How to hit lacrosse. Understanding Legal Stick Checks in Lacrosse: Rules and Techniques

Can you hit someone with a stick in lacrosse. What are the rules for defensive stick checks. How can players perform legal stick checks without penalties. When does a stick check become illegal in lacrosse. What areas of the body are off-limits for stick checks.

Table of Contents

The Basics of Stick Checks in Lacrosse

Lacrosse is a sport known for its unique rules, particularly when it comes to defensive tactics. One of the most common questions newcomers ask is about the legality of hitting opponents with lacrosse sticks. Understanding the rules surrounding stick checks is crucial for players to compete effectively and safely.

Are stick checks allowed in lacrosse? Yes, but with specific limitations. Defenders can use their sticks to check an opponent’s stick or gloves in an attempt to dislodge the ball. However, the rules are designed to prevent overly aggressive or dangerous play.

What Constitutes a Legal Stick Check?

A legal stick check in lacrosse involves:

Contacting the opponent’s stick or gloves
Using controlled, deliberate motions
Aiming to dislodge the ball or disrupt the opponent’s control
Avoiding excessive force or reckless swinging

Rules and Restrictions for Defensive Stick Checks

Over the years, lacrosse governing bodies have implemented stricter rules regarding defensive stick checks to prioritize player safety. These regulations help referees distinguish between legal checks and illegal slashes.

Limitation of Contact Areas

Where can a player make contact during a stick check? Legal contact is primarily limited to the opponent’s stick and gloves. This focuses on disrupting ball control rather than causing physical harm. However, incidental contact with other body parts may occur without penalty if the ball carrier uses their body to shield the stick.

Prohibited Areas for Stick Checks

Which areas are strictly off-limits for stick checks? The head and neck area are absolutely prohibited. Any forceful contact to these areas will likely result in a slashing penalty. This rule is strictly enforced to reduce the risk of head injuries, even though players wear protective helmets.

It’s important to note that light, accidental contact with the helmet may not always result in a penalty. Referees consider the force and intent behind the contact when making their decisions.

Interpreting Intent and Excessive Force in Stick Checks

How do referees determine if a stick check is illegal? Even if a defender targets legal areas, they can still be penalized for excessive force or malicious intent. This is where the interpretation of the rules becomes more nuanced.

Signs of Illegal Stick Checks

What indicators suggest an illegal stick check?

Swinging the stick with full force or “vicious intent”
Reckless or uncontrolled motions
Repeated, aggressive checks without attempting to play the ball
Checks that appear to be retaliatory or intended to injure

Referees must use their judgment to determine when a check crosses the line from a legitimate defensive play to an illegal action. This can sometimes lead to inconsistencies in calls, but it’s necessary to maintain player safety and the integrity of the game.

Proper Technique for Legal Stick Checks

How can players perform effective stick checks while staying within the rules? Mastering proper technique is essential for defenders to disrupt opponents without drawing penalties.

Key Elements of a Legal Stick Check

What should players focus on when performing stick checks?

Control: Maintain control of your stick at all times
Precision: Target the opponent’s stick or gloves specifically
Timing: Check when the opponent is vulnerable, such as during a catch or throw
Restraint: Use only the necessary force to affect the play
Follow-through: Avoid wild swings or excessive follow-through motions

By focusing on these elements, defenders can effectively pressure ball carriers and create turnovers without risking penalties or player safety.

Common Penalties Related to Illegal Stick Checks

What are the consequences of illegal stick checks in lacrosse? Understanding the potential penalties can help players avoid costly mistakes that put their team at a disadvantage.

Types of Penalties

What penalties might be called for illegal stick checks?

Slashing: The most common penalty for illegal stick checks
Unnecessary Roughness: For excessively forceful or dangerous checks
Unsportsmanlike Conduct: In cases of clearly malicious intent

These penalties typically result in the offending player serving time in the penalty box, giving the opposing team a man-up advantage. In severe cases, players may face ejection from the game or further disciplinary action.

Evolving Rules and Player Safety in Lacrosse

How have lacrosse rules regarding stick checks changed over time? The sport has seen a significant evolution in its approach to player safety, particularly concerning stick checks and defensive play.

Recent Rule Changes

What modifications have been made to stick check rules in recent years?

Stricter enforcement of slashing penalties
Increased focus on protecting the head and neck area
Clearer guidelines for referees on interpreting “vicious intent”
Enhanced penalties for repeat offenders

These changes reflect a growing emphasis on player safety and the desire to maintain the physical nature of lacrosse while reducing the risk of serious injuries. As the sport continues to evolve, further refinements to stick check rules may be implemented to strike the right balance between competitive play and player protection.

Coaching Strategies for Legal and Effective Stick Checks

How can coaches teach players to perform legal stick checks effectively? Developing proper technique and understanding of the rules is crucial for young players to become skilled defenders without risking penalties.

Key Coaching Points

What should coaches emphasize when teaching stick check techniques?

Body positioning: Teach players to approach opponents from proper angles
Footwork: Emphasize the importance of quick, controlled movements
Stick control: Practice precise targeting of the opponent’s stick and gloves
Decision-making: Help players recognize when to attempt checks and when to hold back
Rule awareness: Ensure players fully understand the regulations and potential penalties

By focusing on these aspects, coaches can develop defenders who are both effective and rule-compliant, contributing to a safer and more competitive game environment.

Drills for Improving Stick Check Skills

What practice drills can help players refine their stick check technique?

Partner drills focusing on controlled stick-to-stick contact
Reaction drills to improve timing and decision-making
Full-speed defensive scenarios with emphasis on legal checks
Video analysis sessions to review and critique check techniques

Regular practice and feedback can help players internalize the proper techniques for legal stick checks, making them second nature during game situations.

The Impact of Stick Check Rules on Lacrosse Strategy

How do the rules surrounding stick checks influence overall game strategy in lacrosse? The regulations on defensive play have a significant effect on how teams approach both offense and defense.

Defensive Strategies

What defensive approaches have evolved in response to stick check rules?

Increased focus on body positioning and footwork
Greater emphasis on team defense and sliding
Development of more controlled, precise checking techniques
Strategies to force opponents into vulnerable positions for legal checks

Offensive Adaptations

How have offensive players adjusted to the enforcement of stick check rules?

Improved stick protection techniques
Tactics to draw illegal checks and gain man-up advantages
Faster ball movement to reduce exposure to checks
Utilization of picks and off-ball movement to create space

The interplay between stick check rules and strategic adaptations continues to shape the evolution of lacrosse, creating a dynamic and ever-changing competitive landscape.

The Role of Officials in Enforcing Stick Check Rules

How do lacrosse officials manage the enforcement of stick check rules during games? Referees play a crucial role in interpreting and applying the regulations consistently and fairly.

Challenges in Officiating Stick Checks

What difficulties do referees face when calling stick check violations?

Split-second decision-making in fast-paced play
Interpreting the intent and force behind checks
Maintaining consistency throughout the game
Balancing player safety with the physical nature of the sport

Officials must undergo rigorous training and continual education to stay up-to-date with rule changes and interpretation guidelines. Their ability to make quick, accurate decisions is essential for maintaining fair play and player safety.

Communication with Players and Coaches

How do referees interact with teams regarding stick check rules?

