Nassau County Lacrosse Officials Association, Inc.

2009 Rules & Interpretation

From Al Blau  5/8/09  2009 Update on Donut

Situation:  Player A1 enters the field with a tape donut on his shaft (whether it is at the butt end, somewhere on the shaft, or both).  The official warns Player A1 to leave the field and remove the donut. The player leaves the field and later reenters without removing the donut. Ruling:  If the player does not comply with the official’s request to remove the donut and continues playing with the crosse, the player is given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. If the player continues to ignore the request, and reenters the field after his penalty is over, he is now issued a second unsportsmanlike penalty and is ejected from the game. Note: See Page 54 of the rule book Section 11 Ejection; Article 1 c.

From Al Blau  5/5/09

Rules Update – The circumference of the shaft at the maximum is 3/5 inches.  if a player has a tape donut, (whether it is at the butt end or further up on the shaft), that makes the circumference exceed the 3.5 inches, have the player remove it.  No penalty Situation #1: The game is tied with less than 2-minutes remaining. A1, who has possession of the ball in his attack half of the field, notices that his side wall is broken and some of the mesh has come away from the side wall.  A1 puts the ball on the ground and immediately leaves the field to exchange his crosse.  A2, in the meantime, picks the ball up and continues playing.  The ball then goes out of bounds off B1, A is awarded the ball. The coach from Team A calls for a time-out. During the dead ball the coach from Team B now requests a stick check on the ‘broken crosse’.  The Referee grants the request and finds the stick to have too deep a pocket.  Al now serves a 1-minute, non-releasable penalty and the ball is awarded to Team B on a free clear.  The regulation game ends in a tie and the game goes into the first sudden victory overtime when Team B scores a goal and gains a victory. Interpretation – When the coach of Team B asked for the stick check the Referee should not have granted it.  He should have told the coach of Team B that a broken crosse is considered a no crosse (Page 15, Section 8: Crosse Prohibitions, last line….”A broken crosse is considered as no crosse”.  That is why the coach’s request should have been denied. The important point to remember here is that, because of a misinterpretation of the rule the opportunity to win the game was taken away from Team A.  The reason for the time-out was to set up a play to score with as little time left as possible.  If Team A scores then they probably would have won in regulation time and if they did not score then either team could have won in overtime.  The key here is the word opportunity. Situation #2: A1 shoots at the goal.  the head of his crosse separates and then both the head of the crosse and the ball enter the goal. Interpretation: Once the head of the crosse separates from the shaft this now becomes a broken crosse and a broken crosse in considered as no crosse.  The goal is disallowed and Team B is awarded possession laterally 20 yds. from the goal. Same scenario as (a), however, prior to the shot, a flag is thrown for a penalty against B. Remember, that a flag thrown denotes possession.  Playing with no crosse is a technical foul.  Therefore, when the flag is thrown, and Team A commits a technical violation, that foul just negates the slow whistle. Interpretation: The goal is disallowed, B goes to serve his violation and Team A is awarded the ball 20 yards to the side.

From Al Blau  4/23/09

NYS Middle School Modified Lacrosse Rules 2009

From Al Blau  4/23/09  (Interpretations)

Situation #1: Goalie B1 makes the save and is clearing the ball up field.  While clearing the ball he loses possession to A1 who now has a fast break and is going toward the cage.  B2, a defenseman, jumps into the crease in order to prevent the scoring of a goal. Ruling: Allow play to continue and if A1 shoots and scores the goal counts. There is no penalty given to B2.  If B2 happens to make a save he does not have the privileges of the crease and can have his stick checked.  However, once he gains possession he, too, has 4-seconds to clear the crease. Situation #2: A1 clears the ball past the midfield line and goes to the goal in his attack half of the field.  A1 shoots and scores.  Immediately both officials realize that Team A has too many men on the field (not from offside but 11 men). Ruling: The goal is disallowed; B is awarded the ball laterally outside the goal area. Situation #3: During a face-off, the ball is going toward Team A’s defensive restraining line with A1 chasing the ball.  Before the ball crosses the defensive restraining line, B1 attack player either touches or crosses the line to gain control of the ball. Ruling: This is a line violation and not illegal procedure.  Therefore B1 is put back behind the restraining line, A is awarded the ball, and no one is released until the official’s whistle blows. (See P. 41 Situation L)

