalkeeper's equipment is designed for a different positional role and should not be treated as identical to a defensive long stick.
Are Long Sticks Used In Women's Lacrosse?
NCAA women's field lacrosse does not use the men's long-pole system.
Women's field players use crosses governed by women's lacrosse equipment requirements.
Women's players can specialize in defense, but those responsibilities do not involve the same long-stick specialization found in NCAA men's field lacrosse.
Are Long Sticks Used In NLL Box Lacrosse?
NLL box lacrosse uses a different equipment and positional framework from NCAA men's field lacrosse.
NLL teams normally have six players on the floor, including a goalkeeper and five runners.
Those runners may specialize in offense, defense or transition, but NCAA men's long-pole equipment rules should not be applied to the NLL.
Why Are Long Sticks Important In Lacrosse?
Long defensive sticks are an important part of positional specialization in men's field lacrosse.
They help distinguish close defensemen and long-stick midfielders from players using shorter crosses.
Understanding the difference makes it easier to recognize defensive assignments, midfield substitutions and transitions while watching a game.
NLL Standings FAQ
How Many Teams Are In The NLL In 2026-27?
The National Lacrosse League features 12 active franchises for the 2026-27 season. All 12 compete in one unified league standings table.
How Many Games Does Each NLL Team Play?
Each NLL team plays 18 regular-season games during the 2026-27 season, including nine home games and nine road games.
How Many NLL Teams Make The Playoffs?
Eight of the NLL's 12 teams qualify for the playoffs. The top eight teams in the final regular-season standings advance to the postseason.
Does The NLL Have Conferences Or Divisions?
The NLL uses unified league standings rather than separate conference or division tables to determine playoff qualification for the 2026-27 season.
What Happens If Two NLL Teams Have The Same Record?
The league's official tiebreaking procedures determine the order of teams with identical records, including when their positions affect playoff qualification or seeding.
FloLacrosse Archived Footage
Video footage from the event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloLacrosse subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription.
Join The Lacrosse Conversation On Social
- Follow us on X @flolacrosse.
- Follow us on Instagram @flolacrossetv.
- Watch Us On YouTube.
- Like us on Facebook.