Pre-game briefings to clarify rule interpretations
On-field explanations of calls when appropriate
Warnings for borderline infractions to prevent escalation
Post-game feedback and discussions with coaches

Effective communication between officials, players, and coaches helps create a shared understanding of how stick check rules will be enforced, reducing conflicts and improving overall game flow.

The Future of Stick Checks in Lacrosse

What potential changes might we see in lacrosse stick check rules in the coming years? As the sport continues to grow and evolve, regulations surrounding defensive play are likely to be refined further.

Potential Rule Modifications

What areas of stick check rules might see future adjustments?

More precise definitions of legal vs. illegal contact
Expanded use of video review for major penalties
Graduated penalty systems for repeat offenders
Additional protective equipment requirements

These potential changes reflect an ongoing commitment to balancing player safety, fair competition, and the traditional physical nature of lacrosse. As new technologies and safety research emerge, rule-makers will likely continue to adapt the sport’s regulations to ensure its long-term sustainability and appeal.

The Role of Player Input

How might players influence future stick check rules? Many lacrosse governing bodies are increasingly seeking input from current and former players when considering rule changes. This collaborative approach helps ensure that new regulations maintain the essence of the game while addressing safety concerns and competitive balance.

As lacrosse continues to grow in popularity and expand globally, the ongoing refinement of stick check rules will play a crucial role in shaping the sport’s future. By striking the right balance between aggressive defensive play and player safety, lacrosse can continue to thrive as an exciting and dynamic sport for generations to come.

Can You Hit Someone with a Stick in Lacrosse? – Lacrosse Pack

The sport of lacrosse is comprised of some rather unconventional rules that can be a bit puzzling to incoming players. One specific rule that new players want to understand in particular is whether or not they can hit someone with their stick in lacrosse.

Lacrosse defenders are allowed to hit an opponent’s stick or an opponent’s gloves with their own lacrosse stick in an attempt to dislodge the ball. However, a slashing penalty can be called on the lacrosse defender if they swing their stick at an opponent with vicious intent or reckless abandon.

But what constitutes vicious intent or reckless abandon? This is a grey area that even lacrosse referees occasionally have trouble defining. To help you better understand the rules regarding when you can hit someone with a stick in lacrosse, I will run through the explicit rules concerning defensive stick checks and provide some clear cut examples of what a fundamental defensive stick check looks like.

The Rules Concerning the Legality of Defensive Stick Checks in Lacrosse

Over the years, the lacrosse community has become more and more stringent with the rules surrounding defenders hitting opposing players with their lacrosse stick, otherwise known as defensive stick checks.

It is in the best interest of players, coaches, and fans to promote player safety above all else. For this reason, the lacrosse higher-ups have outlined explicit rules for referees to help them differentiate between a legal defensive check and an illegal slash.

Contact Must Be Limited to the Opponent’s Stick and Gloves

When people are first exposed to the game of lacrosse and see defenders whacking opposing ball carriers with their lacrosse stick, they mistakenly assume that defenders can rain down unlimited checks on the opposing team with no consequences. This is not the case.

Although forceful contact of the lacrosse stick is legal, this contact is primarily limited to the opponent’s stick and gloves. This is because the purpose of a defensive stick check is to disrupt the stick handling ability of the opposing ball carrier, not to maim the other player. By attacking the opponent’s stick and gloves, defenders are still able to generate turnovers without risking severe harm to the other player.

However, there are certain exceptions to this rule. There are certain cases where the opposing ball carrier utilizes some part of their body (other than the head or neck) to protect their stick from the defender. Under these circumstances, a defender may accidentally strike the opposing ball carrier in some place other than the stick or gloves because of this protective maneuver.

This incidental contact is not deemed a penalty. The fault lies with the ball carrier for attempting to ward off the oncoming defensive stick check. Incidental contact with forearms and upper arm area is common in lacrosse since ball carriers will go to extreme lengths to protect the ball from defensive pressure.

This is the main contributing factor as to why many lacrosse newcomers are under the false impression that they can assail an opponent’s arms with stick checks with little to no regard for the other player’s safety. Recently, the lacrosse community has done a much better job of communicating these facts to incoming players.

No Stick Checks to the Head or Neck Area Under ANY Circumstances

The number one way to draw a flag for a slashing penalty is landing a forceful blow on the opponent’s head or neck area.

Referees are real sticklers about this particular aspect of defensive checks. Even though lacrosse players wear helmets, the lacrosse community wants to eliminate unnecessary head contact wherever possible.

It may seem like a given to avoid the head and neck area of the opponent, but you would be surprised at how easy it is for a defender to strike the opponent’s head or neck if they aren’t careful. Even the most experienced lacrosse defenders fall victim to negligence every so often.

The rate at which slashes to the head and neck area occur has dropped significantly in recent years as penalties have been more rigidly enforced.

It is worth noting that not all lacrosse stick contact with the head or neck area may warrant a penalty. In order for a slashing penalty to be called, the contact must be forceful and significant. If a defender lightly brushes their stick on an opponent’s helmet, a slashing penalty will not be issued.

Checks Performed with Malicious Intent or Reckless Abandon are Strictly Forbidden

A lacrosse defender can adhere to the previous guidelines of limiting their contact to the opponent’s stick and gloves and may still be called for a slashing penalty. How can this be?

It all has to do with the additional rules put in place regarding slashing. The NCAA Rulebook for men’s lacrosse said it best by outlining the illegal act of slashing with the following statement:

Slashing is defined as “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. ”
(source)

The key components here are deliberate viciousness and reckless abandon.

As far as deliberate viciousness, it is blatantly obvious when a defender strictly intends to maim the opponent and carries no real intention of dislodging the ball. Once a referee sees that a defender is simply trying to injure the ball carrier, they will issue a slashing penalty immediately. There is no room in the sport of lacrosse for these kinds of spiteful actions.

Reckless abandon is a bit tougher to detect as compared to deliberate viciousness. This particular aspect of slashing is much more subjective, differing from referee to referee.

I have been a part of games where defenders pillaged opposing ball carriers with brutal stick checks play after play without any repercussions. On the other hand, I have also participated in games where it seemed like a defender couldn’t touch the opposing ball carrier with their lacrosse stick without warranting a penalty from the officials.

Generally, a telltale sign of a brash, uncontrolled stick check is if the defender winds up their lacrosse stick like they are prepping for a baseball swing. As soon as a referee witnesses a defender torque their lacrosse stick back with full extension, they will throw the flag as soon as the check is thrown.

Another solid indicator of a reckless stick check is if a defender only uses one hand to wind up and strike the opponent’s crosse. At the collegiate level, this check is legal. But at the youth and high school level, this sort of check is frowned upon and typically warrants a slashing penalty from the referees.

Although the subjectivity of slashing calls can be a bit perplexing for defenders, it can be overcome. If you are a lacrosse defender yourself, I would recommend trying to get a feel for how the referees are calling the game prior to pushing the envelope of what’s legal versus illegal.

How Illegal Defensive Stick Checks are Penalized

Although there are plenty of rules in place to dissuade lacrosse players from performing illegal stick checks, they do still happen every so often. These violations cannot go unpunished. For this reason, there is a fixed process by which referees go about penalizing players that violate the defensive stick checking rules.

As aforementioned, Slashing is the technical term for the penalty issued to a defender who has performed an illegal defensive stick. Slashing can be penalized with varying degrees of punishment depending on the severity of the transgression. Obviously, more malicious or reckless checks warrant more severe penalties.

