Tri Mountain Youth Lacrosse 2012 BOYS RULES of PLAY Federation Rules: All games shall be governed by the 2012 National Federation of State High School Associations Boys Lacrosse Rules (the Federation Rules ), except as modified by these rules of play. This memorandum sets forth the modifications to the Federation Rules that will be applicable to Tri Mountain Youth Lacrosse League play. 1. Responsibilities of the Home Team: a. Uniforms. In the event that the uniform jerseys of two teams are too close in color, the home team shall supply and wear contrasting color jerseys. These may be unnumbered mesh practice jerseys. Every effort shall be made for game jerseys to have numbers on the front and back. b. Field Equipment. The home team shall supply all equipment for the officials (i.e. horn, clock/stop watches, balls, etc.). c. Officials. The home team shall have the responsibility of supplying game officials and providing said officials with a copy of TMYL Rules of Play at each game. i. Lightning Games. It shall be the goal of every home team to supply one certified youth lacrosse officialat the Lightning level wherever possible. Uncertified officials may officiate Lightning games, however, these officials shall have sufficient presence and experience to control the game. ii. Junior Games. It shall be the goal of every home team to provide two certified youth lacrosse officials at the Junior level whenever possible. One certified youth lacrosse official and one none certified official may officiate Junior games. iii. Senior Games It shall be the goal of every home team to provide two certified high school officials at every game. However, one certified high school official and one certified youth official may preside over a Senior game. In the event, the home team is unable to satisfy the requirements of this rule, the head coaches of the teams scheduled to play may agree on the use of non certified officials, and in that event each team shall select one official. If a game commences using officials that do not meet the requirements of this rule, the visiting team coach may at any time during the first 3 periods of the game elect to terminate the game based upon legitimate concerns with respect to the quality of the officiating. If that occurs, the game shall be rescheduled. In the event that both teams elect to play without officials that satisfy the requirements of this rule, the game shall be a binding league game. Failure to provide officials that meet the requirements of this rule shall not be grounds for a forfeit, and every effort shall be made to reschedule the game.
d. Game Day Procedures Prior to the start of each game, the coaches of the participating teams are required to exchange Official Team Rosters. These rosters must accurately account for every player who is properly suited for contact and attending that particular game. These rosters must be the exact duplicate of the Roster posted on the league website with any modifications approved by the board. e. Safety Plan. The home team for each Senior and Junior game is responsible for assuring that a certified and properly equipped Emergency Medical Technician is present or an approved safety plan in place. If an E.M.T. is not present, or there is no approved safety plan in place the game shall not be played and is considered a forfeit by the home team. Final disposition of the game will be at the discretion of the Board. 2. Age/Grade/ Team / Divisions. There shall be Senior, Junior and Lightning teams/divisions. a. Senior Team/Division: All players shall be: i. Under age 15 on the December 31st preceding the start of a season and; ii. Students in the Seventh or Eighth Grade. iii. Exceptions: see Age Eligibility below. b. Junior Team/Division: All players shall be: i. Under age 13 on the December 31st preceding the start of a season and; ii. Students in the Fifth or Sixth Grade. iii. Exceptions: see Age Eligibility below. c. Lightning Team/Division: All players are: i. Under age 11 on the December 31st preceding the start of a season and; ii. Students in the Third or Fourth Grade. iii. Exceptions: see Age Eligibility below. d. Rosters: Every player must be rostered on a single team at the beginning of the season and must play with that team for the entire season. However, should a team lose enrollment during the course of a season such that it is unable to field a team, that team may roster players from a lower age/grade level after providing notice in writing to the league board identifying the player(s) to be rostered. e. Age/grade Eligibility: The league age/grade eligibility rules are in place to create a safe environment in which to play lacrosse and balance skill level within divisions. These rules and purposes are consistent with US Lacrosse rules.
