From US Lacrosse Press Release
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/10/19
The National Federation of State High School Associations announced a set of 10 boys’ rules changes approved by its Rules Committee last month. Among the changes coming to boys’ high school lacrosse next season – a play may be restarted when a defensive player is within five yards of the player in possession of the ball.
Under the new rule, officials “will no longer wait for defensive players to position themselves more than 5 yards from the player in possession of the ball when restarting play.”
Both offensive and defensive players are still prohibited from being within five yards, but with two exceptions for defensive players. Those players standing within five yards of the player in possession will not receive a delay-of-game technical foul if he allows “the player a direct path to the goal” and he doesn’t defend the player until the player is five yards away from the defending player.
Other rules changes coming to boys’ lacrosse in 2020:
● Shoulder pads designed for lacrosse must meet NOCSAE standard ND200 beginning January 2022. This change follows the rule change from 2019 which requires goalie chest protectors designed for lacrosse to meet the NOCSAE ND200 standard by January of 2021.
● An illegal crosse no longer levies a tiered penalty. All illegal crosse penalties are two-minute, non-releasable and can be fixed before returning to play.
Read the full post from the NFHS on the 10 rules changes for 2020.
In a change to Rule 4-22-1, officials will no longer wait for defensive players to position themselves more than 5 yards from the player in possession of the ball when restarting play. While both offensive and defensive players are still required to move more than 5 yards away, two exceptions apply to defensive players only. Defensive players within 5 yards of the player in possession of the ball can avoid a delay-of-game technical foul by allowing the player a direct path to the goal and not defending that player until the player is 5 yards away from the defending player.
“This change allows for rapid restarts to increase pace of play while making the game more engaging,” Weaver said. “Additionally, the change balances technique between offense and defense.”
Under mandatory equipment listed in Rule 1-9-1, shoulder pads and chest protectors used by players must be designed for lacrosse. Additionally, goalkeepers must wear a chest protector designed for lacrosse that meets the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) ND200 standard at the time of manufacture beginning January 1, 2021, while shoulder pads for field players must incorporate the NOCSAE ND200 lacrosse standard for chest protection beginning January 1, 2022.
NOCSAE ND200 protection will be available on the market for field players and goalkeepers this fall.
“Health and safety of players is of the utmost importance,” Weaver said. “The NOCSAE ND200 standard for lacrosse will provide valuable protection for all players in the game.”
In a change to Rule 5-5, the penalty for an illegal crosse is no longer a tiered penalty and is now a two-minute, nonreleasable penalty – regardless of the infraction.
Throwing a crosse, referenced in Rules 5-10 and 6-5-2, is now an infraction in all cases. Throwing the crosse at a ball, player or other game personnel is considered unsportsmanlike conduct, which is met with a one- to three-minute non-releasable penalty and in all other cases falls under illegal procedure.
Under the Chief Bench Official’s (CBO) responsibilities in Rule 2-7-2, the CBO is no longer responsible for penalizing a team with too few players on the field. However, delayed substitutions — when a player gains an advantage by delaying entry onto the field — still fall under the CBO’s duties.
The committee eliminated three definitions under “Play of the Ball Definitions” in Rule 4-5 – ball in flight, team possession and completed pass, which were deemed to no longer be needed.
Changes to Rules 6-1-1 and 6-2-1 focus on streamlining changes made to the slow-whistle technique in Rule 7-8-2 over the past two seasons.
Finally, Rule 4-24 clarifies that a time-out for a player with symptoms consistent with a concussion is an official’s time-out, not a team time-out.
A complete listing of the boys lacrosse rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at http://www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Lacrosse-Boys.”
According to the 2017-18 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, there are 113,313 boys participating in lacrosse at 2,957 high schools across the country.