The player responsible for the slashing penalty must sit in the penalty box for an allotted time before they are able to step back onto the field again. The specific amount of time they have to sit out for is determined by the referee.

A player may have to sit out for 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 3 minutes depending on the severity of the penalty.

In addition, the penalty may be deemed releasable or non-releasable. With a releasable penalty, the player that committed the foul can be released from the penalty box if the opposing team scores. With an unreleasable penalty, the player must serve out their whole allotted term before they can step back on the field, regardless of whether or not the other team scores.

The majority of slashes are one minute releasable penalties. However, there are cases where a defender may have been extremely reckless or vicious with their defensive check. Under these circumstances, it is not uncommon for a player to be issued a two minute or three minute unreleasable penalty.

A player that shows definitive malintent may even be disqualified from competition. This case is extremely rare in lacrosse, but it is a possibility.

It is important to note that the lacrosse stick does not need to make contact with the opponent for a slashing penalty to be called. This phenomenon is much more prevalent at the youth level where both coaches and officials are trying to instill good habits into young players.

For example, if a youth player swings their lacrosse stick at another player like a baseball bat, they may receive a slashing penalty even if they completely whiff.

Examples of What a Fundamental Defensive Stick Check Looks Like

To really get a glimpse of how to conduct a proper defensive stick check, I provided some film on Chris Sabia.

Chris Sabia was an All-American defender at Penn State for the 2019 D1 Men’s Lacrosse Season. His on ball defense is a marvel to witness. The stick checks he throws are precise and under control, yet they still carry a significant amount of force to strip the ball carrier of possession. Click the video below to see for yourself!

Note how Sabia always keeps constant pressure on the exposed bottom hand of the ball carrier every time they decide to press the issue and attack the cage. Rather than trying to go for the home run check, Sabia always maintains solid defensive positioning and picks his spots on when to time his stick checks.

When the opposing ball carrier has a momentary lapse of stick protection, Sabia jumps on the opportunity. If the situation does not call for a stick check, Sabia stays disciplined and relies on his defensive footwork to keep the ball carrier at bay.

Example of What a Slashing Penalty Looks Like

The video shown below is a blatant example of a slashing penalty. The defender checks the helmet of the opponent and makes no contact whatsoever with the opponent’s crosse.

This video below is yet another example of a slash. This time, the defender winds up and contacts the knee of the defender without checking any part of the opponent’s crosse.

You can see why the lacrosse community has enacted stricter rules to prevent these types of injury risk situations. No coach, fan, or player ever wants to see a slash happen during the game, which is why these explicit rules have been instituted.

Why Lacrosse Players are Allowed to Stick Check Each Other

Now that you understand the gist of the specific rules regarding defensive checks, you likely want to know why they are legal in the first place.

Levels the Playing Field Between the Offense and Defense

First and foremost, the primary reason that defensive stick checks are legal is that it levels the playing field between the offense and the defense.

Once a talented offensive player acquires possession of the ball in lacrosse, it is extremely challenging to get the ball back. Ball carriers are able to keep the ball within their lacrosse pocket by using centripetal force to their advantage, a technique commonly known as cradling.

Without defensive stick checks, ball carriers would be able to cradle the ball all the live long day. They wouldn’t ever have to worry about losing the ball because there would be no way for the defense to disrupt their stick handling ability. Body checks are effective at keeping opposing ball carriers away from the goal, but they are not nearly as effective at generating turnovers.

Defensive stick checks are the primary means by which the defense generates turnovers. By disrupting the stick handling ability of the opposing ball carrier, defenders are afforded the opportunity to strip the ball carrier of possession.

In addition, defensive stick checks can be utilized to pressure the opposing ball carrier into making mistakes. If a defender constantly harasses an opponent with stick checks while they are trying to get rid of the ball, the ball carrier might panic and throw an errant pass out of bounds. The same defensive tactics could be applied when the opposing player is attempting to shoot.

Defensive stick checks also keeps opposing dodgers on their toes. The prospect of losing the ball while dodging against a skilled defender is a very real possibility because of defensive stick checks. As a result, dodgers are a bit more weary when they attack the cage because they don’t want to be the ones that cost their team a possession.

Makes the Game Move Faster

Secondly, defensive stick checks up the tempo of the game.

One of the major points of emphasis in the sport of lacrosse is speed. In fact, lacrosse has been nicknamed The Fastest Sport On Two Feet. It did not acquire this nickname by accident. Lacrosse is specifically set up to allow players to run freely and showcase their speed on the field.

Defensive stick checks help to promote this rapid style of play because it keeps the ball moving back and forth from one end of the field to the other.

Every time that a defender lands a stick check and generates a turnover, they have to flip the ball to the opposite half so that their offense could get the chance to score some goals. As a result, the ball flies around very quickly between both sides of the field, almost like a game of ping pong.

This keeps the action rolling since the ball is constantly moving. It also keeps players actively engaged since they have to log in some considerable mileage ferrying the ball back and forth.

Plus, turnovers caused by defensive stick checks could potentially lead to fast break opportunities. There is no better way to speed up a sport than by upping the rate of fast breaks.

Adds a Unique, Exciting Element to the Sport

Lastly, defensive stick checks also add a signature element to the game of lacrosse that few other sports have.

How many other sports can you think of where you can legally whack someone with a stick? The answer is not many.

Lacrosse is the perfect activity for athletes that are searching for a way to showcase their physicality. When young aspiring athletes witness the remarkable precision and control that defenders possess when picking apart ball carriers, it helps to draw a new crowd to the sport.

This is why so many lacrosse players are multi-sport athletes. They may not have been exposed to the sport initially, but as they continued to delve into the more exciting aspects of it, their curiosity gets piqued.

Athletes that are stuck in the offseason want nothing more than to get back into the thick of things. The physical nature of lacrosse attracts these athletes, such as football players and hockey players, that want to have a reliable stress outlet.

Final Thoughts

So the short answer is yes, you can hit people with your stick in lacrosse. If you want to experience the thrill of this unorthodox physicality for yourself, go out and sign up for a local lacrosse league! Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Sources: 1

4 Key Techniques To Improve Your Lacrosse Shot

Lacrosse Tip

Presented by Brian Lalley, Camp Director
Pacific Lutheran University – Boys Lacrosse Overnight & Day Camp

Xcelerate Nike Lacrosse National Program Director, Brian Lalley, discusses, 4 Key Techniques To Improve Your Lacrosse Shot:

Shooting is a skill in lacrosse that most players are very eager to improve at. Since it’s a skill that a young man or woman generally is passionate to improve at, they tend to get a lot of reps in this skill. We know that habits are built on repetition. Through undisciplined repetitions, so many bad shooting habits are built. Recognize some of these common errors with shooting and work to build better habits through focused repetitions.

Mistake #1 – Hands Too Close to the Body

This habit is usually built at a young age since the player does not have the muscle strength in his/her forearms to extend their stick up and away. I know some companies like String King have made smaller sticks for young players just like basketball lowers the rim for younger age players.

When I work with a player, I first try to set his/her technique before they shoot to give them a feel for that technique and then build from there. Hands up and away from the body allow that player to use more wrists rather than pushing the ball with hands close to the body. It has also been proven with physics that the further the ball is away from the axis of rotation (belly button), the more rotational velocity generated.

