Win $25 with a Lacrosse Gear Video Review

Win $25 when you shoot and submit a video review of your favorite Lacrosse gear from Sports Unlimited!

Lacrosse Gear Video Reviews

Now at Sports Unlimited, shoot a video review of your favorite lacrosse gear from SU, and you’ll win a $25 gift card!

Got a new lacrosse head from Sports Unlimited? Or how about a pair of lax gloves or shoulder pads for Christmas? Whatever it is, we want to hear what you have to say about it! Whether you like it, love it, or absolutely despise it and will never use it again…we want to tell the world what it’s really like to use our lax gear. So shoot a short video of you talking about, and using your new lacrosse equipment, and if we dig it, you’ll win $25 to Sports Unlimited!


To get it done, follow these simple rules:

1. Grab a buddy, a camera (or camera phone), and your favorite lacrosse rebounder, lax stick, gloves, or whatever! Then shoot a short video review, talking about your experience with the product. Use it a little bit. Get creative if you want! We’re looking for something personal and useful, so it should probably be a product you’ve used for at least a few weeks, and it should still be available at SportsUnlimited.com.

2. Click here, read the full rules and regulations, scroll to the bottom of the page, and then submit a few pieces of information to us, including your email address.

3. You’ll immediately receive an email invitation to our shared DropBox folder. When you do, follow the directions to create a free DropBox account, which will allow you to easily upload your video review directly to our shared server!

4. We’ll take a look at your video review, and if we use it on the site, we’ll email you a $25 gift card to Sports Unlimited!

We’re excited to hear what you have to say! So be real, tell us what it’s like, and we’ll tell the world right here on Sports Unlimited!

By Brandon Porter.Brandon is a product specialist at Sports Unlimited.

5 Things to Know About New 2013 NCAA Lacrosse Head Regulations

Know the latest NCAA lacrosse rules for stringing your lax head in 2013.

In September of 2012, the NCAA announced plans to update and change a number of lacrosse regulations, all of which go into effect at the start of the 2013 season. For some, this might be old news, but I’ve found that many parents and players are still unaware of, or confused by the changes.

So here’s what you need to know;

1. Shooting strings can no longer extend more than 4″ from the top of the crosse.

Basically, this rule attempts to prevent really low shooters, and makes any V or U shooting strings illegal, restricting players to two basic two cross shooting strings. This ruling may seem frustrating, since most players are used to stringing their lacrosse heads with a V or U shooting string, but the NCAA’s aim was to prevent unfair pocket hold, and not directly outlaw V stringing.

2013 NCAA Lacrosse Pocket Rules

2. Only one sidewall string is allowed on each side of the head.

This rule keeps additional strings off the sidewalls, reducing excess hold on the ball.

3. All lacrosse sticks are subject to a reverse pocket test.

Reverse Pocket Stick Check

When any pocket is stick-checked, in addition to tipping the crosse forward and backward, referees must also ensure that the ball can come out of any pocket, when placed in the back of the pocket, and pushed in to create a reverse pocket.

Refs will hold the lacrosse shaft parallel to the ground, face down, and then push the pocket through to create a reverse of the pocket. With the ball in the deepest part of the reverse pocket, the ball must come out when turned 180 degrees.

4. Any lacrosse stick deemed illegal during a game cannot be used again in the game.

If any lacrosse stick fails a random stick check, the team gets a 1 minute foul, and the stick is kept at the scorer’s table until the game is over. This is different than previous rulings, which allowed a player to fix his pocket, to meet regulations, and then return the stick to play.

5. All of these rules currently only apply to NCAA men’s lacrosse, or any high school league, club, or team that follows NCAA rules.

It’s important to note though, that while the new rules may not directly apply to all high school lacrosse players, many clubs and colleges across the country are now encouraging younger players to re-string their heads to meet these NCAA rules, to prepare them for upper levels of play.

 

In all, these new lacrosse rules make it easier, or at least more reasonable, to knock the ball out of the pocket, with the aim of maintaining fair play, retaining the merit of the game, and keeping players safe.

The NCAA and other officials noticed that attackers and middies were continuously running through traffic without ever losing the ball, despite significant pressure from the defense. It quickly became obvious that ball handling lacrosse skills were not solely to blame for this, and that some modern stringing methods were basically making it nearly impossible to dislodge the ball from the pocket.

What these new 2013 NCAA lacrosse rules attempt to accomplish is a game that focuses more on moving the ball than moving with the ball, while at the same time, trying to prevent escalation as defenders learn to check harder to get the ball out of deep pockets.

Reactions:

As with most rule changes in sports, there are people on both sides of the argument. Some players and coaches find the changes erroneous and arbitrary, and believe they will do little besides slow down the game and confuse players and parents. Others see this as a step forward to making the game fairer, and faster with more ball movement.

However, there are still others who have almost no opinion at all, and have simply changed and moved on, understanding that rules change and players adapt. Most believe, that at some point, master stringers and kids will find news ways of stringing their heads within the new rules, to develop the same solid hold they could get from low shooters and multiple side wall strings. For them, it’s only a matter of time.

But how about you? What do you think of these new lacrosse rules, and what do they do for the game as whole?

By Brandon Porter.Brandon is a product specialist at Sports Unlimited.

Licensed Lacrosse Rebounders Bring the Big Game Home

Brine LAX Wall licensed lacrosse rebounders from teams like the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils let you train like your favorite players!

Lax TrainingIn the world of lacrosse, success means staying two steps ahead of the competition. That’s why serious players of all ages are always looking for the latest and greatest lacrosse gear.  It’s also why players train year round to develop their skills and keep them razor sharp.

