DATE: March 18, 2003
CONTACT: Paul Krome, pkrome@lacrosse.org

U.S. Government Addresses Lacrosse Sticks As Part Of Air Baggage Restrictions

Washington, D.C. — The United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) last month ruled that lacrosse sticks are prohibited in the cabin of an aircraft and past security checkpoints at airports, but they may be transported as checked baggage. TSA, the agency responsible for security in all modes of transportation, issued the interpretive ruling in the Federal Register on Feb. 14.

In the ruling, TSA classified lacrosse sticks as “club-like items” and prohibited persons from carrying lacrosse sticks beyond airport security checkpoints and onto airplanes. Lacrosse players traveling by air should include their sticks as part of their checked baggage when arriving in airport terminals.

“This ruling primarily affects individual and small groups of lacrosse travelers, for example kids flying to tournaments or summer camps,” said Peter Falcone, a TSA employee and member of the Potomac Chapter of US Lacrosse. “Families need to be aware of this. We don’t want there to be a situation where mom and dad drop their kids off at the airport and then leave, and then the kids get stopped at security checkpoints with their sticks, not knowing what to do. Organized teams will probably have made arrangements in advance.”

Other pieces of sports equipment deemed “club-like items” and prohibited as carry-on baggage under the ruling include baseball bats, golf clubs and hockey sticks. The full ruling can be accessed by visiting the Government Printing Office’s Web site at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html.

US Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the national governing body of men's and women's lacrosse. To learn more, visit its web site at www.lacrosse.org.

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