Mistake #2 – Not Shooting Overhand

Before I approach this mistake, I’m definitely not a guy who thinks a sidearm or underhand shot is a bad thing in a matter of fact kind of way. I do believe that players should first learn how to shoot a good overhand shot. Once a player has developed the overhand technique I do think it’s ok to develop the techniques to shoot sidearm or underhand. I approach this like a license for driving. You need to have an underhand or sidearm license through proving you are able to execute it at a high level.

The greatest advantages of an overhand shot in my mind are first accuracy. If we shoot with an overhand release and, “paint the pipe,” we could miss high or low and still get our shot on the cage. Second, the head of your stick is hidden longer from the goalie, so he/she is not seeing the ball as long. Lastly, with a good overhand release with a tall chest and shoulders, a good shooter uses wrist snap to change the plane and get goalies reacting late to the shot. Deception is a great advantage of the overhand release.

Mistake #3 – Not Enough Hip/Shoulder Rotation and Follow Through

This is a component that tends to take good shooters to very good shooters. Some players focus on their arms and wrists but get very little core and shoulder rotation. There is a lot of power there going unused without a good rotation.

One drill I love to get players doing to build this is to go down on both knees with his / her hips and shoulders square to the goal. A partner pulls the head of the stick back as far as he/she can, maximizing the shoulder reach and core rotation. Once the partner lets go, the player in the drill should explosively rotate his/her shoulders and hips through the shot with maximum follow through.

Mistake # 4 – Not Enough Wrist Snap and Stick Follow Through

The power and deception in the wrists/forearms is a muscle group often not maximized in shooting. I’ll regularly see shooters not break their wrists at all. This motion should be paired with the rotation in the hips and shoulders. I tell players to break their wrists while trying to get the middle of their back pointed to the goal for maximum follow through.

Just like the knees down with hips square, I like to work on this while standing with hips and shoulders square to the net on our feet. On the follow through, players should snap their wrists and bring the stick as far across their body as possible.

Xcelerate Nike Lacrosse Camps

For more great tips like this one come join us at one of our summer lacrosse camps 2018 to increase your lacrosse knowledge and gain valuable experience. Xcelerate Nike Lacrosse Camp provide players of all positions and skill levels an opportunity to learn from some of the best coaches and players in the game today.

Safety Tips: Lacrosse (for Teens)

Lacrosse is a fast-moving, fun sport to play and watch. The rules of boys’ lacrosse allow for a lot more contact than in girls’ lacrosse. But even in girls’ lacrosse, players collide and people accidentally get hit with sticks and balls. When everyone’s moving so fast and using sticks to sling a solid rubber ball around, injuries can happen.

To keep things as safe as possible while playing lacrosse, follow these tips.

Safe Lacrosse Gear

The right protective gear is important for any sport, especially a contact sport like boys’ lacrosse. All gear should be approved for lacrosse and fit correctly.

Here are some things to consider when it comes to safety gear:

Helmets. Boys’ lacrosse players are required to wear helmets with facemasks, but girls’ lacrosse players are not. Always choose a helmet that is approved specifically for lacrosse by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). This means that it has been tested and passed safety regulations. Girls’ lacrosse players may wear a soft helmet when they play.
Goggles. Girls’ lacrosse players are required to wear eye protection. Most goggles are made of steel cages that protect the eyes, but some players choose plastic goggles that allow for better peripheral vision.
Cleats. Choose shoes with molded cleats or ribbed soles.
Mouthguards. Mouthguards protect the teeth, lips, cheeks, and tongue. They’re required for all lacrosse players.
Gloves. Lacrosse gloves are required in boys’ lacrosse. Gloves should protect the fingers, hands, and wrists, while allowing the hands to move freely and grip the stick. Make sure there are hard plastic inserts to protect the thumbs. Girls sometimes wear lightweight field gloves, especially in cold weather.
Elbow and shoulder pads. These are almost always required in boys’ lacrosse. They help protect the arms and upper body. For added protection, some players wear full arm guards or rib pads.
Cup. Guys usually are required to wear protective cups (and even when cups are optional, guys should wear them).
Stick. Lacrosse sticks are different for guys and girls. In boys’ lacrosse, the pocket of the stick is deeper, which helps a player to throw the ball faster.

Goalie Gear

Goalies need this special gear:

Head and neck protection. Helmets with throat protectors attached to them are required for all goalies in both boys’ and girls’ lacrosse.
Gloves. Goalies can wear regular lacrosse gloves, but some prefer gloves that are longer or have extra padding. Girls’ lacrosse goalies are required to wear padded gloves.
Chest protector. All lacrosse goalies are required to wear chest protection. The chest protector goes under the jersey.
Arm and leg protection. Lacrosse goalies usually wear arm pads and have padded lacrosse pants under their shorts. Girls also must wear protective shinguards at the youth and high school levels.
Stick. Lacrosse goalies use sticks that have bigger, wider heads to help them block shots.

Safe Lacrosse Practice

The team should have a coach who emphasizes safe, fair play at practices and games. To prevent injuries during practice, players should:

Get a sports physical before starting any new sport.
Check the field to make sure there are no holes or other obstacles, including debris and broken glass. Store extra balls and equipment well off to the sides of the field before a practice or game starts.
Check the goals at each end of the field to make sure they’re safe.
Remove any piercings or jewelry before playing.
Always warm up and stretch before playing.
Use proper techniques, particularly when it comes to stick-handling, shooting, and — in boys’ lacrosse — body and stick checking. Illegal use of the stick and illegal body checks are common causes of injuries.
Stop training if they get hurt or feel pain. Players must get checked by an athletic trainer, coach, doctor, or nurse before going back on the field.
Stay hydrated, particularly on hot, sunny days, by drinking plenty of fluids before, during, and after games and practices.
Know the team plan for emergencies.
Play different sports throughout the year to prevent overuse injuries.

Safe Play

During games, players should:

Follow all safety rules used during practice.
Know the rules of the game and follow them.
Be respectful of the referees and not argue with their calls.
Stay calm if an opposing player collides with them or does something they disagree with. Don’t take it personally. Let the referees handle the situation, and never start a fight with another player.

Reviewed by: Amy W. Anzilotti, MD

Date reviewed: March 2019

Lacrosse Rules and Info – Spring-Ford Youth Lacrosse

SEPYLA RULES 2018 updated 2/26/18

Regular Season Rules of SEPYLA That Apply To All Divisions

Teams have 2 Time Outs in each half.
In the event of a tie game at the end of regulation, we play one 4 Minute sudden victory over time period. The game ends in a tie if no one scores in the one overtime period (Regular Season Only). Teams have 1 Time Out in overtime.
The 6 goal mercy rule applies once a team is leading by 6 or more goals at all A and B levels, except A3 and B3 level. 4 goal mercy rule applies at all other levels. THIS IS AN OPTION FOR THE TEAM THAT IS DOWN (6 or 4+) GOALS. There will be a face off to start each period, even if the mercy rule is in effect.