i. Waiver of Rules: In all divisions (Senior, Junior and Lightning), should a member program have insufficient enrollment to field a team in a given division, that program may request a waiver of the age/grade eligibility rules to allow a player to participate in a division that consists of grades beneath the player s grade level (Example: A program may request that a ninth grader be permitted to play in the Senior Division despite that this division is limited to players in the eighth grade or lower). The player, however, must be age eligible for the division (Example: A ninth grader playing in the Senior Division must be under age 15 on the December 31 prior to the start of a season). 1. Waivers in the Junior and Lightning Divisions may be requested for reasons other than insufficient enrollment (For example, a player might be significantly below average in size, of limited skill and experience, etc., making it relatively unsafe to play in his age/grade appropriate division). 2. In the Senior Division, no reason for a waiver other than enrollment as stated in paragraph (i) above shall be permitted. 3. Waivers in all divisions, requested for any reason, must be: i. A formal request directed to the entire TMYL Board; ii. iii. Made by a member program in advance of the start of the season (prior to the first league game). In a writing describing: i. the need for the waiver; and ii. the particular details of each player who is the subject of a waiver request, including player s age, height, weight, skill and experience level; iv. Involving players who are age eligible for the division in which they are requesting entry. 4. As a rule of thumb, the TMYL Board will consider physical maturity when grouping advanced grade players in all divisions. 5. TMYL Board minutes will reflect the Board s consideration and action on a waiver request, including the reason(s) the waiver was requested, player details, the reason(s) the waiver was granted or denied and any restrictions on players granted a waiver. 6. In all cases in which waivers are granted:
i. Advanced grade players may never comprise a majority of the players on the team and their numbers on the playing field during a game may be limited by the Board without restriction; and ii. These players will be identified to the opposing coaches and the officials prior to game time during the exchange of rosters; and These players will be expected to play with sensitivity to the size and physical maturity of opposing players and may be specifically restricted from body checking. 3. Spectators. Whenever physically possible, all spectators, parents and fans will be situated on the side of the field opposite the scorer s table and bench areas. a. When stands or seating facilities are not provided, all spectators, parents and fans will observe a 6 yard spectator limit line (back from the sideline) on the far side of the field so as not to interfere with loose balls or near out-of-bounds play. The home team should mark the 6 yard limit with cones or other obvious markings. b. If the field is laid out in a manner that does not permit the game to be viewed from the far side of the field, the referee can waive this requirement. However, in such case, spectators, fans and parents will not be permitted stand within 6 yards of any player bench areas or the scorer s table. The home team should mark the 6 yard limit with cones or other obvious markings. 4. Player Bench Areas. When not on the field of play, or serving a penalty, or in the substitution/penalty box for imminent substitution, all players must stand at least 3 yards from the sideline so as not to interfere with loose balls, near out-of-bounds play, or the line of sight of scoring and timing officials. 5. Equipment. All players shall wear NOCSAE approved helmets and face masks. Players on the same team shall not be required to wear helmets that are all the same color. Mouth guards are mandatory, but no specific color is required. Color requirements for gloves, under jerseys, compression shorts and sweat pants will not be enforced. Under no circumstances shall hockey helmets be permitted to be worn by any player at the Lightning, Junior or Senior levels. 6. Game Duration. a. The regulation playing time (stop time) of a Senior game shall be 48 minutes, divided into 4 periods of 12 minutes each. b. The regulation playing time (stop time) of a Junior game shall be 40 minutes, divided into 4 periods of 10 minutes each. c. The regulation playing time of a Lightning game shall be 60 minutes divided into four periods of 15 minutes each. Each period shall be running time with the exception of the last 2 minutes of each period, which shall be stop time.
7. Overtime. In the event that the score is tied at the end of a game, the teams shall play 2 sudden victory overtimes of 3 minutes each. If the game is still tied at the end of the second overtime, the game shall be considered a tie. 8. Substitutions. a. In the Lightning and Junior divisions, regular substitutions (with a horn) may be made when play has been suspended for any reason, including the ball going out of bounds along either end line. b. In the Senior division, all substitutions shall conform to the Federation Rules. Specifically, there are no regular substitutions when a ball goes out of bounds along either end line. 9. Timeouts. Each team shall be entitled to 4 full time outs during each game, limited to 2 time outs each half. 10. Personal Fouls. Personal fouls are those of serious nature: illegal body checking, slashing, cross checking, tripping, unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlike conduct and the use of an illegal crosse. These infractions shall be strictly enforced to protect the safety of players and integrity of the game. a. Penalty. The penalty for a personal foul shall be suspension from the game of the offending player for one to three minutes, depending on the official s judgment of the severity and perceived intent of the personal foul. The ball shall be given to the team fouled. b. Cross Check. A player may not check his opponent with his crosse in a cross check position. That is, a check with the part of the handle of the crosse that is between the hands, either by thrusting away from the body or by holding it extended from the body. c. Body Checking. i. Lightning Division: No body checking of any kind (including man/ball "clear the body" type pushing) is permitted. ii. Junior and Senior Divisions: Body checking is permitted. 1. Players in the Junior and Senior divisions may make contact in an upright position with the front or side (above the waist and below the neck) of the body of an opponent within five yards of the ball. 2. No take out checks are permitted by any player in any division. A take out check is defined as any check in which the player lowers his head or shoulder with the force and intent to put the other player on the ground.
