LACROSSE BASICS:

1. Four players must be behind the restraining line.
2. A player has only THREE SECONDS in the 8-meter arc if she’s a defender, unless she’s one stick-length away from an opponent.
3. Before a player goes over/behind the restraining line as a midfielder, she should check the number of players already behind the line on her team.
4. If our team is ATTACKING:
   3 straight attacks
   2 wing attacks
   1 center
   AND 1 defense wing TALK TO EACH OTHER!
5. If our team is DEFENDING:
   3 straight defense
   2 wing defense
   1 center
   AND 1 attack wing
   LACROSSE FOULS:

Common Major Fouls

• Rough Check: Checking into the sphere near the head or into the body.
• Slash: Using a big wind-up motion to check.
• Pushing/Tripping: With the body or stick.
• Detaining: Holding a player with your stick.
• Shooting Space: Obstructing free space to goal while not marking a player within stick’s length.
• 3 seconds in the arc: Standing in the arc for more than 3 seconds unless you are guarding someone. This rule does not apply if you are marking the player directly behind goal.
• Charging: Barging or backing into an opponent.
• Shooting from an indirect free position.
• Blind pick, illegal cradle, dangerous shot.

Common Minor Fouls

• Covering the ball with the stick or foot.
• Empty cross check: You cannot check a player’s stick before the ball gets there.
• Delay of game: A player cannot move after the whistle stops play; delay moving 4 meters away on a free position; fail to wear eye protection or a mouthpiece.
• Out of bounds: A player cannot deliberately cause the ball to go out of bounds.
• Warding off: A player may not guard the crosse with a free arm.
• Playing with an illegal stick.
• Wearing jewelry.
• Illegal draw.

Common Goal Circle (Crease) Fouls

• Crease violation: A field player cannot let her body go into the goal circle. Neither attack nor defense can run through the crease.
• 10 seconds: THE GK must not let the ball remain in the goal circle for longer than 10 seconds.
• The GK cannot use her body outside the crease.
• The GK cannot have one foot outside the crease and draw the ball back into the goal circle or step back into the crease with possession of the ball.
• Once a team has possession of the ball in the crease and it is cleared, the ball cannot come back into the crease until it has been played by another player.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE POSITIONS:

THE ATTACK:

• First Home: The first home’s responsibility is to score. Located in front of the goal, the first home must continually cut toward the goal for a shot, or cut away from the goal to make room for another player. She should have excellent stick work.
• Second Home: The second home is considered the playmaker. She should be able to shoot well from every angle and distance from the goal.
• Third Home: The third home’s responsibility is to transition the ball from defense to attack. She should be able to feed the ball to other players and fill in wing areas.
• Attack Wings: The wings are also responsible for transitioning the ball from defense to attack. Wings should have speed and endurance and be ready to receive the ball from the defense and run or pass the ball.

THE DEFENSE:

• Point: The point’s responsibility is to mark first home. She should be able to stick check, body check and look to intercept passes.
• Coverpoint: The coverpoint’s responsibility is to mark second home. She should be able to receive clears, run fast and have good footwork.
• Third Man: The third man’s responsibility is to mark third home. She should be able to intercept passes, clear the ball, run fast and have good footwork.
• Center: The center’s responsibility is to control the draw and play both defense and attack. She should have speed and endurance.
• Defense Wings: The wings are responsible for marking the attack wings and bringing the ball into the attack area. Wings should have speed and endurance.
• Goalkeeper: The goalkeeper’s responsibility is to protect the goal. She should have good stick work, courage and confidence.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE EQUIPMENT:

• The Crosse: The crosse (lacrosse stick) is made of wood, laminated wood or synthetic material, with a shaped net pocket at one end. A girl’s crosse must be an overall length of 35 ½ - 43 ¼ inches. The head of the crosse must be seven to nine inches wide. The pocket of the stick must be strung traditionally, no mesh is allowed. The top of the ball when dropped in the pocket must remain even with or above the side walls. The goalkeeper’s crosse may be 35 ½ - 48 inches long. The head of the crosse may be mesh and up to 12 inches wide.
• The Ball: The ball must be yellow and made of solid rubber. The ball must be 7.75 – 8 inches in circumference and weigh 5 – 5.25 ounces.
• The Mouthpiece: All players must wear mouthpieces of any readily visible color other than clear or white.
• Eyewear: Eyewear is mandatory and must be of an approved type.
• Optional Equipment: Close-fitting gloves, nose guards and soft head gear are optional and may be worn by all players.
• Goalkeeper’s Equipment: A goalkeeper must wear a face mask and helmet with a mouth guard, throat protector and chest protector. A goalkeeper may wear padding on hands, arms, legs, shoulders and chest which does not excessively increase the size of those body parts.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE RULES:

• Women’s lacrosse is a non-contact game played by 12 players: a goalkeeper, five attackers and six defenders. The object of the game is to shoot the ball into the opponent’s goal. The team scoring the most goals wins.
• Women’s lacrosse begins with a draw, which is taken by the center position. The ball is placed between two horizontally held crosses (sticks) at the center of the field. At the sound of the whistle, the ball is flung into the air as the crosses are pulled up and away. A draw is used to start each half and after each goal, and it takes place in the center of the field.
• A collegiate game is 60 minutes long, each half being 30 minutes. The high school girl’s game is 50 minutes long, each half being 25 minutes. In both collegiate and high school play, teams are allowed two timeouts per game (including overtime).
• There are visual guidelines on the side of the field that are in place to provide a consistent indicator to the officials of what is considered the playing field. The minimum dimensions for a field are 120 yards by 70 yards. Additional markings on the field include a re3straining line located 30 yards from each goal line, which creates an area where only a maximum of seven offensive players and 8 defensive players (including the goalkeeper) are allowed; a 12 meter fan, which officials use to position players after fouls; and an arc in front of each goal, considered the critical scoring area, where defenders must be at least within a stick’s-length of their attacker.
• The boundaries are determined by natural restrictions of the field. An area of 120 yards by 70 is desirable.
  When a whistle blows, all players must stop in place. If a ball goes out of bounds, either at the side line OR behind the goal, the team that touched it last loses possession. If a shot is made on goal, the player nearest the ball gets possession – SO CHASE IT
• Rough checks, and contact to the body with the crosse or body are not allowed.
• Field players may pass, catch or run with the ball in their crosse. A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from an opponent’s crosse with a check. A check is a controlled tap with a crosse on an opponent’s crosse in an attempt to knock the ball free. The player must be one step in front of her opponent in order to check.
• No player may reach across an opponent’s body to check the handle of a crosse when she is even with or behind that opponent. A player may not protect the ball in here crosse by cradling so close to her body or face so as to make a legal, safe check impossible for her opponent.
• All legal checks must be directed away from a seven inch sphere or “bubble” around the head of the player. No player is allowed to touch the ball with her hands except the goalkeeper when she is within the goal circle. A change of possession may occur if a player gains a distinct advantage by playing the ball off her body.
• Fouls are categorized as major or minor, and the penalty for fouls is a “free position.” For major fouls, the offending player is placed four meters behind the player taking the free position. For a minor foul, the offending player is placed four meters off, in the direction from which she approached her opponent before committing the foul, and play is resumed. When a minor foul is committed in the critical scoring area, the player with the ball has an indirect free position, in which case the player must pass first.
• A slow whistle occurs when the offense has entered the critical scoring area and the defense has committed a major foul. A flag is thrown but no whistle is sounded so that the offense has an opportunity to score a goal. A whistle is blown when a goal is scored or the scoring opportunity is over. An immediate whistle is blown when a major foul, obstruction of shooting space occurs, which jeopardizes the safety of a player.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE SKILLS:

• Cradle: The act of moving the stick from side to side causing the ball to remain in the upper part of the pocket webbing.
• Checking: The act of using a controlled tap with a crosse on an opponent’s crosse in an attempt to dislodge the ball.
• Catching: The act of receiving a passed ball with the crosse.
• Cutting: A movement by a player without the ball in anticipation of a pass.
• Dodging: The act of suddenly shifting direction in order to avoid an opponent.
• Passing: The act of throwing the ball to a teammate with the crosse.
• Pick-Ups: The act of scooping a loose ball with a crosse.
• Shootings: The act of throwing the ball at the goal with the crosse in an attempt to score.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE TERMS:

• Clear: Any action taken by a player within the goal circle to pass or carry the ball out of the goal circle.
• Critical Scoring Area: An area 15 meters in front of and to each side of the goal and nine meters behind the goal. An eight-meter arc and 12 meter fan are marked in the area.
• Crosse (Stick): The equipment used to throw, catch, check and carry the ball.
• Deputy: A player who enters the goal circle when the goalie is out of the goal circle and her team is in possession of the ball.
• Draw: A technique to start or resume play by which a ball is placed in between the sticks of two standing players and drawn up and away.
• Eight-Meter Arc: A semi-circular area in front of the goal used for the administration of major fouls. A defender may not remain in this area for more than three seconds unless she is within a stick’s length of her opponent.
• Free Position: An opportunity awarded to the offense when a major or minor foul is committed by the defense. All players must move four meters away from the player with the ball. When the whistle sounds to resume play, the player may run, pass or shoot the ball.
• Free Space To Goal: A cone-shaped path extending from each side of the goal circle to the attack player with the ball. A defense player may not, for safety reasons, stand alone in this area without closely marking the opponent.
• Goal Circle: The circle around the goal with a radius of 2.6 meters (8.5 feet). No player’s body may “break” the cylinder of the goal circle.
• Grounded: Refers to any part of the goalkeeper’s or deputy’s body touching the ground for support outside of the goal circle when she attempts to play the ball from inside the goal circle.
• Indirect Free Position: An opportunity awarded to the offense when a minor foul is committed by the defense inside the 12 meter fan. When the whistle sounds to resume play, the player may run or pass, but may not shoot until a defender or one of her teammates has played the ball.
• Marking: Being within a stick’s length of an opponent.
• Penalty Lane: The path to the goal that is cleared when a free position is awarded to the attacking team.
• Scoring Play: A continuous effort by the attacking team to move the ball toward the goal and to complete a shot on goal.
• Stand: All players, except the goalkeeper in her goal circle, must remain stationary following the sound of any whistle.
• Sphere: An imaginary area, approximately 18 cm (seven inches) which surrounds a player’s head. No stick checks toward the head are allowed to break the sphere.
• 12 Meter Fan: A semi-circle in front of the goal used for the administration of minor fouls.
• Warning Cards: A yellow card presented by an umpire to a player is a warning which indicates that she will next receive a red card and be suspended from further participation if she continues to play dangerously and/or conduct herself in an unsportsmanlike manner. A green card is presented by an umpire to the team captain indicating a team caution for delay of game.