From Al Blau  4/5/09

New Rules 1-9-1 Stipulates in the rules that the tooth and mouth protector can cover either the upper or lower teeth. 1-9-2d Clarifies that tinted eye glasses are allowed unless a player is also wearing a clear, molded and non-rigid helmet eye shield. Also defines an eye shield as a as a helmet eye shield to more clearly identify that the eye shield is attached to the helmet. Note: If the player’s glasses are clear and he is wearing a clear, molded, and non-rigid helmet it is legal. Reason: the player’s eyes can be seen if he unconscious. 4-22-2a Clarifies that the common practice of allowing substitution after a goal, time-serving penalty or time-out is allowed without the necessity of a request for a horn. 4-23-3 Stipulates that regular substitutions are allowed for time-serving violations since the horn is sounded but are not allowed after play has been suspended for non-time-serving violations or inadvertent whistles. 4-24-21 Stipulates by deleting 4-24-21 that special substitutions are now allowed when play is stopped for equipment violations. 5-5 Stipulates that gloves must cover the fingers and palms and that gloves manufactured without a palm is not allowed. 7-3 Clarifies that if a time-out is called when the ball is in the goal area, it must be re-started laterally outside the goal area, nearest the spot of the ball at the time of the whistle instead of at the “top of the box”. 7-6-4 Clarifies that if both teams are awarded equal penalty time when neither team has possession of of the ball and a face-off is pending, the face-off shall be held instead of using alternate possession. Points of Emphasis: Stalling: Officials should be alert to and call stalling warnings during the game if it is apparent that the offensive team is not attempting to attack the goal and score. Glasses and Helmet Eye Shields: Helmet eye shields are allowed provided they are clear, molded, and non-rigid. eye glasses are not helmet eye shields and are not restricted by these provisions. Thus, glasses (either tinted or clear) are allowed to be worn during play. The only exception to this provision is that tinted glasses cannot be worn with a helmet eye shield. A player can wear clear glasses with a clear helmet eye shield but not tinted glasses with a clear helmet eye shield. Uniforms and Equipment: Officials are reminded that a revised jersey rule took effect with the 2008 season. The jersey must be a single, solid color with only limited trim in a contrasting color allowed. These trim requirements are included in Rule 1-9 in this rules book. If a team has jerseys or other uniform violations, these must be identified by the officials prior to the beginning of the contest and penalized accordingly. Following the contest, the officials must notify the state association of the school’s illegal uniforms so that it can address the situation with the school. Realize that equipment violations are handled differently as stipulated in the rules. Interpretations: When an assistant coach warrants a penalty (conduct or unsportsmanlike conduct) the penalty is to be entered into the book under the Head Coach.  Make sure that you enforce this rule. If a coach in calling a team time-out and following proper procedure questions the Referee on a rules interpretation and is proven incorrect, he is charged with a time-out. He may finish his time-out but is charged with a future time-out.  (Example: Team A calls a time-out.  The coach motions the Referee to the table to question an interpretation.  The coach is incorrect.  If there is time still left on the original time-out, the coach may finish it.  However, if the coach has one more time-out in the half he loses it.  If the coach is out of time-outs then he is charged with a Technical Foul.  If his team had possession, award the ball to the offended team.  If the offended team had possession, the In-Home serves 30-seconds). Elbow pads/shoulder pads not covering the rotator cup are legal.  If the official sees this strongly recommend to the Head Coach that the player in question wear the proper pads. Illegal Procedure – Crosse is checked out of a player’s hands and lands on the ground with the ball still either in the head of the crosse, or under the crosse, blow the whistle and award the ball to the other team. If the crosse is dropped with either the ball being still in the crosse or under the crosse, the player can retrieve his crosse and continue playing. 1.6.2 Situation During a stick check it is found that there are 2 stops.  This is a 3-minute penalty and the crosse remains at the table for the remainder of the game.  Cross out on Page 52 of the rule book Exception since it no longer applies. If the goalie loses any equipment outside the crease allow play to continue.  If this occurs while the goalie is within the crease, immediately blow the whistle. Situation:  B in possession (B also serving a penalty) and the period ends.  