Lacrosse head

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A lacrosse head comprising:
 a scoop end, a ball stop end, and first and second opposed sidewalls, wherein the first sidewall includes a first bottom rail and a first top rail, and the second sidewall includes a second bottom rail and a second top rail;   the first top rail having a first innermost inwardly-facing surface at lengthwise positions of the first top rail;   the second top rail having a second innermost inwardly-facing surface at lengthwise positions of the second top rail; wherein   the first and second bottom rails each have pocket attachment locations in the lower head section and pocket attachment locations in the upper head section;   in the lower head section, a majority of the pocket attachment locations of the first bottom rail are positioned no more than a first distance outwardly from the innermost inwardly-facing surface of the first top rail;   in the lower head section, a majority of the pocket attachment locations of the second bottom rail are positioned no more than a second distance outwardly from the innermost inwardly-facing surface of the second top rail;   in the upper head section, a majority of the pocket attachment locations of the first bottom rail are positioned at least a third distance greater than the first distance outwardly from the innermost inwardly-facing surface of the first top rail;   in the upper head section, a majority of the pocket attachment locations of the second bottom rail are positioned at least a fourth distance greater than the first distance outwardly from the innermost inwardly-facing surface of the second top rail.   
     
     
         31 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 30 , wherein the first top rail is the topmost rail of the first sidewall, the second top rail is the topmost rail of the second sidewall, 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. 
     
     
         32 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 31 , wherein in the upper head section, all of the pocket attachment locations of the first bottom rail are positioned at least 0.125 inches outwardly from the innermost inwardly-facing surface of the first top rail. 
     
     
         33 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 32 , wherein, in the lower head section, all of the pocket attachment locations of the first bottom rail are positioned no more than 0.05 inches outwardly from the innermost inwardly-facing surface of the first top rail. 
     
     
         34 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 31 , wherein the pocket attachment locations of the first and second bottom rails comprise stringing holes. 
     
     
         35 - 69 . (canceled) 
     
     
         70 . A lacrosse head comprising:
 a scoop end, a ball stop end, and first and second opposed sidewalls, wherein the first and second sidewalls extend from a lower head section to an upper head section, the first sidewall includes a first bottom rail, and the second sidewall includes a second bottom rail;   the first bottom rail having a first outermost inwardly-facing surface at lengthwise positions of the first bottom rail, and a first outermost outwardly-facing surface at lengthwise positions of the first bottom rail;   the second bottom rail having a second outermost inwardly-facing surface at lengthwise positions of the of the second bottom rail, and a second outermost outwardly-facing surface at lengthwise positions of the first bottom rail;   wherein   in the lower head section, the first outermost inwardly-facing surface is positioned inwardly from the outermost outwardly-facing surface by a first distance;   in the lower head section, the second outermost inwardly-facing surface is positioned inwardly from the outermost outwardly-facing surface by a second distance;   in the upper head section, the first outermost inwardly-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 second outermost inwardly-facing stringing hole surface is positioned inwardly from the second outermost outwardly-facing surface by a fourth distance that is less than the second distance.   
     
     
         71 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 70 , 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. 
     
     
         72 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 71 , wherein the first distance is equal to the second distance. 
     
     
         73 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 71 , wherein the third distance is at least a 0.15 inches less than the first distance. 
     
     
         74 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 71 , wherein the third distance is at least a quarter inch less than the first distance. 
     
     
         75 . (canceled) 
     
     
         76 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 71 , wherein the ball stop end comprises a ball stop, and the upper head section starts at a distance of five inches from the ball stop. 
     
     
         77 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 71 , wherein:
 the first outermost inwardly-facing surface of the first bottom rail includes pocket attachment locations; and   the second outermost inwardly-facing surface of the first bottom rail includes pocket attachment locations.   
     
     
         78 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 75 , wherein the pocket attachment locations of the first and second outermost inwardly-facing surfaces comprise stringing holes. 
     
     
         79 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 71 , wherein the first distance is zero and the second distance is zero. 
     
     
         80 . A lacrosse head comprising:
 a scoop end having a scoop;   a ball stop end having 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 bottom rail having a first bottom, downwardly-facing surface that includes an inside edge and an outside edge, and the first bottom rail also includes a first outermost outwardly-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, and the second bottom rail also includes a second outermost outwardly-facing surface;   starting at a first location at a distance of at least four inches from the ball stop, the outside edge of the first bottom, downwardly-facing surface moves outwardly toward the first outermost outwardly-facing surface by at least an eighth of an inch within a quarter inch of distance from the first location in a direction toward to the scoop end;   starting at the first location, the inside edge of the first bottom, downwardly-facing surface moves outwardly toward the first outermost outwardly-facing surface;   starting at a second location at a distance of at least four inches from the ball stop, the outside edge of the second bottom, downwardly-facing surface moves outwardly toward the second outermost outwardly-facing surface by at least an eighth of an inch of within a quarter inch distance from the second location in a direction toward to the scoop end;   starting at the second location, the inside edge of the second bottom, downwardly-facing surface moves outwardly toward the second outermost outwardly-facing surface.   
     
     
         81 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 80 , 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. 
     
     
         82 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 81 , wherein the first location is in the upper head section. 
     
     
         83 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 81 , wherein the first location is at least five inches from the ball stop. 
     
     
         84 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 81 , wherein starting at the first location, the outside edge of the first bottom, downwardly-facing surface moves outwardly toward the first outermost outwardly-facing surface by at least an eighth of an inch within an eighth of an inch of distance from the first location in a direction toward to the scoop end. 
     
     
         85 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 81 , wherein starting at the first location, the outside edge of the first bottom, downwardly-facing surface moves outwardly toward the first outermost outwardly-facing surface by at least a quarter of an inch within a half inch of distance from the first location in a direction toward to the scoop end. 
     
     
         86 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 81 , wherein starting at the first location, the outside edge of the first bottom, downwardly-facing surface moves outwardly toward the first outermost outwardly-facing surface by at least a quarter of an inch within a quarter of an inch of distance from the first location in a direction toward to the scoop end. 
     
     
         87 . A lacrosse head as in  claim 81 , wherein the first and second sidewalls first turn inwardly toward the longitudinal centerline plane at the scoop. 
     
     
         88 - 95 . (canceled)