***SEPYLA will follow U.S. Lacrosse (“USL”) Rules and have “12 goal running clock” at all levels. If delta reaches 12 goals or greater, than a running clock goes into effect. Should the differential become 11 goals or less then we will resume a “stop clock”.***

All penalties are served in all Divisions. All players must serve their own penalties. With respect to fouls called on a Goalie – if 2 (two) Goalies are present for the fouling team, the Goalie will serve his foul: if only 1 (one) Goalie is present, your team’s “in-home” will serve for your Goalie. This will be followed for both technical and conduct fouls. EXCEPTION, If one goalie is present, and foul is is 2 minutes or greater at discretion of referee, that goalie will be required to serve penalty and opposing team will have to “dress” another player as goalie during penalty. The player replacing the goalie must be properly equipped with regulation goalie equipment.
All spectators must remain on the opposite side of the field of the players and coaches.
The “Home” team shall supply responsible adults for both the game and penalty clocks. Coaches will not keep game or penalty time clocks.
Players must stand in the bench area during the game (unless there is not sufficient sideline space for a bench area).
Both teams must have a properly equipped goalie on the field at all times per USL Rule 1 Section 9, this includes elbow (arm) pads.
SEPYLA will follow the USL language and penalties (USL Rule 5) on body checks at ALL levels.
USL Rules – These rules will be followed for 2018 season, as well as USL adopted changes. The only exception to this is the use of a long pole at the C level as outlined below.
Only balls approved by NOCSEA will be permitted to be used in SEPYLA games.
New for 2018: (Experimental Rule adopted 2/26/18:) Attack and Defensive In-Home Players Teams will nominate a starting defensive player and starting attack player as in-home. Defensive in-home players are used if a goalie commits a foul and their teams do not have another properly equipped goalie to be a replacement. In this case, the goalie can remain in the game and the nominated in-home will serve the goalie’s penalty
We will follow the USL Face-off rules in 2016 and beyond.
- FACEOFFS: NO TAPE IS REQUIRED FOR THE FACEOFFPLAYERS STICK
Horns for substitutions are allowed on all balls that go out of bounds on the side lines.
NO 1 handed stick checks are permitted in any SEPYLA games.
New for 2018: A goal shall be counted as long as the ball has been released from the players stick prior to the expiration of a period. (adopted 2/26/18)
New for 2018: Contact of any degree made to an opponent head while actively making a stick check is a slashing penalty. (adopted 2/26/18)
New for 2018: Spectators in addition to players, coaches, and team personnel can cause a time-serving unsportsmanlike penalty. (adopted 2/26/18)
New for 2018: The second and subsequent violations by a team when their defensive player enters the crease and assumes the position of a goalie shall result in a releasable unsportsmanlike penalty served by the offending player. 2017 US LACROSSE (adopted 2/26/18)
New for 2018: When stalling rules are applied, they will remain in effect until a shot hits the goal pipe, goalie, or the goalie’s equipment in addition to the existing rules for stopping a stall warning. (adopted 2/26/18)
New for 2018: We are adopting NFHS rule on slow whistle (7-8) When there is a flag down during a slow whistle situation, the attacking team is no longer required to keep the ball in the goal area, otherwise known as ” the attack box.” A normal stalling situation can still be applied by officials if needed.

A Level Rules (For the sake of cross reference these will be considered U14 Rules.)

10 Minute Stop Time Quarters
We will follow the USL Rules 4.11, 20 and 10 counts for clearing and getting in the box.
Teams that are leading must keep the ball in the offensive box during the last 2 minutes of the game.
- If a team is winning by 5 goals or more, they will not be required to keep it in during the last two minutes.
Short Poles may be 40” to 42” and Long Poles may be 52” to 72”.
No 1 Handed Stick Checks are permitted
No excessive body checks permitted.
Horns for substitutions are allowed on all balls that go out of bounds on the side lines.

B Level Rules For the sake of cross reference these rules will be considered U12

10 Minute Stop Time Quarters
We will follow the USL Rules 4.11, 20 and 10 counts for clearing and getting in the box.
Teams that are leading must keep the ball in the offensive box during the last 2 minutes of the game.
- If a team is winning by 5 goals or more, they will not be required to keep it in during the last two minutes.
Short Poles may be 40” to 42” and Long Poles may be 52” to 72”.
No 1 Handed Stick Checks are permitted
No excessive body checks permitted.
Horns for substitutions are allowed on all balls that go out of bounds on the side lines.

C Division Specific Rules (For the sake of cross reference these will be considered U10 Rules.)

10 Minute Stop Time Quarters
There is NO 20 second count for clearing and NO 10 second count for advancing the ball on offense.
Teams that are leading do NOT have to keep the ball in the offensive box during the last 2 minutes of the game.
NO body checks are permitted in the C Division.
5^th graders (or any grade older) are never permitted to play in a C Division game.
Horns for substitutions are allowed on all balls that go out of bounds on the side lines & end lines
Short Poles may be 37” to 42” and Long Poles may be a maximum of 54”
No 1 Handed Stick Checks are permitted

Referee Fees: Please make sure that the referees are paid prior to the start of the game

A1, A2 and A3: $65 each for 2 referee/ $90 for 1 referee (We should never have 1 referee in “A” games).

B1, B2, B2 and C: $65 each for 2 referee/ $90 for 1 referee

Below are Rules that will be emphasized to promote safety in the game at ALL Levels.

Illegal Body-Check

US Lacrosse calls special attention to USL Appendix 1 , ILLEGAL BODY-CHECK, ARTICLE 4, which addresses the concept of a DEFENSELESS PLAYER:

ART. 4 . … A body-check that targets a player in a defenseless position. This includes but is not limited to: (i) body checking a player from his “blind side”; (ii) body checking a player who has his head down in an attempt to play a loose ball; and (iii) body checking a player whose head is turned away to receive a pass, even if that player turns toward the contact immediately before the body check.

PENALTY: Two- or three-minute non-releasable foul, at the official’s discretion. An excessively violent violation of this rule may result in an ejection.

US Lacrosse NOTE: Sports medicine research indicates that the severity of certain injuries may be reduced if a player can anticipate and prepare himself for an oncoming hit. Other sports medicine research indicates that peripheral vision may not be fully developed in many boys before approximately age fifteen. Game officials should be especially alert to blind side checks at all youth levels.

Checks Involving the Head/Neck

RULE 5 SECTION 4

US Lacrosse calls special attention to USL Appendix 1, CHECKS INVOLVING THE HEAD/NECK:

ART. 1 … A player shall not initiate contact to an opponent’s head or neck with a cross-check, or with any part of his body (head, elbow, shoulder, etc.). Any follow through that contacts the head or neck shall also be considered a violation of this rule.

ART. 2 … A player shall not initiate an excessive, violent, or uncontrolled slash to the head/neck.

ART. 3 … A player, including an offensive player in possession of the ball, shall not block an opponent with the head or initiate contact with the head (known as spearing).

PENALTY: Two- or three-minute non-releasable foul, at the official’s discretion. An excessively violent violation of this rule may result in an ejection.

TAKE-OUT CHECK/EXCESSIVE BODY-CHECK. Take-Out Checks/Excessive Body-Checks are prohibited at every age level. A Take-Out Check/Excessive Body-Check is defined as:

a) Any body-check in which the player lowers his head or shoulder with the force and intent to put the other player on the ground.
b) Any body-check considered more aggressive or more physical than necessary to stop the advancement of the player carrying the ball or to keep or move a player away from a loose ball. This includes but is not limited to: (i) any check in which a player makes contact with sufficient force and intent to knock down the opposing player; (ii) any check in which a player makes contact with sufficient force and intent to injure the opposing player; and (iii) any check made in a reckless or intimidating manner.

PENALTY: Two- or three-minute non-releasable foul, at the official’s discretion. An excessively violent violation of this rule may result in an ejection.

