Rules for Corrective Eyewear for Women's and Girls' Lacrosse
As women’s and girls’ lacrosse continue to grow, so does the need to address the role of appropriate corrective eyewear. If you wear corrective lenses/prescription glasses, there are new options available for you.
U.S. Lacrosse (USAL) has updated their game rules in January 2020, requiring women and girls to wear an SEI (Safety Equipment Institute)-certified protective eyewear that meets the current ASTM standard, F3077-17. This rule change was designed to minimize or significantly reduce rare but catastrophic eye injuries due to the impact and penetration of lacrosse balls.
An SEI certification ensures that every eyewear meets specific performance requirements such as impact tests, clarity tests, durability tests, and more. A list of all protective eyewear that has been certified by SEI and is legal for play can be found on their website. Both the packaging and product must be marked with the blue SEI logo to state that it conforms with the ASTM standard.
However, an exemption waiver and a doctor’s note can be signed by a parent or guardian of lacrosse players 14-year old and below to participate without an SEI-certified eye protection.
According to the waiver, these young players following USAL rules will be allowed to participate in games if they’re wearing ASTM 803 and ASTM F3077-14 eyewear models such as Liberty Sports Slam, and Betty models. These products are not SEI-certified, but certainly meet the ASTM standard.
If you’d like to get a copy of the waiver and doctor’s note, we recommend that you follow these steps:
USA Lacrosse continues to make changes to the rules of the game as necessary to ensure that safety and fair play among amateurs and athletes are always satisfied.
For more information on rules and resources, visit their website at www.usalacrosse.com/girls-and-womens-rules.
If you’re in search of a pair of corrective eyewear, our Outfitters are here to help! We’ll assist you in finding the right lacrosse goggles for your game! Click here to start shopping or talk to one of our Outfitters by clicking the ‘chat’ icon.