What are the key rules in women’s lacrosse. How does scoring work in women’s lacrosse. What equipment is required for women’s lacrosse. How does field layout impact gameplay in women’s lacrosse. What are the main differences between women’s and men’s lacrosse rules.
The Basics of Women’s Lacrosse: Field Layout and Scoring
Women’s lacrosse is a fast-paced, exciting sport with unique rules and gameplay elements. Understanding the field layout and scoring system is crucial for players and spectators alike.
Field Dimensions and Markings
The women’s lacrosse field is set up on a standard football field with specific markings:
- Restraining lines at both 30-yard lines
- Goal positioned with its mouth on the 0-yard line
- 10 yards of playing space behind each net
- Three circular markings around each goal
These markings play a crucial role in gameplay and player positioning. How do the circular markings around the goal affect play? Let’s break it down:
- 5-meter diameter circle: Only the goalie may enter this area
- 8-meter arc: Defenders must be actively guarding an opponent to enter
- 12-meter fan: Open to all players
Scoring in Women’s Lacrosse
Scoring in women’s lacrosse is straightforward but can lead to high-scoring games:
- Teams score by getting the ball into the opponent’s net
- Each goal is worth one point
- Typical games see scores ranging from 4 to 15 points, sometimes more
This scoring system differs significantly from men’s lacrosse, which tends to have lower-scoring games. Why do women’s lacrosse games often have higher scores than men’s games? Factors include differences in protective equipment, checking rules, and overall gameplay style.
Essential Skills: Cradling, Passing, and Shooting
Mastering the fundamental skills of cradling, passing, and shooting is essential for success in women’s lacrosse.
Cradling: The Art of Ball Control
Cradling is the technique players use to maintain possession of the ball while moving. How does cradling work?
- Player holds the stick with the pocket at face height
- Rocks the stick back and forth while running
- Rocking motion prevents the ball from falling out
Proper cradling technique allows players to move quickly and efficiently across the field while maintaining control of the ball.
Passing and Shooting Techniques
Passing and shooting in women’s lacrosse involve similar motions but with different objectives:
- Passing: Throwing the ball to a teammate
- Shooting: Throwing the ball towards the goal to score
The most common technique for both passing and shooting resembles a slingshot motion from over the shoulder. However, players may develop various styles to suit their preferences and game situations.
Understanding Fouls and Penalties in Women’s Lacrosse
Fouls and penalties play a significant role in regulating gameplay and ensuring player safety in women’s lacrosse.
Common Fouls and Their Consequences
Women’s lacrosse has several types of fouls, each with specific consequences:
- Minor fouls: Result in a change of possession or brief pause in play
- Major fouls: Can lead to a 2-minute timeout for the offending player
- Personal fouls: More severe infractions that may result in yellow or red cards
What are some examples of minor fouls in women’s lacrosse?
- Not wearing a mouthguard
- Wearing jewelry during play
- Illegal substitutions
The “Sphere” Rule and Player Safety
The “sphere” rule is unique to women’s lacrosse and designed to protect players’ heads:
- Imaginary 7-inch area around a player’s head
- No stick or body contact allowed within this area
- Violations result in a foul and change of possession
This rule is crucial for player safety, especially considering that women’s lacrosse players do not wear helmets like their male counterparts.
Checking and Defensive Strategies in Women’s Lacrosse
Checking is a fundamental defensive technique in women’s lacrosse, but it comes with specific rules and limitations.
Rules for Legal Checking
Checking in women’s lacrosse is subject to several important rules:
- Only allowed on the stick of a player holding the ball
- Must occur on the stick head or lower shaft
- Cannot cross over the body of the opponent
- Must not interfere with the opponent’s running motion
These rules aim to maintain player safety while allowing for effective defensive play. How do these checking restrictions impact defensive strategies in women’s lacrosse?
Defenders must focus on positioning, footwork, and timing to effectively challenge ball carriers without committing fouls. This emphasis on controlled defensive play contributes to the unique style and flow of women’s lacrosse.
The Concept of “Empty Checks”
An “empty check” occurs when a player attempts to check an opponent who is not in possession of the ball. This action is considered a foul in women’s lacrosse and results in a change of possession.
The prohibition of empty checks encourages defenders to focus on marking their opponents and intercepting passes rather than aggressively pursuing contact.
Player Positions and Field Restrictions
Understanding player positions and field restrictions is crucial for effective gameplay in women’s lacrosse.
The Offside Rule
The offside rule in women’s lacrosse limits the number of players each team can have on either side of the restraining lines:
- Maximum of 7 players allowed past the restraining line farthest from their goal
- Violations result in a stoppage of play and possession for the opposing team
This rule ensures balanced gameplay and prevents teams from overloading one end of the field. How does the offside rule impact offensive and defensive strategies in women’s lacrosse?
