World Lacrosse today announced PEARL as the Official Ball of the international federation in a multi-year partnership with Guardian Sports that runs through 2029.
Under the partnership, PEARL balls will be exclusively used in competition at all six premier World Lacrosse championship events over the quadrennial, including:
- World Lacrosse Women’s Championship (Tokyo, 2026)
- World Lacrosse Men’s Championship (Japan, 2027)
- World Lacrosse Sixes Championships (men + women, 2027) // Primary Olympic Qualifier
- World Lacrosse Box Championships (men + women, 2028)
- World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship (2029)
- World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship (2029)
World Lacrosse CEO Jim Scherr said: “As lacrosse continues its momentum on the global stage, consistency and excellence in every detail matter. We’re excited to partner with PEARL as the Official Ball of World Lacrosse through 2029, providing a unified standard of performance as we build toward a transformative era for our sport.”
PEARL lacrosse balls are designed by Guardian Sports to maintain their grip and last longer than other lacrosse balls, ensuring consistent and reliable handling during training and games. PEARL is the Official Ball of the NCAA championships, Premier Lacrosse League, Women’s Lacrosse League and Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association.
PEARL CEO Erin Hanson said: “PEARL was created to solve a real safety and performance problem in the sport, better protecting athletes while eliminating inconsistent play caused by traditional rubber balls breaking down and ‘greasing’ over time. By re-engineering the lacrosse ball, we introduced a greaseless, game-ready solution built to maintain consistent texture, grip and performance. Partnering with World Lacrosse and seeing PEARL trusted across top leagues and premier athletes reinforces our mission to better protect athletes and deliver reliable, high-performance equipment at every level of play.”
ABOUT PEARL
PEARL lacrosse balls are manufactured by Guardian Sports, a safety-driven sporting goods company founded in 2010 and trusted by athletes nationwide. Known for engineering the Guardian Cap, LOOP headband, FLEX chinstrap and bio-based INFILL, Guardian is on a mission to better protect athletes at every level of play. In 2015, Guardian re-engineered the traditional rubber lacrosse ball to eliminate the long-standing “greasing” issue that pushed balls out of spec. The result: the first PEARL lacrosse ball, a greaseless ball built to maintain consistent texture and performance. The lineup has since expanded to include a portfolio of innovative lacrosse balls: PEARL X, LT, NX and DUAL X. Today, PEARL is the Official Ball of the MCLA, NCAA Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse Championships, PLL and WLL, delivering reliable, game-ready performance at every level.