One Handed Checks:

USL Appendix 1, Slashing, Article 4: Any one-handed check shall be considered a slash, whether or not it makes contact with the opposing player. NOTE: If the defensive player’s hand comes off his stick in his legitimate follow-through motion after, or during his recovery from, a controlled poke check, this need not be considered a slash solely because his hand came off the stick.

Goalie Equipment:

US Lacrosse has required that all goalies wear a protective cup. SEPYLA will enforce this rule.

Get It In / Keep It In / Stalling: There is no stalling penalty, However, if a team is making no effort to move the ball into their offensive half of the field, by clearing the ball, and the ‘riding team’ is making every effort to actively play the ball, then at the discretion of the referee an unsportsmanlike penalty can be assessed resulting in a change of possession. at the Officials discretion. The same holds true in the offensive zone is the offensive team is not making an effort to advance the ball to make a shot on net.

10 Unacceptable Lacrosse Habits – Boathouse

All coaches have their tics. There are certain styles and habits they look to build on their teams, and standards each of their players are expected to uphold. The traits coaches like and dislike, however, can take a very long time for players to grasp. But not if you play for Coach Jake Scott. Lacrosse coaches, invested parents, youth and high school players: listen up. Here are, full disclosure, ten non-negotiable habits the former Harvard Lacrosse player and current Gilman Lacrosse assistant coach finds absolutely unacceptable on any given lacrosse field. Please read, enjoy, and spread the word to your local lacrosse community!

Attackmen Penalties – In most cases, the reason attackmen get penalties is lack of discipline. There is absolutely no excuse for committing a foul 40+ yards from your team’s goal. The difficulty for attackmen in the ride is finding a prudent balance between all-out hustle and wise conservatism. Some inexcusable blunders include an attackman taking one hand off his stick, slashing uncontrollably, accidentally sprinting over the midfield line, or pushing a ball-carrying defensemen in the back. In the ride, simply prevent goalies from outletting the ball to short-stick middies, float in the direction the ball goes, and remain in a poised defensive posture. Ignorant attackmen will think their job is to “take the ball away,” or “regain possession.” Wrong! Get in front of a man, force him to make a difficult decision, and take advantage of the clearing team’s errors. Do NOT commit a foul because of over-aggression or a lapse in judgement; you will hurt your team for no gain whatsoever.
Palms Up – To put it simply: referees are always going to suck. Because of your own biased standpoint, you will hardly ever get the calls you want. And referees will hardly ever reverse a call. Even after the victim of the call hoots and hollers, yells and screams, throws his cap into the dirt: the referee will stick by his original decision. To this end, there is no gain in complaining to the referee, especially if you are a player on the field. Revered coaches may hold some sway in their sideline bargaining with the refs, but players should, at all times, keep their mouths shut. The most useless form of body language is the “palms up” gesture. After committing a foul, stepping out of bounds, or otherwise losing a call, the stagnant, palms up, Ref, are you serious? body language is utterly ineffective, and ultimately puts a player at a disadvantage. If a referee wrongs you, simply drop the ball and prepare for the next play. Standing there with palms up is a weak, futile look, and one that will sting even more if the other team takes due advantage.
Drifting Away From the Cage – Perhaps because this habit was drilled into my brain by angry and audible college coaches, I now view the tendency of a shooter to drift towards low-angle shots as completely unacceptable. When I describe the correct way to finish a goal to my players, I ask them if they play or watch basketball. Is a more reliable shot the Dirk Nowitzki corner fade-away, or the Zion Williamson slam dunk? Dirk can definitely hit threes, but I would put my bet on Zion any day of the week. In lacrosse, the same rule applies. Why drift down the alley and lose your angle when you can move as close as you can to the front of the crease? “Finish in front” is a term I repeatedly use at practice. Good goalies will gobble up fading prayers, but have no chance saving a shot from in front of the goal. Finishing in front is not always easy; sometimes a player must take a hit from a sliding defensemen, endure a desperate check to the gut, or get completely laid out, but lacrosse is not a sport for the meek. The toughest players will take one for team if the ball is in the back of the net.
Walking on the Field – “If you’re walking, you’re wrong” is something my dad always told my youth lacrosse teams during practice. In fact, all coaches hate when players walk on the lacrosse field. Not only does the habit appear unenthusiastic and lazy, but it wastes everybody’s time, and diminishes the productivity of the practice. Most teams only have between an hour to two hours of practice scheduled each day. That’s it. If the entirety of that time is not efficiently spent on improving and practicing game-like habits, why else practice? In practice, players should build habits of running onto the field and running off of the field. Because if you walk around in practice, you will walk around in games.
Asking for Water – Another habit I take issue with is when a player asks the coach for water. There is plenty of time to drink water before and after practice. Hydrate up. But during a legitimate team practice, the coach will decide when the players earn a water break. Unless there is an obvious medical issue, never should a player ask a coach: Hey Coach, can we get some water? I’m tired and thirsty. The same goes for sitting on the field, walking on the field, or taking helmets off during practice. It makes you appear weak, and when you appear weak, you do your opponent a huge favor. During games, players will need to suck it up for extended periods of time. They must learn to manage fatigue. They must become mentally tough. The mental components of the game are equally as important to the game as scooping, passing, and catching, and must be developed and emphasized during practice hours.
Sulking / Slamming Stick – Frustration is a part of the game. A player will never make all of his shots; he will not always have a good day on the field. But there is no time in the game of lacrosse, or any sport for that matter, to feel sorry for yourself. After throwing a bad pass or getting stuffed by the goalie, standing still and brooding over the mistake only compounds the flaw. The most mature players understand that their inevitable mistakes only present an opportunity to redeem themselves, ride the ball back, and make up for a bad play with a series of positive plays. So if you err on the field, don’t get all pouty. Don’t slam your stick into the ground and risk breaking it. Don’t throw your helmet on the bench. You are only creating more problems for you and your team. Tell yourself that mistakes happen in the game of lacrosse, and work even harder to get the next one.
Chasing Sticks – From a defensive perspective, “chasing sticks” means going for the big, highlight reel-type checks. The temptation of throwing these types of checks is real. When an attackman gets a step on a defensemen, for example, more times than not he will bring his stick back to shoot, leaving the perfect opportunity for the recovering defensemen to throw a desperate trail check. Sometimes, these checks are the only chance a beat defenseman has left to throw, and throwing them is valid. It might be late in the game, and the defensive team needs the ball back. They need to take risky desperation checks. But the general philosophy of “chasing sticks” is not one any coach wants his players to adopt. Chasing sticks is a final resort, non-fundamental style of defense, and means only that a player lacks proper body position and defensive technique. The most disciplined defenses are capable of throwing takeaway-type desperation checks, but rarely do. In fact, they rarely throw checks at all. Instead, their defense looks like a well-coached basketball team’s defense: low and physical, but also conservative and smart.
Shoulder Toss – When young players throw with a lacrosse stick for the first time, their first instinct is to use their shoulder for support. They will set their stick upon their throwing arm’s clavicle, and use it as a launching pad for their toss. This tendency is not due to physical weakness, but to a lack of proper technique and muscle memory. To correct the habit, I relate throwing a lacrosse ball to pitching a baseball or throwing a basketball. Just how a proper basketball shot or a baseball pitch is one, full-body motion, a lacrosse pass requires a synchronized step, snap, and follow through. When a player passes from his shoulder, he pushes the ball out of his stick instead of snapping it out properly. A fundamentally-sound toss requires that the passer’s arms are disconnected from his body, his stick is up in the air (“pointed to the moon,” as I like to say), and his elbow is pointed directly at target. From there, he must only step, snap, and follow throw.
The Hero Play – In any competitive activity, everybody wants to be the guy who gets his name in the paper. Who scores the game winner in overtime. Who appears at the top of the box score, or sets a team scoring record. Everybody wants to be a hero.But lacrosse, don’t forget, is a team sport. No one man can do it all. And no team should only rely on only one guy. Sure–there are skilled players who can help carry a team, and every team needs go-to scorers. But the best teams–the ones that win championships–need all hands on deck. Some players’ roles lie in getting groundballs. Some players are expected to cheer loudly from the bench and encourage their teammates. Whatever the role, every player is equally important to the team’s objectives. Lacrosse is the ultimate team game, and if you want to be a hero, go play singles tennis.
The selflessness I have described is a key to any team sport. Due to the natural selfish tendencies of the individual, players on undisciplined teams will often try “the hero play.” They will try to run through five defenders and score the game winner. They will look off an open player and take a 15-yard shot. They will refuse to make the “one more” pass so they can get theirs. Nobody likes a guy who seeks the hero play, and teams with heroes will never achieve true success. It’s one of the duties of a coach to break down the egos of his players in the beginning of the season, humble the individual, and demand a total team buy in. This job is extremely difficult, especially because parents, friends, and outsiders will often ask silly, insignificant questions like How many goals did you score today, Johnny? or Who had the most goals today at practice? Subsequently, immature players begin to believe that scoring goals is the most important aspect of the game, and thus cherish their individual goals over the team’s. If a team wishes to succeed, players, coaches, parents, and programs should internalize John Wooden’s lasting words: “It’s amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.”

