Safety & Wellbeing
References CDC · NFHS · USA Lacrosse · SafeSportGreat plans keep players safe first. These modules are the non-negotiable foundation — referenced by every session in the library. Use the toggle to focus on your side of the game.
🩻 Concussion & head safety
Concussion is a serious risk in both the girls' and boys' games, so every program needs a written protocol: remove any athlete with suspected concussion, no same-day return, follow a graded return-to-play progression approved by a healthcare provider (the CDC HEADS UP 6-step progression is a widely used model — each step at least 24 hours apart), and document every incident. Confirm your protocol against your state association and league requirements.
🌡️ Heat & hydration
Exertional heatstroke is the leading preventable cause of death in high-school athletics. Acclimatize progressively over the first two weeks, start practices hydrated, reduce intensity/rest more as heat rises, and have a practiced Emergency Action Plan with rapid-cooling steps (ice-water immersion preferred).
🛟 Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
Every venue needs a written, rehearsed EAP: location of AEDs, emergency contacts, evacuation routes, lightning/weather protocol, and a designated call-responder for every practice and game. Rehearse it at least once per season.
💥 Body-checking safety (boys)
Body checking is a U14+ skill in boys' field lacrosse and is not taught or drilled below that age; 8U/10U/12U play with modified rules and no body checking. Where checking is permitted, a player who is not in possession and is more than three yards from a loose ball may not be checked — a check on a player more than three yards from a loose ball is illegal in the cited youth situation (2026 USA Lacrosse Boys Youth Rule Book, rule 4.15). Also illegal at every age: checks from behind, checks to the head or neck, and checks on a player in a defenseless position. Keep sticks two-handed and below the shoulders; no slashing. Teach the legal target area and the give-and-take technique in controlled contact before any live play.
🪖 Protective equipment (boys)
Required field-player equipment at every age band: a certified (NOCSAE) helmet with the chin strap fastened, NOCSAE-certified shoulder pads, arm pads, gloves, and a mouthguard. Shoulder pads and arm pads are required equipment — not optional and not 'recommended'. Goalies need a full kit — certified helmet with throat guard, chest protector, and leg pads. Check equipment fit and condition weekly; a cracked helmet or worn chin strap must be replaced immediately. Consult the 2026 USA Lacrosse Boys Youth Rule Book equipment requirements for the exact certification standard, and defer to your league where it is stricter.
🕒 Face-off safety
Face-offs are the highest-risk moment in boys' lacrosse. No clamping beyond the allowed time, no spearing or lunging at the whistle, and wings must stay put until the whistle. Teach the counter-clockwise rake and body-positioning rules before live reps, and start every face-off from a legal stance.
🥍 Stick checks & shooting space (girls)
Checking is age-gated in the girls' youth game: no checking at 8U/10U, modified checking at 12U, and transitional checking at 14U. Where checking is permitted, teach legal stick checks — never to the head or neck, never when the ball is beyond reach, and never on a follow-through. Body contact is never legal. On shooting space: the rule protects a shooter inside the 8-meter arc by restricting where a defender may be positioned; it is not simply 'no defender at the shooter's hip'. Teach the actual rule text and the 8-meter arc geography, and check the current girls' youth rule book for your age band before drilling it. Keep the draw clean per the no-clamping rules.
🛡️ Safe sport
Follow the U.S. Center for SafeSport Code and Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP): two-adult rule, no one-on-one unsupervised contact, appropriate interaction boundaries, and report concerns through the proper channels.
❤️ Load management & recovery
Track weekly load (session RPE 0–10 × minutes). Protect intensity but cut volume on hard weeks; build recovery into the schedule (the 52-week plan sets RPE targets per phase). Watch for overuse injuries and burnout — especially around growth spurts (girls ~11–13 PHV, boys ~13–15). Encourage multi-sport participation and real rest.
🧠 Mental health & belonging
Athletes who play sports have lower rates of mental-health disorders — but sport only helps if it feels safe and welcoming. Use the FUN MAPS factors (trying hard, belonging, positive coaching) as a design checklist, and keep communication positive and mistake-friendly.
♿ Inclusive & adaptive play
Every session can be adapted. USA Lacrosse offers five adaptive formats: Inclusive (any disability, station clinics), Unified (mixed-ability teams), Wheelchair (7v7, no-bounce ball), impairment-specific, and mainstream accommodation. Modify equipment, rules and space so every player can participate.
⚡ Pre-practice checklist (print & post)
- Weather check — heat, lightning, air quality
- Water + hydration plan for every athlete
- Emergency Action Plan reviewed; AED location confirmed
- Roster medical notes (asthma, allergies, concussion history) accessible
- Injury/concussion report forms on hand
- SafeSport two-adult rule in place
- Session load check — is this week's RPE where it should be?