But let’s be honest, it’s near impossible to get the entire team together every day for a full practice. That’s why the lacrosse gods, aka “Brine,” developed the ultimate lacrosse rebounder to let you train on your own time, anywhere you can. Lacrosse rebounders, also known as lacrosse walls, are the best lacrosse training aids around.

Brine Lacrosse rebounderSimple, yet ingeniously designed, they feature a durable target mat, tightly strung onto a lightweight metal frame. Like playing wall ball, lacrosse walls bounce any shot right back to you with plenty of force, keeping you moving, and practicing your shooting accuracy, power, and catching abilities, all at once. But unlike stable walls, Brine Lacrosse rebounders are light and a heck of lot easier to move! That means you can take them anywhere, and get your game on without having to scuff up any walls…especially the ones in your Mom’s house. Rebounders also easily adjust to almost any angle you need, and toss shots up to 30 feet, so shots you throw at the target get sent up high or dropped down low, keeping you on your toes and making for some versatile sessions.

Brine LAX Walls are the 1# best selling lacrosse training aid, used and trusted by over 25 college lacrosse programs across the country! Now, thanks to Brine and SU, you can train like your favorite college team, with a series of licensed lacrosse rebounders! Sharpen your passing accuracy, improve your shooting power, and stay two steps ahead with Brine lax rebounders from the North Carolina Tar Heels, Syracuse Orange, Johns Hopkins Blue Jays, or Duke Blue Devils. They also make incredible gifts for the lacrosse fan in your life!

Brine Duke Blue Devils Lacrosse RebounderBrine North Carolina Tar Heels Lacrosse RebounderBrine Syracuse Orange Lacrosse RebounderBrine Johns Hopkins Blue Jays Lacrosse Rebounder

The licensed team thing not for you? Don’t fret! We’ve still got you covered with Brine LAX Wall rebounders in Carolina blue and black.

Perfect for outdoor drills, but complete with rubber pads for indoor practice, Brine Lacrosse Wall Rebounders are the ultimate training aids for a reason! Grab one today and don’t fall behind!

By Brandon Porter.Brandon is a product specialist at Sports Unlimited.

New Easton Lacrosse Helmet Debuts Adjustable Tilt

If you’re a lax fanatic, then you know how it feels to get the perfect tilt out of your lacrosse helmet; to hit the field with your helmet sitting low, like an ancient gladiator staring down a hoard of enemies…and maybe a tiger. You strive for it, rip apart your helmet for it, and adjust chin straps, buckles, and padding to get it to sit just right for the perfect tilt…that sick, intimidating look.

Easton Lacrosse DesignersThankfully though, some lacrosse players grow up to design lacrosse gear. If not for that, then Cort Kim, Blake Kim, and Doug Appleton would never have inspired Easton Lacrosse and lead designer Genia Harbenova to finally create the world’s first lacrosse helmet with adjustable tilt!

Easton Lacrosse Helmet

Enter the Easton Raptor Helmet! This baby is the end result of decades of lacrosse experience meeting genius design skill, blended together with Easton’s ridiculous resources and a drive to flip the game on its rear. And we have to say, they did one hell of a job! The Raptor is everything lax players have been dreaming of in lacrosse helmets. Its shell is made of a single piece of polycarbonate, with a single-piece, impact-absorbing EPP foam liner heat-bonded to the inside. What does all that jargon mean for you? Well basically, the Raptor Helmet is the lightest lacrosse helmet in the world (1.8 lbs / 28.8 ounces). That’s feather light. Leaf-in-the-wind light. Obscenely, should-be-illegal, outright ludicrously light! And that’s just the first thing you’ll notice when you pick up the Easton Raptor Lacrosse Helmet.

Put it on, and you’ll feel the difference immediately. First, you can barely feel it on your head. Second, it’s crazy comfortable. Let me repeat that, because it bears repeating. There’s actually a comfortable lacrosse helmet out there!

Raptor Fit SystemThe difference with the Raptor, over any other helmet in the game, comes down to fit. Since the dawn of the modern game, lacrosse helmets have come in one size, with adjustable buckles, straps, laces, and maybe a micro-adjuster in the back…maybe. Easton Lacrosse threw that tired old model in the wood chipper and designed three different sizes (S/M, M/L, and L/XL). Then they went ahead and made each helmet completely customizable and adjustable…in every dimension. Get the best fit around your head with an In-Form Fit micro adjuster, the easiest-to-use fit band in the game. Adjust the helmet up and down, for the first time, with an innovative tilt system, to get the perfect helmet tilt, and avoid middle bar syndrome…all without going crazy adjusting chin straps and whatnot, or exposing the back of your head and chin to injury and impact. Heck, even the cheek pads come in two different thicknesses to give you that perfect, customized, comfortable fit!

But don’t think it’s all style and no substance here! When it comes to strength and performance, this Easton helmet doesn’t hold back either. Inside, the EPP foam liner delivers the maximum amount of thickness without adding weight. This way, it distributes impact energy over the widest possible area, reducing the risk of concussions and injury.

Raptor Helmet Chin BarThe chin bar is a separate piece, made of rigid fiberglass-filled nylon, for a stiffer, stronger construction than other injection-molded bars.

Easton tapered back the sides and top of the visor as well, intentionally shifting the steel facemask back and away from the face to improve facial protection, giving it a strikingly different look than other helmets out there.

We know it’s new, we know it looks cool…but trust us when we tell you; it’s so much more than that! The Easton Raptor Lacrosse Helmet is the future of lax gear, finally giving players the style, the tilt, and the safety they’ve been screaming about for years now. Also check out our lacrosse bags to store you new helmet, along with the rest of your lacrosse gear.

By Brandon Porter.Brandon is a product specialist at Sports Unlimited.