Lacrosse head
Lacrosse head sidewalls are arranged to apply additional tension to a pocket in an upper section of the head. A sidewall bottom rail includes an outward shift of an inwardly-facing surface and/or a downwardly-facing surface such that one or both of these features is spaced further from a longitudinal centerline plane of the head as compared to a head with no such outward shift.
1. A lacrosse head comprising:
a scoop end;
a ball stop end;
an imaginary longitudinal centerline plane extending from the ball stop end to the scoop end; and
first and second opposed sidewalls, the first and second sidewalls extending from a lower head section to an upper head section; wherein
the first sidewall includes a first bottom rail having a first bottom, downwardly-facing surface that includes an inside edge and an outside edge;
the first bottom rail has a first outermost outwardly-facing surface at lengthwise positions of the first bottom rail;
the second sidewall includes a second bottom rail having a second bottom, downwardly-facing surface that includes an inside edge and an outside edge;
the second bottom rail has a second outermost outwardly-facing surface at lengthwise positions of the first bottom rail;
in the lower head section, the outside edge of the first bottom, downwardly-facing surface is positioned inwardly from the first outermost outwardly-facing surface by a first distance;
in the lower head section, the outside edge of the second bottom, downwardly-facing surface is positioned inwardly from the second outermost outwardly-facing surface by a second distance;
in the upper head section, the outside edge of the first bottom, downwardly-facing surface is positioned inwardly from the first outermost outwardly-facing surface by a third distance that is less than the first distance;
in the upper head section, the outside edge of the second bottom, downwardly-facing surface is positioned inwardly from the second outermost outwardly-facing surface by a fourth distance that is less than the second distance;
on the first bottom rail at a first shift location where the first outside edge starts to shift outwardly to be closer to the first outermost outwardly-facing surface, the inside edge of the first downwardly-facing surface moves outwardly away from the longitudinal centerline plane; and
on the second bottom rail at a second shift location where the second outside edge starts to shift outwardly to be closer to the second outermost outwardly-facing surface, the inside edge of the second downwardly-facing surface moves outwardly away from the longitudinal centerline plane.
2. A lacrosse head as in claim 1 , wherein the first bottom rail is the bottommost rail of the first sidewall, and the second bottom rail is the bottommost rail of the second sidewall.
3. A lacrosse head as in claim 2 , wherein the inside and outside edges of the first downwardly-facing surface maintain a same distance from one another from immediately proximal to the first shift location to immediately distal to the first shift location.
4. A lacrosse head as in claim 2 , wherein the inside edge of the first downwardly-facing surface maintains a same distance from the first outermost outwardly-facing surface of the bottom rail from immediately proximal to the first shift location to immediately distal to the first shift location.
5. A lacrosse head as in claim 2 , wherein the first distance is equal to the second distance.
6. A lacrosse head as in claim 5 , wherein the third distance is equal to the fourth distance.
7. A lacrosse head as in claim 2 , wherein the outside edge of the first downwardly-facing surface is the first outermost outwardly-facing surface of the bottom rail in the upper head section.
8. A lacrosse head as in claim 2 , wherein the outside edge of the first downwardly-facing surface is an abruptly angled edge.
9. A lacrosse head comprising:
a scoop end with a scoop;
a ball stop end with a ball stop;
an imaginary longitudinal centerline plane extending from the ball stop end to the scoop end; and
first and second opposed sidewalls, the first and second sidewalls extend from a lower head section to an upper head section; wherein
the first sidewall includes a first top rail having a first innermost inwardly-facing surface;
the first sidewall includes a first bottom rail having a first bottom, downwardly-facing surface that includes an inside edge and an outside edge;
the first bottom rail has a first outermost outwardly-facing surface at lengthwise positions of the first bottom rail;
the second sidewall includes a second top rail having a second innermost inwardly-facing surface;
the second sidewall includes a second bottom rail having a second bottom, downwardly-facing surface that includes an inside edge and an outside edge;
the second bottom rail has a second outermost outwardly-facing surface at lengthwise positions of the first bottom rail;
in the lower head section, the inside edge of the first bottom, downwardly-facing surface is positioned inwardly from the first outermost outwardly-facing surface by a first distance;
in the lower head section, the inside edge of the second bottom, downwardly-facing surface is positioned inwardly from the second outermost outwardly-facing surface by a second distance;
in the upper head section, first starting at a location at least halfway from the ball stop to the scoop, the inside edge of the first bottom, downwardly-facing surface is positioned inwardly from the first outermost outwardly-facing surface by a third distance that is less than the first distance;
in the upper head section, first starting at a location at least halfway from the ball stop to the scoop, the inside edge of the second bottom, downwardly-facing surface is positioned inwardly from the second outermost outwardly-facing surface by a fourth distance that is less than the second distance;
in the upper head section, the inside edge of the first bottom, downwardly-facing surface is positioned outwardly of the first innermost inwardly-facing surface of the first top rail; and
in the upper head section, the inside edge of the second bottom, downwardly-facing surface is positioned outwardly of the second innermost inwardly-facing surface of the second top rail.
10. A lacrosse head as in claim 9 , wherein the first bottom rail is the bottommost rail of the first sidewall, and the second bottom rail is the bottommost rail of the second sidewall.
11. A lacrosse head as in claim 10 , wherein the inside edge of the first, downwardly-facing surface first starts at a shift location to be positioned inwardly from the first outermost outwardly-facing surface by the third distance that is less than the first distance, and the inside and outside edges of the first downwardly-facing surface maintain a same distance from one another from immediately proximal to the shift location to immediately distal to the first shift location.
12. A lacrosse head as in claim 10 , wherein the first distance is equal to the second distance.
13. A lacrosse head as in claim 12 , wherein the third distance is equal to the fourth distance.
14. A lacrosse head as in claim 10 , wherein the outside edge of the first downwardly-facing surface is the first outermost outwardly-facing surface of the bottom rail.
15. A lacrosse head as in claim 10 , wherein the inside edge of the first bottom, downwardly-facing surface is an abruptly angled edge.