Md. Bill Sparks Conversation About Lacrosse Safety

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While a Maryland bill requiring girls' lacrosse players to wear headgear was met with an outcry of opposition from the lacrosse community and quickly withdrawn, its authors say it has served its purpose. As participation in girls' lacrosse has increased, so have concerns about player safety, most notably, the risk of concussion. (Currently, helmets and facemasks are mandated in men's lacrosse, while helmets are banned in women's lacrosse for all but goalkeepers.) Delegates Dana Stein and Jon Cardin say that the proposed bill "accomplished an important goal of pushing the conversation to include vital safety concerns and is a win-win for parents and youth athletes."

Lacrosse coaches opposed the measure, arguing that headgear would actually increase aggression and injury risk due to a false perception of greater protection. The bill also lacked support from the sport's governing body, US Lacrosse, as well as the SFIA Lacrosse Council, formed in January to address player safety, among other issues. Both organizations expressed interest in further working with legislators on the issue, however.

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