Lacrosse Balls

Lacrosse balls for game play, practice, and training - official certified balls, practice balls, soft indoor balls, and low-bounce training options. The same across men's and women's lacrosse; what changes is which type fits your purpose.

Not all lacrosse balls are the same, and using the wrong type for the wrong purpose is a common and easily avoidable mistake. The differences come down to certification, material hardness, and bounce - each of which affects how the ball behaves and what it's actually for.

Official game balls are solid rubber, NOCSAE and NFHS certified, and must be used in sanctioned competition at the high school level and above. White is the traditional color for men's play, yellow for women's - but the ball itself is the same specification. If your league requires certified balls, this is the only type that qualifies.

Practice balls are made to the same spec as game balls but aren't individually certified for competition. They're the right call for wall ball, partner passing, and general skill work - identical feel, lower cost per ball, and you're not burning through game balls in the backyard.

Soft and indoor balls are made from foam or softer rubber, designed for use in gyms, basements, or anywhere a standard ball would cause damage. They don't simulate game feel accurately, but they're the right tool for introducing young players to the basics or for indoor drills where a hard rubber ball isn't practical.

Low-bounce training balls are weighted differently to exaggerate ground ball difficulty and slow the pace of drills. They're a conditioning tool, not a replacement for standard ball work.

Lacrosse Balls FAQs

Do men's and women's lacrosse use different balls?

No, the ball is the same specification across both games. The traditional color difference (white for men's, yellow for women's) is a convention, not a rule requiring a different product. The physical ball - size, weight, material, bounce - is identical. Balls are one of the few pieces of lacrosse equipment that's genuinely universal.

Do lacrosse balls wear out, and how can you tell?

Yes, lacrosse balls lose their grip and begin to harden with use and UV exposure. A worn ball gets slick, which affects catching and cradling in ways that are easy to attribute to technique when the ball is actually the problem. The simple test: if a ball looks shiny or feels smooth rather than tacky, it's past its useful life for skill work. Balls that fail the grip test are still useful for solo wall ball and general conditioning drills where feel matters less.

What's the right number of balls to have on hand for practice?

For individual skill work - wall ball, cone drills, shooting - a dozen is the practical minimum. You'll lose some, some will wear out, and having enough that you're not constantly retrieving is the difference between a productive session and a frustrating one. For team practice, the general rule is one ball per player plus spares, which keeps drills moving without constant stoppages. Soft indoor balls and training balls are worth having separately if you're doing gym work or weighted drills - they serve different purposes and don't substitute for standard balls in skill development.