Teams must carefully manage their player positioning to maintain offensive pressure while avoiding offside violations. This creates a dynamic flow of players moving up and down the field throughout the game.
Goalkeeper Restrictions
Goalkeepers in women’s lacrosse have specific rules regarding their movement and actions:
- May not cross the restraining line or center line
- Limited to 10 seconds of possession in the goal circle
- Cannot reach beyond the goal circle to play the ball while any part of their body remains inside the circle
These restrictions help maintain the balance between offense and defense, preventing goalkeepers from becoming overly dominant in field play.
Equipment Requirements and Safety Considerations
Proper equipment is essential for player safety and fair play in women’s lacrosse.
Essential Protective Gear
While women’s lacrosse has fewer equipment requirements than the men’s game, several key items are mandatory:
- Mouthguard
- Goggles
- Stick meeting specific dimensions and pocket depth requirements
Goalkeepers have additional equipment requirements, including:
- Helmet with face mask
- Throat protector
- Chest protector
- Padded gloves
Why does women’s lacrosse require less protective equipment than men’s lacrosse? The primary reason is the difference in checking rules and overall physical contact allowed in the two versions of the sport.
Stick Specifications
Women’s lacrosse sticks must meet specific criteria to be legal for play:
- Length: Between 35.5 and 43.25 inches
- Head width: Between 7 and 9 inches at its widest point
- Pocket depth: Ball must be visible above the sidewall when held horizontally
These specifications ensure fair play and maintain the unique characteristics of the women’s game.
Recent Rule Changes and the Evolution of Women’s Lacrosse
Women’s lacrosse continues to evolve, with recent rule changes aimed at improving gameplay and player safety.
2022 Rule Changes
The 2022 season saw several significant rule changes in high school girls lacrosse, including:
- Adjustments to align with free movement rules
- Clarifications on player positioning
- Updates to self-start procedures from out-of-bounds
- Changes to substitution frequency
- Modifications to field foul rules
- Updates to equipment regulations
- Revisions to goalkeeper placement rules
These changes were designed to enhance the flow of the game and address safety concerns. How have these rule changes impacted the overall gameplay experience in women’s lacrosse?
Players, coaches, and officials have reported that the new rules have led to faster-paced games with fewer stoppages, creating a more exciting experience for both participants and spectators.
The Impact of Free Movement
The introduction of free movement in recent years has significantly altered the dynamics of women’s lacrosse:
- Players can move freely around the field after a whistle
- Reduces the number of stoppages in play
- Encourages more continuous action and strategic positioning
This change has led to a more fluid and dynamic style of play, requiring players to constantly adjust their positioning and decision-making.
As women’s lacrosse continues to grow in popularity, it’s likely that further rule refinements will be made to enhance the sport’s appeal and ensure player safety. The ongoing evolution of the game reflects its vibrant community and commitment to excellence at all levels of play.
Language & Rules – Women’s Lacrosse
Language, Game Play and Rules:
Just like any sport, Lacrosse has many rules, but the following are the basic rules, the rules you need to know to play, the rest are trivial rules. For more rules, look on the official website.
Scoring – The teams score points by getting the ball into their respective nets. One point per goal. Most women’s games score between 4 and 15 points, sometimes more, unlike men’s lacrosse which is a much lower scoring game.
The Field – The game is played on a standard football field with markings at both 30 yard lines, marking the restraining lines, the goal sits with its mouth on the 0 yard line and there is 10 yards of playing space behind the net. There are also 3 markings around the goal. The first is a 5-meter diameter circle that the goal sits in, no player except the goalie may step in this circle. The second is called the 8-meter arc and is 8 meters out from the goalie circle, defenders cannot be in this arc without clearly guarding someone.
The third is another 4 meters out from the 8 meter arc, anyone can be in this arc. Around both arcs there are markings every 4 feet, players set up on these during the case of a free shot and most penalties in the within 20 yards of the goal.
Cradling – Cradling is how a player carries the ball. She holds the stick so the pocket is at the same height as her face, and rocks it back and forth as she runs, the rocking motion prevents the ball from falling.
Passing – “Passing” is the term to describe how a player throws the ball to another. The motion is usually similar to shooting a slingshot from over the shoulder, although there are many different ways people choose to pass.
Shooting – “Shooting” is passing to a goal rather than a person. It’s the same motion as passing, just a different destination.
Off Sides – Each team is only allowed to have a maximum of 7 players past the restraining line farthest from their goal. If a team breaks this rule game play will stop and the ball will be given to the opposing team.