3. In the Junior division, an illegal body check shall be called when a player takes more than 3 steps before making physical contact with a player on the opposing team. 4. In the Senior Division, illegal body checks shall be called in accordance with the NFHS Rules (see Rule 5, Section 3). 5. Contact with the Head. New 2011 NFHS Rules prohibiting players from (1) initiating contact with the head, (2) initiating contact to the head of an opponent, and (3) initiating contact to the body of an opponent with follow through to the head, will be strictly enforced and a 1-3 minute non-releasable penalty will be assessed. d. Slashing. i. In all divisions, slashing is swinging a crosse at an opponent s crosse or body with deliberate viciousness or reckless abandon, regardless of whether the opponent s crosse or body is struck. ii. Slashing is further defined as striking an opponent in any part of his body (except when done by a player in the act of passing, shooting or attempting to scoop the ball). In all situations, the player s gloved hand shall be considered part of the crosse, except when in contact with a line marking. iii. Any check making contact with an opponent (other than the gloved hand while holding the stick) will be considered a slash. iv. Any check in which a player swings his crosse up over his head with the intention of bringing the crosse down onto an opponent, or an opponent s crosse, whether or not contact is made, shall be a slash. v. In the Lightning and Junior Divisions, any one handed check will be considered a slash. vi. Officials shall strictly enforce the slashing rule at all levels of play. 11. Stick Checks. Stick checks shall only apply to the Senior and Junior Divisions. Officials shall conduct a random stick check during the first half and the second half of each game. Coaches may request stick checks. If a stick check is requested and the stick is legal, the team requesting the stick check shall be charged with a timeout. An illegal stick shall result in a 1 minute non releasable penalty. A goal scored by an illegal stick shall be disallowed. An illegal stick shall be removed from play for the remainder of the game unless the only violation is an illegal pocket, in which case the pocket may be corrected and the stick may be returned to the game.
12. Stalling. At the Senior Division, the only stalling rule that shall be enforced is offensive stalling during the final 2 minutes of regulation play. The team with the lead must keep the ball in the goal area during the last two minutes of the game. At the Lightning or Junior Divisions, no stalling rules will apply. 13. Ten Second Count and Twenty Second Count. Neither the 10 nor 20 second counts shall be enforced in the Junior or Lightning Divisions. In the Senior Division, both the 10 second count applicable to offensive play, and the 20 second count that requires that a team advance the ball beyond the midfield line after gaining possession inside the defensive half of the field, shall be enforced. 14. Penalties on Goalies. In the event that a time serving penalty is called on a goalie, the in home rather than the goalie shall serve the penalty time. If a third time serving penalty is called on the same goalie, however, the goalie shall be required to serve the penalty time for such third penalty and each time serving penalty thereafter. 15. Six Goal Rule. In the event that a team is leading by 6 goals, there shall be no face off after each goal scored by either team while one team leads by 6 goals or more and possession of the ball shall be awarded to the losing team after each goal. Face offs shall resume if the lead is reduced to fewer than 6 goals. The losing team shall be entitled to waive this rule and participate in a face off. This 6 goal rule modifies the 12 goal rule that is part of the Federation Rules. The Six Goal Rule shall not be applicable to Tri Mountain Youth Lacrosse League semi final and final tournament games. 16. Interruption of Game. If a game is interrupted pursuant to Rule 3 5 because of events beyond the control of the responsible authorities (such as lightening), the game shall be continued from the point at which it was suspended if three (3) periods have not been completed when the game is suspended. If three (3) or more periods have been completed, the game is final as of the suspension of the game. The officials shall be instructed to wait a minimum of twenty (20) minutes following the suspension of any game in order to determine whether the game can be continued even if more than three (3) quarters of the game has been completed as of the time of suspension. 17. Leaving the Field. If a TMYLL team leaves the field during the course of play and refuses to return to the field, regardless of the circumstances, the game shall be declared a forfeit and the team that did not leave the field shall be the winning team. 18. Fouling Out. Any individual that accumulates four (4) personal fouls during a single game, regardless of the penalty time assessed with respect to such personal fouls, shall be prohibited from participating further in such game following the fourth personal foul. 19. Fighting. Fighting is an expulsion foul. Any player that is expelled from a game for fighting shall be prohibited from participating in the next game. Any player who is expelled for fighting a second time during a single season shall be prohibited from any further participation for the remainder of the season.