Twelve Ways to Destroy a Lacrosse Goalie’s Development

While it’s not intentional, there’s a big population of lacrosse coaches out there who are actually hurting the development of their goalies.

With the growth of the sport of lacrosse, many teams find themselves with head coaches with very little experience. It’s a tough task than to expect that the majority of teams would have an experienced coach who is knowledgeable in how to properly advance their lacrosse goalie’s skills and mental talents.

Simply because you were never a goalie doesn’t give you a good excuse to neglect the goalies. For example, some head coaches played defense in their playing days and yet have no problem teaching man-up strategy.

This post is a collection of mistakes I’ve seen coaches make when it comes to the development of the goalie. Think of this as a list of things to avoid if you want your goalie to reach his/her full potential.

It’s 12 ways to destroy your lacrosse goalie’s development.

Neglect the Goalie

Goalies are not like other players. It’s a specialty position and must be coached as such.

The good news is you don’t need goalie experience to be a great goalie coach.

Sure it helps, but nowadays with Instagram, YouTube, and websites like LaxGoalieRat (my book or my goalie camp lays out everything), there is really no excuse to be ignorant on how to coach a goalie.

As a head coach, if you don’t have a dedicated lacrosse goalie coach, I recommend you assign the responsibility to an assistant coach or a parent.

Once the coach learns some basic principles of a lacrosse goalie stance, positioning, arc play and save techniques, they can begin to intelligently observe and critique your goaltenders so that they learn and memorize the proper form.

Can’t recognize things on the fly? Record them during practice or games and watch the tape in slow motion. Bad habits will become amplified in slo-mo.

Coaches who provide no one-on-one instruction with goalies during practice are hurting their development.

Goalie is the most important position on the team (in my biased opinion, anyway) so a coach cannot be so busy with the attack and defense that they don’t have time to dedicate to the most important position on the field – the goalies.

Place Unrealistic Expectations on the Goalie

Nothing is harder than being burdened with the expectations of an MLL goalie when you are incapable of executing the saves at that level.

When you scream and yell at the goalies for mistakes, are you being fair? Is the goalie experienced enough to make the type of saves you are demanding?

Be fair and teach them responsibility for plays they can control and wisdom to know what type of scoring situations they aren’t yet capable of handling.

As a coach, we cannot expect our goalies to stop every shot in practice. Setting unrealistic objectives in practice and letting them know when they fail to live up to these objectives will cause many goaltenders to break down mentally.

I know because I receive a lot of emails from goalies who feel like losses are their fault, and it’s ruining their lacrosse experience.

To properly ensure goaltenders develop, try to aim for a save percentage that is realistic for the goalie’s skill level and experience.

Setup Unrealistic Shooting Drills

This is the most common and ridiculous problem for goalies.

How many times does the referee blow the whistle and line up players in an arc and let them blast away rapid-fire shots at the goalie?

This is what some coaches consider “goalie practice.”

If you can’t identify exactly what skill you are developing in the goalie (other than lots of shots), then the drill is for the shooters – NOT the goalie.

I’m 100 percent for goalies facing shots during drills in practice, no problem with that. However, if they are going to face shots it should be a realistic situation.

Shooters have to move their feet, be defended, change speeds, deal with a harassing defenseman, etc. These concepts will improve their scoring ability and make sure the goalies are developing, too.

If you’re doing a shooting drill with no defense, put a cone down on the ground and tell offensive players they must shoot before that cone. That way, middies and attackman don’t crank unrealistic shots at the keeper.

Alternatively, if the purpose of the drill is purely to improve shooting consider having the goalies perform a workout on their own instead of standing in the cage as targets.

You can buy a goal target to attach to the lacrosse goal in shooting drills so players can practice hitting the right zones.

Avoiding unrealistic situations will help the goalie keep a good attitude during practice.

Not Include the Goalie in Line Drills

In the clearing game and even for making saves, a goalie’s stick skills are very important.

Therefore, in addition to lots of wall ball sessions, every once in a while goalies should participate in the team’s line drills.

Many coaches let the goalies perform their own warmup while the rest of the team performs line drills. Unsupervised some goalies tend to go through the motions or repeat bad habits during this time. This relates to the 1st item I wrote about being neglected.

Goalies included in line drills learn to catch, throw, fake, and dodge. All crucial skills to know when you’re leading the clear.

Therefore be sure to include your goalies in line drills every so often.

Blame the Goalie For Everything

When a goalie makes a mistake it directly leads to a goal for the other team. So it’s very easy to put the blame on the goalie when your team gets scored on.

But never forget that its a team game. The attackman who threw the ball away losing possession is just as guilty for the subsequent goal as the keeper who let one slip by.

The middie who missed the second slide is just as guilty as the goalie who allowed in a 10-yard step down shot.

Goalies tend to have broad shoulders when it comes to accepting blame for losses or goals. As a coach you cannot add to that. It will destroy their confidence and ultimately their development in the cage.

Put Additional Pressure on the Goalie

I was listening to a coach’s pre-game talk the other day and he told the team, “We really need a big game from [the goalie] to get the win today!”

Coaches who lay the difference between winning and losing solely upon the goaltender are not doing them any favors.

A coach who makes it clear to everyone that the goaltender’s performance is the difference between winning and losing puts an incredible amount of pressure on that goaltender.

Goalies have enough pressure on them as if. If anything, the coach should be trying to lift pressure from a goaltender’s shoulders so he can concentrate more effectively on the game.

Remember, too much pressure makes a goaltender too tense and stiff, and that is the exact opposite of how we want our goalies to play.

Play Mind Games

Goalies need to know what you, as a coach, think of them.

