Lacrosse Rules and Links to Rules Information
We encourage all players, parents and fans to have a basic understanding of lacrosse rules. Check out the links below and read the article to gain a better understanding. Note that there can be rules changes from one year to another.
Simplified Lacrosse Rules By The Mid America Lacrosse Officials Association
Men's lacrosse is a contact game played by ten players: a goalie, three defensemen, three midfielders and three attackmen. The object of the game is to shoot the ball into the opponent's goal. The team scoring the most goals wins.
Each team must keep at least four players, including the goalie, in its defensive half of the field and three in its offensive half. Three players (midfielders) may roam the entire field.
College varsity games consist of four, 15-minute quarters. High school varsity games are 12-minute quarters, junior varsity games are 10-minute quarters, and youth games are 8-minute quarters. Each team is given a two-minute break between the first and second quarters, and the third and fourth quarters. Halftime is ten minutes long. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, sudden victory periods are played lasting 4-minutes in duration until a goal is scored.
The team winning the coin toss chooses the end of the field it wants to defend first. Teams change sides between periods. Each team is permitted two timeouts each half.
Men's lacrosse begins with a face-off. The players take their positions on the field: four in the defensive clearing area, one at the center, two in the wing areas and three in their attack goal area. The ball is placed between the sticks of two squatting players at the center of the field. The official blows the whistle to begin play. Each face-off player tries to control the ball. The players in the wing areas can run after the ball when the whistle sounds. The other players must wait until one player has gained possession of the ball before they can release. Face-offs are also conducted at the start of each quarter and after a goal is scored.
Players must use their crosses to pass, catch and run with the ball. Only the goalkeeper may touch the ball with his hands. A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from an opponent's crosse with a stick check. A legal stick check is the controlled poking or slapping of the stick and gloved hands of the player in possession of the ball. Body checking is permitted if the opponent has the ball or is within five yards of a loose ball. All body contact must occur from the front or side, above the waist and below the shoulders. An opponent's crosse may also be checked if he is within five yards of a loose ball If the ball or a player in possession of the ball goes out of bounds, the other team is awarded possession. If the ball goes out of bounds after an unsuccessful shot, the in-bound player nearest to the ball when it goes out of bounds is awarded possession.
The Defensive Team has 10-seconds to clear the ball past the defensive clearing line once possession has been gained and then can not move the ball back into the defensive zone unless possession is lost. An Offensive Team has 10-seconds to move the ball into the Attack Goal area once the ball has crossed midfield. A new 10-second count begins each time the offensive team brings the ball outside the Attack Goal area. In the final 2 minutes of play, the team that is ahead in score must keep the ball within the Attack Goal area and loses possession if the ball comes out (other than as a result of a shot or pass deflected by the defense).
An attacking player cannot enter the crease around the goal, but may reach in with his stick to scoop a loose ball provided he does not contact the goalie or the goalie’s crosse. A referee and an umpire supervise field play. A timekeeper and scorer are provided by the home team.
MEN'S LACROSSE PERSONAL & TECHNICAL FOULS:
There are personal fouls and technical fouls in men’s lacrosse. The penalty for a personal foul results in a one to three minute suspension from play and possession to the team that was fouled. Players accumulating five personal fouls would be ejected from the game. The penalty for a technical foul is a thirty-second suspension if the fouled team is in possession of the ball when the foul is committed. If the ball is loose, or in possession of the offending team, when the technical foul is committed, the fouled team is awarded possession of the ball. Penalties are released when the full penalty time has been served or when a goal is scored by the team with the man advantage (except in some circumstances when penalty time is classified as “non-releasable”).
Personal Fouls
Slashing: Occurs when a player's stick viciously contacts an opponent in any area other than the stick or gloved hand on the stick or a player swings his stick in an uncontrolled manner.
Tripping: Occurs when a player obstructs his opponent at or below the waist with the crosse, hands, arms, feet or legs. When a player trips accidentally while participating in play, no foul has been committed.
Cross Checking: Occurs when a player uses the handle of his crosse between his hands to make striking contact with an opponent.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Occurs when any player or coach commits an act that is considered unsportsmanlike by an official, including taunting, arguing, or obscene language or gestures. Most of these violations result in non-releasable penalty time.
Unnecessary Roughness: Occurs when a player strikes an opponent with his stick or body using excessive or unnecessarily violent force.
Illegal Body Checking: Occurs when any of the following actions takes place:
a. body checking an opponent who is not in possession of the ball or within five yards of a loose ball;
b. avoidable body check of an opponent after he has passed or shot the ball;
c. body checking an opponent from the rear or at or below the waist;
d. body checking an opponent above the shoulders.
e. body checking of an opponent who is on the ground.
A body check must be below the shoulders and above the waist, and both hands of the player applying the body check must remain in contact with his crosse. A body check must not be initiated with the head – this is referred to as Spearing and also results in non-releasable penalty time.
Illegal Crosse: Occurs when a player uses a crosse that does not conform to required specifications. A crosse is found illegal if the stick length is too short or too long, the pocket is too deep, or if any other part of the crosse was altered to gain an advantage.
Illegal Equipment: A player may not use gloves that do not conform to required specifications. A glove is found illegal if the fingers and/or palms are cut out of the gloves, or if the glove has been altered in a way that compromises
Additional equipment required includes an approved helmet, colored mouthpiece, shoulder pads, and arm pads. The goalkeeper is required to wear a throat protector and chest protector, in addition to a helmet, mouthpiece, and gloves.
Technical Fouls
Holding: Occurs when a player impedes the movement of an opponent or an opponent's crosse.
Interference: Occurs when a player interferes in any manner with the free movement of an opponent, except when that opponent has possession of the ball, or both players are within five yards of a loose ball. An offensive player may also not interfere in any manner with the Goalie while the goalie is within the goal crease.
Offsides: Occurs when a team does not have at least four players on its defensive side of the midfield line and at least three players on its offensive side of the midfield line.
Pushing: Occurs when a player thrusts or shoves a player from behind.
Illegal Offensive Screening: Occurs when an offensive player moves into and makes contact with a defensive player with the purpose of blocking him from the man he is defending. and is similar to a moving pick in basketball.
Stalling: Occurs when a team intentionally holds the ball, without conducting normal offensive play, with the intent of running time off the clock.
Warding Off: Occurs when a player in possession of the ball uses his free hand or arm to hold, push or control the direction of an opponent's stick check.