20. Request for Review and Clarification. Rule 7 13 of the Federation Rules, which permits a coach to request that an official review and clarify a rule when a coach believes that it has been misapplied, shall not be applicable to Tri Mountain Youth Lacrosse League play. 21. Special Rules Applicable to Lightning Play Only. The Federation Rules shall be further modified in connection with all Lightning games in accordance with the following: a. Field Size. The home team shall be entitled to use a modified field smaller in size than a regulation field, ranging from 60 yards by 40 yards up to 90 yards by 50 yards (the Modified Field ). i. Goal Line. If the Modified Field is used and the field is 60 70 yards long, goal lines shall be 50 yards apart. For fields 80 90 yards long, goal lines shall be 60 yards apart. ii. Midfield Lines. If the Modified Field is used, midfield lines shall be established at the point that is half the overall length of the field. No attack goal area or defensive clearing lines shall be used with the Modified Fields. iii. Players. If the Modified Field is used, on fields 60 70 yards in length the team shall play 7 v 7 (2 midfielders, 2 attack, 2 defensemen and 1 goal keeper). On fields 80 90 yards in length, teams shall play 8 v 8 using an additional midfielder. iv. Off Sides. If the Modified Field is used, a minimum of 2 players shall always remain in the team s offensive half of the field and a minimum of 3 players shall always remain in the defensive half of the field. b. Sticks. Minimum length of 36 inches, maximum length of 42 inches. No long crosses shall be permitted to be used in Lightning play. The head of all crosses used in Lightning play shall conform to Federation Rules. No restrictions shall be applicable to the goalie s crosse. c. Checks. No body checking is allowed in Lightning play. It is expected that some unintentional contact will occur in loose ball situations, but excessive contact and all intentional body checking shall be avoided and an illegal body check penalty shall be called for excessive contact or intentional body checks. For example, no man/ball involving an intentional body check shall be permitted in Lightning play. d. Penalties. No time shall be served for technical fouls, with possession awarded to the team that is fouled. Penalty time shall be served for personal fouls, with the player who committed the foul required to serve penalty time, but teams shall play at full strength and the player serving the penalty time may be substituted for. The offended team shall be given a fast break opportunity as a consequence of each personal foul. A player from the offended team shall be given the ball at the middle of the center line. All attack and defensive players shall stay in the goal area, and all midfielders shall be a minimum of five (5) yards behind the player with the ball. All
players shall be entitled to move when the whistle sounds beginning play. The player who was fouled is not required to start with the ball in connection with the fast break opportunity. e. Coaches on the Field. i. Upon agreement of the coaches of both teams, two coaches from each team may coach from the field of play as long as there is an additional coach managing the team from off the field on the bench. ii. The coach(es) on the field must assiduously avoid interference with the play of the game. If a team has two coaches on the field, one coach must remain at the defensive half of the field and the other must remain at the offensive half of the field. Coaches may only switch positions during an official stop of play. iii. The game officials are in charge of the game at all times. At no time shall authority over the game be ceded to a coach. A coach on the field must never interfere with an official s view of the game; and he may never comment directly or indirectly on an official s call of the game. A coach on the field may only communicate with an official during an official timeout or at the end of a period. Opposing coaches shall be invited to participate in any conversation a coach has with an official iv. It is recommended that coaches only coach players when the ball has moved to the opposite half of the field or when there has been an official stop in play. Coaches should refrain from too closely orchestrating play of the game or players. f. Three Pass Rule. i. Three Passes. Once a team gains possession of the ball and crosses the midfield line into its offensive half of the field, three passes, involving three different players, must occur before a team can take a shot. ii. Definition of a Pass : A Pass is defined as a throw traveling more than approximately three feet that is intended to reach a teammate 1. A pass does not require a catch; and 2. A goalie clear from inside or outside the crease is not considered a pass. iii. Officials. Officials shall count OUT LOUD each pass to help themselves, players and coaches keep track of the pass count. iv. Consequence of Three Passes.
1. Once three passes have occurred, the attacking team may take a shot. 2. If the attacking team loses possession of the ball after three passes have occurred (A) as a result of a shot or (B) a turnover in the offensive end of the field and the attacking team regains possession before the ball crosses the midfield line, the attacking team can shoot without being required to make three passes again. v. Violation of Three Pass Rule. Any violation of the three pass rule (shooting before three passes have been made) will result in the award of possession to the defending team, with the ball awarded outside of the goal area laterally from where the shot in violation of the three pass rule was taken. vi. Exception for Fast Breaks Attributable to Personal Fouls. The Three Pass Rule shall not be applicable to a fast break opportunity awarded to the offended team as a consequence of a personal foul. In that case, the offended team need only make one pass before a shot. However, should the offended team be leading by five or more goals, the ball will be awarded to the offended team at the center X and the three pass rule shall apply g. Five Goal Rule. Possession following a goal scored by either team will be awarded to a team that is trailing by five or more goals, with no face off.