They need to know what they must do to improve their skills to earn that starting role or advance to the next level.

You will develop “head case” goalies by ignoring them, not telling them who is playing or benching them from the start without first having a one-on-one chat about the decision.

Communication with a goalie must be open and honest.

I never want a goalie to be coddled but simply be honest with them as to your expectations and you will have fewer headaches.

Under Work The Goalie

As a coach, part of your responsibility is to push your team to give its max effort. That must also be true about your goalie.

The full extent of training a goalie for some teams means they send an attackman and the goalie down to the far end of the field to take shots.

Seeing shots helps but there is so much more you could be doing to train a goalie. There are many lacrosse goalie drills that develop their hands, their eyes, their quickness, their physical stamina, etc.

I also know plenty of kids who, when left to train themselves, will not push as hard as is needed to become a champion.

Remember that in the elite lacrosse goalie triad, goalies must also be physically trained so their bodies are explosive to the ball. If you’re underworking them physically, their game will suffer.

If your goalie is not getting pushed to exert maximum effort you are doing them a disservice.

In the same way you motivate, encourage and sometimes discipline your team, the goalie must also receive this same type of motivation, encouragement and discipline.

Don’t Allow Goalies to Fail in Practice

For a goalie to improve, they need to get out of their comfort zone.

The fact is when we’re performing drills goalies should NOT be saving 100 percent of the shots. That to me indicates that you are shooting unrealistically slow.

Shoot for something more in the 70 percent range so that goalies don’t get discouraged but at the same time they’re seeing realistic speeds that will help them improve. We’re also coaching them to shrug off goals given up and approach the next save with the same high level of enthusiasm as always.

You also must encourage them to work on their weaknesses even though they may hate it.

Many goalies struggle with off-stick hip or bounce shots. And even though they may fail tremendously those weaknesses must be addressed through coaching proper technique and then reinforcing that technique via drills.

Don’t Coach Them Mentally

Lots of coaches understand the part about turning goalies into great ball stoppers. But there is another piece of an elite lacrosse goalie and that is they are mentally tough.

Leaving goalies to figure out mental toughness on their own is a big mistake.

Their young, developing minds go in a million directions, and it usually ends with self-blame and doubt.

As a coach, take time to develop your goalie mentally. Teach them anecdotes like the Tale of Two Wolves. Teach them how to act after giving up a goal. Teach them traits of the mentally elite goalies.

Teaching goalies to be mentally strong is just as important as teaching them the proper save technique.

Don’t Allow Them to Leave the Crease

Welcome to modern lacrosse. Goalies must handle the ball outside of the crease.

If you do not train your goalies to be a great stick handlers their game will suffer. Your team’s clears will suffer.

Leaving the crease doesn’t mean they’re sprinting into the offensive zone every clear. But it does mean and they have the freedom (and the talent) to lead a clear on foot or to chase out a shot.

It means they feel comfortable juking a riding attack when the situation calls for it. There is also a strong correlation between stick skills and save ability so by working on their handling, they’re working on saves, too.

Adopt the ‘My Way Or the Highway’ Attitude

There are a lot of different styles of lacrosse goaltending.

Some goalies exceed with a flat arc while others thrive in a normal arc. Some goalies prefer stepping laterally versus stepping to the shot at the 45. Some goalies setup a little more upright in their stance while others prefer a deeper knee bend.

Some goalies set up with high hands (thumb around the eye) while others have the top hand lower around the chin. Some goalies set up in their stance with a vertical stick while others have it angled.

The point is there isn’t one specific way to play and coaches who think there is and force their own style onto a goalie who is already accustomed to playing another way, are ultimately doing the goalie a disservice.

Some coaches have a “my way or the highway” attitude when they inherit a goalie. And for some general things, like the level of effort expected, hustle or the communication used with the team, this is fine.

But for other things like stance and arc play, I think a coach needs to work with a goalie’s individual style, not force his or her own style onto a goalie who is used to playing and having success another way.

Conclusion

I’m sure every coach has great intentions, but some coaching styles and tactics are not good for a lacrosse goalie’s development.

If you’re wondering how to avoid hurting your lacrosse goalie’s development, this list is for you.

To recap, here is the list I put together on things to avoid if you want your goalie to grow:

Neglect the goalie
Place unrealistic expectations on the goalie
Unrealistic shooting drills
Not include goalie in line drills
Blame the goalie for everything
Put added pressure on the goalie
Under work the goalie
Play mind games
Don’t allow them to fail
Don’t coach them mentally
Don’t allow them to leave the crease
My Way or the Highway Attitude

Avoid these 12 items and your lacrosse goalie should continue on a great path of development.

Until next time!

– Coach Damon

State of the Game: “Man/Ball” to “Ball/Man”

The sport of lacrosse is always evolving, and even the simplest drills sometimes need to be shaken up. Today, coaches at camps, clinics, and practices all across the nation are rethinking one of the most basic and familiar drills in the game–the Man/Ball Drill–and working with players to think ball first, hit second.

When all of us here were beginning lacrosse players, we spent tons and tons of time at practice on the good ol’ “Man/Ball” Drill–just like you probably did. There were plenty of days where our coaches thought we were being “soft,” or didn’t think we really wanted to be at practice. So we would all line up in three lines. Two guys would take turns hitting the third guy as soon as coach threw out the loose ball. Actually getting the ground ball seemed to be an after-thought.

“Ball/Man” vs “Man/Ball”

We’ve all seen how this hit-first mentality actually works in a real game–somebody goes “Man!” for the big hit and lets the loose ball roll right by. With this in mind, more and more coaches are teaching their players to play “Ball/Man” instead, where everyone on your team always goes for the “Ball!” first.

Ground Balls Win Games. Always play the ball. The ball scores goals, not big hits. Even if you watch the big time college players on TV, they are always going for the “Ball!” in loose ball situations.

Especially with the new rules changes in 2014 in the NFHS and NCAA that make hits to a “defenseless player” a two- or three-minute non-releasable penalty, teaching your players to go for big hits on the “Man!” could seriously penalize your team and possibly cause you to lose games.

NFHS Rule 5.3.5: Illegal Body Check:
A body check that targets a player in a defenseless position. This includes but is not limited to: (i) body checking a player from his “blind side”; (ii) body checking a player who has his head down in an attempt to play a loose ball; and (iii) body checking a player whose head is turned away to receive a pass, even if that player turns toward the contact immediately before the body check.
PENALTY: Penalty for violation of Article 5 is a two- or three-minute non-releasable foul, at the official’s discretion. An excessively violent violent of this rule may result in an ejection.
-Lax All Stars: “Ask a Ref: The Defenseless Player”

We know that there are lots of coaches and players out there that are mourning the demise of the textbook body check during a loose ball.

But with so much recent research about concussions and brain damage that result from hits to defenseless players, the new rules are clearly necessary. Especially in Youth Sports.

You can’t even play “Man/Ball” in Box or Indoor Lacrosse rules. So, with more and more young players growing up playing Box Lacrosse and Field Lacrosse, we at LaxLibrary think “Ball/Man” is going to become the new standard.

You can still work the same Ground Ball Drills that you are used to running in your practices. You just change your point of emphasis from teaching your young players to go for the big hit to always going for the “Ball!” This new emphasis is not just for your players’ safety, but also proves more effective if you want to win games. We’ll say it again: Ground Balls Win Games.

Try it out and let us know how it goes for your team!

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