Don't shoot LAX from behind the goal

jfriend

I just thought I'd relay this story. A friend was shooting lacrosse from somewhere behind the end-line behind the goal - probably trying to get a good angle on faces for the players on offense. He ended up getting hit in the eye with the lacrosse ball on a shot that missed the goal.

The ball did a lot of damage. He had four hours of surgery today (23 screws and several plates) to repair the bones around the eye. He still doesn't have much vision in the eye that was hit. A long recovery path with lots of uncertainty about his vision.

There's definitely a reason that the lacrosse participants wear helmets with faceguards and apparently spectators either need to stay far away from the line of fire or have some kind of protection themselves.

FYI, he was shooting with a D90 and 70-200. The lens is fine, but the D90 lens mount is busted. We don't think the camera was hit directly, but fell to the ground after the ball hit him.

aktse

Good post. I think this applies to most sports and not just LAX.

-Foul and stray balls can do extensive damage from the sidelines of a softball/baseball game.
-Pucks, sticks, and skates come flying over the benches faster than what you think; you wont' have enough time to react.
-Players can fall on top of you and poke your eyes out when you're underneath the basket.

It's not worth losing an eye or a limb in order to just the shot. If you must shoot from those locations, wear protective gear -- helmet, shield, etc and be aware of the situation on the field/ice/court.

Mike J

aktse wrote:

Good post. I think this applies to most sports and not just LAX.

-Foul and stray balls can do extensive damage from the sidelines of a softball/baseball game.
-Pucks, sticks, and skates come flying over the benches faster than what you think; you wont' have enough time to react.
-Players can fall on top of you and poke your eyes out when you're underneath the basket.

It's not worth losing an eye or a limb in order to just the shot. If you must shoot from those locations, wear protective gear -- helmet, shield, etc and be aware of the situation on the field/ice/court.

Several weeks ago a photographer at a ski race suffered cut tendons (cut to the bone) in one ankle and severe bone contusions in the other leg when a racer went down and slide into him with his ski edges.
Moral: Stay behind the protective netting and watch the fall line - it's called that for a reason

David Evertsen

aktse wrote:

Good post. I think this applies to most sports and not just LAX.

-Foul and stray balls can do extensive damage from the sidelines of a softball/baseball game.
-Pucks, sticks, and skates come flying over the benches faster than what you think; you wont' have enough time to react.
-Players can fall on top of you and poke your eyes out when you're underneath the basket.

It's not worth losing an eye or a limb in order to just the shot. If you must shoot from those locations, wear protective gear -- helmet, shield, etc and be aware of the situation on the field/ice/court.

I agree, I went behind the goal first lacrosse game I shot for 5 minutes saw it was was to fast to keep track of and went to my safe zone. Back to the sides for me, I did not know the game enough to be aware of the movements. Even in Football When I kneel down on the sidelines I look around me to make sure I have an escape route to move..

hschlessphoto

okay well obviously i feel bad for the guy but thats just straight up stupidity in my opinion. In a sport like lax where they shoot so often and so fast, how would you ever think to go BEHIND where they're shooting. It's basically like standing behind a hockey goal...you would just never do that. Maybe the guy didnt know that well but it's basic knowledge to get to know your subject before you shoot it. I dont know..maybe 9 years of lax makes me look at this a little harshly but I think it was nothing but his stpidity and mild ignorance.

Once again I definitely feel bad for him as I would with anyone else and I hope him a speedy recovery but thats my 2 cents on it all...

SoonerShawn

hschlessphoto wrote:

okay well obviously i feel bad for the guy but thats just straight up stupidity in my opinion. In a sport like lax where they shoot so often and so fast, how would you ever think to go BEHIND where they're shooting. It's basically like standing behind a hockey goal...you would just never do that. Maybe the guy didnt know that well but it's basic knowledge to get to know your subject before you shoot it. I dont know..maybe 9 years of lax makes me look at this a little harshly but I think it was nothing but his stpidity and mild ignorance.

Once again I definitely feel bad for him as I would with anyone else and I hope him a speedy recovery but thats my 2 cents on it all...

Thanks for sharing that.....

hschlessphoto

SoonerShawn wrote:

Thanks for sharing that.....

sure? youre welcome?

KED

jfriend wrote:

I just thought I'd relay this story. A friend was shooting lacrosse from somewhere behind the end-line behind the goal - probably trying to get a good angle on faces for the players on offense. He ended up getting hit in the eye with the lacrosse ball on a shot that missed the goal.

The ball did a lot of damage. He had four hours of surgery today (23 screws and several plates) to repair the bones around the eye. He still doesn't have much vision in the eye that was hit. A long recovery path with lots of uncertainty about his vision.

