Gloves and pads: what each game requires players to wear.

This page reports what each rule says must or may be worn. It does not explain how to choose or fit any pad, and it does not say any product is safe or legal; the rule in force and the officials decide. Goalkeepers' equipment is on goalkeeper equipment.

Men's field lacrosse

World Lacrosse (2025-2027, version 1.0)

• Rule 17.1, gloves: every player must wear protective gloves. Fingers may not be cut out and every finger must be inside the glove, but the palms may be cut out.
• Rule 18.4: no player may wear hockey goalkeeper gloves.
• Pads: the book does not require shoulder pads, arm pads or rib pads for field players. A version 1.1 dated January 2026 exists but was not read.

World Lacrosse's decision of 12 May 2026 will require shoulder pads meeting NOCSAE commotio cordis standards in men's field at its owned and sanctioned events, phased in through its 2029 U20 championships or an earlier qualifier; see chest protectors and ND200.

Lacrosse Canada

Lacrosse Canada's Technical Bulletin 21-3 (2021) says that, because World Lacrosse did not require shoulder pads or a cup, Lacrosse Canada added policy 12.9.1.2 requiring all Canadian men's field players to wear shoulder pads and a protective cup when it adopted the World Lacrosse rule book.

NFHS boys' high school (from published change summaries)

• 2024, Rule 1-9-1a (NFHS release, 19 July 2023): protective gloves and arm pads must be "designed for lacrosse", so that all equipment is made for the sport and worn properly.
• 2024, Rule 5-6: gloves must fully cover the fingers and palms and may not be altered in a way that weakens their protection. Using illegal equipment, or not wearing mandatory equipment properly, is a non-releasable foul.
• 2024, Rule 1-9-3 Article 3: if a player loses mandatory equipment in a scrimmage area, play stops at once; elsewhere the official delays the whistle without a flag.
• 2026 points of emphasis (19 February 2026): arm pads must be worn so the elbows are covered; gloves, shoulder and arm pads and the protective cup or pelvic protector must be worn as the maker intended; shoulder pads must meet NOCSAE standards.

Glove palms: two codes, two answers

The NFHS requires gloves that fully cover the palms. World Lacrosse men's field Rule 17.1 lets players cut the palms out. Each rule applies only in its own games.

Whether the NFHS boys' book lists arm pads as mandatory for field players rests only on a search-result summary of a USA Lacrosse officials' document that could not be opened, so it is not stated here. The NCAA men's rule book was not read.

Men's sixes

World Lacrosse sixes Rule 2.4.1M (2026-2028, version 2.0) requires protective gloves with the same finger rule as men's field. From the 2027 Sixes World Championships, shoulder pads bearing NOCSAE certification or a comparable standard, with commotio cordis certification, are required at World Lacrosse owned and sanctioned events.

Women's field lacrosse

• World Lacrosse women's field Rule 6.A.2 (2025-2026, version 1.0): field players may wear close-fitting gloves, nose guards or eye guards.
• Rule 6.A.6: extra protective devices are allowed on genuine medical need if the officials agree they are not dangerous; they must be close-fitting, padded where needed and not excessively heavy.
• World Lacrosse sixes Rule 2.4.1W: any women's sixes field player may wear close-fitting gloves.

For US girls' high school play, the National Sporting Goods Association, a trade body, reported in July 2023 that the NFHS 2024 changes (Rule 2-7-4 Note and 2-9-5) permit compression shirts that met NOCSAE requirements when made, without having to meet undergarment colour rules. No NFHS original was read, so this is unconfirmed. A version 1.1 of the World Lacrosse women's book, dated March 2025, exists but was not read.

Box lacrosse

World Lacrosse box Rule 2.5.1 (2026-2028, version 2.0) requires every player to wear protective gloves, shoulder or vest pads and rib pads, along with a helmet with facemask and chinstrap and a mouthguard. From the 2028 Box Lacrosse World Championships, the shoulder pads must carry NOCSAE or comparable certification and commotio cordis certification. Box is played by men and women under this same rule.

Lacrosse Canada's box equipment page lists gloves, shoulder pads, bicep pads, elbow pads and kidney pads, and warns that many field lacrosse elbow pads may not give the protection box lacrosse needs. The page does not mark each item as required or recommended.

At a glance