Who has possession when the next period begins and where does the restart take place? Ruling: Since B had possession when the period ended, B retains possession and the restart takes place where the whistle originally blew but on the other side of the midfield line. Situation:  B is serving a 2-minute penalty. The Timer sends B out after 1-minute expires and B then scores a goal. Before the face-off occurs this is brought to the attention of the officials. Ruling: Since the table errored (remember that those at the table are technically officials on the field). The goal is disallowed, player B goes back into the penalty box and serves the remaining 1-minute without additional penalty time.  B is awarded the ball laterally outside the goal area.  This, essentially, is a do-over.  Remind the timer to put the clock back a few seconds. Time-Outs –  If the ball goes out of bounds on the end line and a team calls a time-out, the restart is at the spot where the ball originally went out of  bounds. If the flag is down and now the ball goes out of bounds on the end line, after the time-out, the restart takes place laterally outside the box. Remember: During time-outs the coaches must be off the field.  Please remind them before the game and early during the game.  If they repeatedly come on the field warn them that if continued, a penalty will occur.    Butt Ends – Talon – The new Talon butt end (approx. 4 1/4” in length.  Players who use this type of butt end put a little bit of Vaseline and this allows the Talon to, very easily, move.  The players are cutting their sticks under 40”  and use the Talon to lengthen the stick in case it is measured.  Once measure the player either pushes the Talon up or taps the stick on the ground now making the stick, once again, illegal.  Ruling: Watch the player after you measure the stick and see what he does. if you see him adjust, in any way, the Talon, recheck the stick. Manufactured – There are plastic butt ends  that are now being made with a donut donut on the end.  This makes the stick more than the requirement of 3 1/2” circumference.  Ruling: This is illegal and the penalty is a 3-minute non-releasable penalty with the crosse remaining at the table for the remainder of the game. Tape -  Players are using tape at the butt end of the shaft thus creating a donut.  This is also being done on the shaft itself.  Remember that the maximum circumference of the shaft is 3 1/2”.  The donut is illegal and see ruling above.  If the coach or player says that they will remove the donut, the ruling is that it can be done but after the game. Midfield Lines – With more and more turf fields appearing, those with either logos or soccer circles, the midfield is not continuous across the field.  If that is the case, tell the coaches of the situation and if an offside does occur, and is missed, the reason is ‘the midfield line does not go across the field’. Many schools just have a symbol at the center of the field.  This should not       present a problem in terms of offside.  The problem arises not when there is a yard or two, but when there several yards. Checking an opponent’s crosse – it is legal to check an opponent’s within 5 yards of a  loose ball. Awarding of the ball – When a shot goes out-of-bounds the ball is awarded to the team whose player is closest to the end line where the ball went out-of-bounds.  This applies to the players body and not the extended stick. When the ball goes out-of-bounds off a player, the ball is awarded to the opposing team Mechanics – On the scoring of a goal, there is no need to run into the crease.  Always keep the play in front of you.  Run up to the crease edge signaling goal while blowing the whistle, then retrieve ball in give to the Trail.          When the ball goes out-of-bounds make sure to point in the direction the ball is going.  This helps the coaches know what to do in terms of substituting players. Make sure that you count every time the ball leaves the goal area.  (Note: the official who has the 10-second count does not have to signal that the ball has entered the goal area). As the Trail, during the play, a coach yells “offside”. Do not ignore him but instead turn around and check to see if a team is offside.  If they are then make the appropriate call. Face-Offs – in high school the proper method is to say to the face-off players “Down, Set”.  Note:  in the NFHS we do not use the NCAA mechanic. Team A, who is ahead and with under 2-minutes left in the game, clears the ball across the midfield line going toward the goal area.  He steps into the goal area and immediately steps out without the stalling warning being given to “keep it in”. Ruling:  Even though the official did not give the stalling warning, Team A is still in violation.  It is the team’s responsibility to know, that in the final 2-minutes of the game, they have to keep the ball in the goal area.

From Al Blau  4/5/09

2009 NFHS Exam Answer Key

Previous Years Rule Interpretations

2008 Rules & Interpretations

2007 Rules & Interpretations

2006 Rules & Interpretations

2005 Rules & Interpretations