There's definitely a reason that the lacrosse participants wear helmets with faceguards and apparently spectators either need to stay far away from the line of fire or have some kind of protection themselves.

FYI, he was shooting with a D90 and 70-200. The lens is fine, but the D90 lens mount is busted. We don't think the camera was hit directly, but fell to the ground after the ball hit him.

I LIKE shooting from behind (not directly, but to one 45 degree angle or the other). In that respect I disagree with Hschless below. You have to know the game really well, and you sort of know when you are at risk, but then you never really know until it's too late. Lacrosse balls can be among the most dangerous of sports projectiles, but one needs to understand the risks and assume them at whatever level they are comfortable.

Don't get me wrong -- I feel for your friend's injury and I know the same thing could happen to me on any given Saturday, and I wish him a speedy recovery. But I am going back behind the goal next chance I get to shoot lax (2 weeks).

oldtime

I hope your friend will be alright
What surprises me is the Ref's did not clear him out of that area!!!!!!
NCAA refs will not let you behind NC HS refs will not let you behind
You have to use some common sense
100 mph plus hard rubber balls do damage

jfriend

As it turns out, I was wrong about his location on the field. There was a video that someone else was taking from across the field that shows the incident. It's from far away so you can't see any details, but he was on the sideline, not the endline and he was even on the midfield side of the goal (so not behind the goal in any fashion). A player took a shot at the goal from the far side of the field at a terrible angle to the goal and the shot was wild (no where close to being on goal). It went all the way across the field (perpendicular to the goal) and hit my friend.

I dont know LAX much, but this looks like a somewhat normal position for spectators.

KED

jfriend wrote:

As it turns out, I was wrong about his location on the field.

A player took a shot at the goal from the far side of the field at a terrible angle to the goal and the shot was wild (no where close to being on goal). It went all the way across the field (perpendicular to the goal) and hit my friend.

I dont know LAX much, but this looks like a somewhat normal position for spectators.

Totally normal place for spectators below college level. This sounds like a case of "Wrong Place Wrong Time" meets "Really Bad Shooter".

Hope your friend is OK, and I must say I find it interesting how much sympathy has been evoked on this thread for the GEAR.

colourbox

Yup, there are photography hazards to any sport...

BMX cycling
Rally car 1 - OMG
Rally car 2

jfriend

KED wrote:

Totally normal place for spectators below college level. This sounds like a case of "Wrong Place Wrong Time" meets "Really Bad Shooter".

Hope your friend is OK, and I must say I find it interesting how much sympathy has been evoked on this thread for the GEAR.

I agree on the "Wrong Place Wrong Time", but why did you say "Really Bad Shooter"?

KED

jfriend wrote:

I agree on the "Wrong Place Wrong Time", but why did you say "Really Bad Shooter"?

Because you stated: "A player took a shot at the goal from the far side of the field at a terrible angle to the goal and the shot was wild (no where close to being on goal). It went all the way across the field (perpendicular to the goal) and hit my friend."

Just to be crystal clear, the "shooter" I was referring to was the player, not the photographer; upon reflection I'm pretty sure that's the source of any misunderstanding here. I'm picturing a kid shooting a few degrees above goal line extended, right into the crowd on the opposite sideline, hence terrible (lacrosse) shot, extremely unfortunate result for your friend.

jfriend

KED wrote:

Because you stated: "A player took a shot at the goal from the far side of the field at a terrible angle to the goal and the shot was wild (no where close to being on goal). It went all the way across the field (perpendicular to the goal) and hit my friend."

Just to be crystal clear, the "shooter" I was referring to was the player, not the photographer; upon reflection I'm pretty sure that's the source of any misunderstanding here. I'm picturing a kid shooting a few degrees above goal line extended, right into the crowd on the opposite sideline, hence terrible (lacrosse) shot, extremely unfortunate result for your friend.

Ahh yes. I thought you were referring to the photographer as the bad shooter. Yes, it was a bad lacrosse shot.

Firemann

I shoot LOTS of lax games and for those interested, the endlines are off limits to spectators, fans, and photographers. The referees are usually very adament about enforcing that rule. College games require photographers to maintain 10 yards off the sidelines as well, but the officials are usually more relaxed about that one. A lax ball is 5 ounces of solid rubber traveling at 90+ MPH....stay clear!

tjk60

Firemann wrote:

I shoot LOTS of lax games and for those interested, the endlines are off limits to spectators, fans, and photographers. The referees are usually very adament about enforcing that rule. College games require photographers to maintain 10 yards off the sidelines as well, but the officials are usually more relaxed about that one. A lax ball is 5 ounces of solid rubber traveling at 90+ MPH....stay clear!

Agreed. LAX is the one sport that I actually am nervous when I shoot. There is a reason the top level shooters are actually quite removed from the field and shooting with 500mm lenses. I try and position myself on the sidleines about 8-10' in front of the goal with my 300mm and that seems about as 'safe' a place to still get good action shots....

wmstumme

I was just reading a post on Inside Lacrosse about Goalies getting their thumbs broken while wearing gloves.

http://www.lacrosseforums.com/showthread.php?t=93422

So, needless to say, the ball can have an impact. The key for safety is to be aware of your surroundings when you're on the sidelines or where-ever, and get a feel for the game so you can anticipate when something might be coming your way...

KED

tjk60 wrote:

Agreed. LAX is the one sport that I actually am nervous when I shoot. There is a reason the top level shooters are actually quite removed from the field and shooting with 500mm lenses. I try and position myself on the sidleines about 8-10' in front of the goal with my 300mm and that seems about as 'safe' a place to still get good action shots....

Well, to each his own (meant with all due respect), but I like shooting from about 5 yards due south of the corner. If I see a guy winding up from across the goal, I just make sure I stay out of the way should the shot go awry. So far, so good (knock on wood).

hschlessphoto

wmstumme wrote:

I was just reading a post on Inside Lacrosse about Goalies getting their thumbs broken while wearing gloves.

http://www.lacrosseforums.com/showthread.php?t=93422

So, needless to say, the ball can have an impact. The key for safety is to be aware of your surroundings when you're on the sidelines or where-ever, and get a feel for the game so you can anticipate when something might be coming your way...

This happens a lot. A kid died a few years ago because he took a shot to the chest and it drove right through his chestpads and shattered his ribs then stopped his heart. Goalies and other players get hit in the neck too. There's a risk to every sport and unfortunately one like lacrosee or hockey where people are essentially tackling eachother AND theres a dangerous projectile, it happens more often than one would like to.

rmwphoto

Motocross pics
I shoot alot of outdoor motorcross zoom lens gives me time to get the
hell out of the way lol.

jasonstone

i have fond memories of using a 75-300 zoom and taking 3 shots of an oncoming rally car - it was a case of...

Close (300mm)
Closer (150mm)
VERY damn close (75mm - keep in mind how fast they're going!)
DIVE INTO THE BUSHES and get showered by rocks

Like you say know your surroundings and be prepared but sh*t can always happen

I got hit on the head by a foul baseball while trying to protect my girlfriend - knocked me silly for a while... she (now my wife) would argue I already was

BlueHoseJacket

Because my daughter plays high school lacrosse that is typically what I shoot...being that the girls do not shoot near as hard as the boys, I typically shoot from behind the endline. I would not do this in a boys game or a college girls game, but I have not seen many of the girls at this level (high school) who have me worried. If I were to get hit, I sure it would sting, but to this point I have not been remotely close to being hit.

I have had only one official ask me to move to the sideline...as a matter of fact I asked an official if it was OK to shoot from the endline before the start of a game this year and he said that as long as I "stayed out of the way" it was OK. I am typically 5 or 6 yards off of the endline and at angle to the goal.

Shima

I have seen soooo many injuries (myself included) that have occured sitting at the sidelines of backball... that I've learned when they get that close it's time to hold the camera away and watch, then put it back up once they go back towards the hoop.

My one friend got kicked in the face as one of the guys was falling out of bounds right where all the photogs were... and my personal injury, the ball was accidently released and came towards where all us photos were, it hit square into my hood (thank you hood! you saved my lens!) and pushed the whole camera into my face. It left my face soar, but thankfully no bruises or cuts or anything as bad as your friend and their eye.

But yeah, lesson learned, be cautious with all sports!

jfriend

BlueHoseJacket wrote:

Because my daughter plays high school lacrosse that is typically what I shoot...being that the girls do not shoot near as hard as the boys, I typically shoot from behind the endline. I would not do this in a boys game or a college girls game, but I have not seen many of the girls at this level (high school) who have me worried. If I were to get hit, I sure it would sting, but to this point I have not been remotely close to being hit.

I have had only one official ask me to move to the sideline...as a matter of fact I asked an official if it was OK to shoot from the endline before the start of a game this year and he said that as long as I "stayed out of the way" it was OK. I am typically 5 or 6 yards off of the endline and at angle to the goal.

I posted this just to share with folks that these injuries can be far more than a sting. This friend (who, as it turned out, was no where near the endline) has now had facial surgery (23 screws and multiple plates) to reconstruct his eye socket and is probably going to have retinal surgery because he has not regained his vision in that eye. Nobody knows yet if he will ever regain that vision. Lacrosse balls are seriously dangerous if you get hit in the wrong spot.