The Sphere – Since women’s lacrosse doesn’t have helmets they use an imaginary helmet called the “sphere.” The sphere is the area within 7 inches of the player’s face. If anyone’s stick, or anything else for that matter, crosses into the sphere it’s a foul and the team who the foul was committed against gains possession of the ball. Cradling in the player’s own sphere is a foul as well.
Checking – Checking is hitting another girl’s stick with one’s own stick. There are many rules regarding checking, there are three that they all come from though. First, checking is only allowed on stick holding the ball, otherwise it’s called an “empty check.” Second, checking can only happen on the head of the stick or the back end of the stick, near the butt. Third, when checking, a player’s stick cannot cross over the body of the other person or interfere with their running.
Fouls – There are a number of petty rules lacrosse players can be called on for.
The most common are the ones mentioned above and these will generally end up with the opposing team gaining possession of the ball. Some fouls, such as if a player hits, accidentally or on purpose, a member of another team with her stick, will result in a 2 minute timeout for that player. In such a case, no substitution is allowed and the team is left missing a player. Minor fouls may result in merely a pause in game play or change of possession of the ball, usually depending on the referee. These minor fouls can be things like not wearing a mouth guard or wearing jewelry.
2022 High School Girls Lacrosse Rules Changes Continue Efforts to Improve the Flow of the Game
NEWS RELEASE
2022 High School Girls Lacrosse Rules Changes Continue Efforts to Improve the Flow of the Game
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lindsey Atkinson
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 12, 2021) — Aligning rules to match the flow of the game established by free movement was a major theme within the high school girls lacrosse rules changes, which also featured notable clarifications to player position and self-starts from out-of-bounds as well as alterations to substitution frequency, field fouls, equipment and goalkeeper placement.
The 19 rules changes, which come following a one-year hiatus from the rules-making process as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, were proposed by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)/USA Lacrosse Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee at its virtual rules meeting held June 21-23. All 19 proposals were later approved by the NFHS and USAL Boards of Directors.
“The rules committee had a huge task,” said Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS director of sports/communications associate and liaison to the Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee. “After adding self-starts and free movement to the high school game followed by a year without play, the committee was asked to examine several other areas impacted by the increased pace of the game and they certainly rose to the challenge.”
The focus allowing the rules to compliment free movement shows up most prominently in the committee’s edits to several sections of Rule 4 – “Time Factors, Substitutions and Scoring.”
To reduce the potential for false starts during the last two minutes of each half, the game clock will no longer be stopped in every instance that the official blows the whistle to stop play (Rule 4-1-2).
A similar change was made to Rule 4-6, mandating that in overtime, the clock will only stop during official time-outs or fouls committed in the critical scoring area.
Rule 4-2-2 now includes additional situations where an official’s time-out must be taken. Previously, officials stopped play in case of illness, accident or injury, for the issuance of a card, to check a crosse and any time a draw had to be retaken. Now, stoppages will also occur in the event of an offside call, an inadvertent whistle, alternate possession, and for fouls in the critical scoring area during the last two minutes of each half (unless there is a 10-goal differential). Rule 4-6 eliminates the requirement to stop the clock during the last two minutes of each half and overtime on every whistle except for officials’ time-outs and fouls in the critical scoring area, reducing the potential for false starts.
New criteria were added to Rule 4-3-3 that dictates where play will be resumed following a possession time-out.
If the goalkeeper has possession of the ball in the goal circle, play will now be restarted in the goal circle. If the game is to resume with a free position, play will be restarted at the location of the free position. Additionally, no player will be allowed within 4 meters of the player with the ball when play is being resumed.
Substitution restrictions were removed from several sections of Rule 4 and Rule 2. Prior to these changes, substitutions were prohibited during various stoppages in play including those required for player injury (Rule 4-2-3e), player ejections (Rule 4-7-6), replacing an illegal or broken crosse (Rules 2-4-7b and 2-5-2d), and re-draws during the overtime period (4-7-5b).
“While there are 19 rules changes passed this year, the majority of them are tweaks and minor adjustments as the game evolves in the free movement era,” said Caitlin Kelley, women’s game director at USA Lacrosse. “The committee did a great job of looking through the details of the game and modifying substitution rules, equipment allowances, and penalty administration to better allow for the flow of the game and the student-athlete experience.
Rule 2 also underwent several alterations regarding equipment, including the new Rule 2-7-7, which permits participants to wear secured, non-abrasive head coverings for religious or cosmetic reasons without first obtaining state association approval.
Beyond a pair of changes permitting hair ties and other soft, non-rigid materials worn on the arm and securely fastened hair adornments (Rule 2-7-5), the other major equipment-related modifications are found in Rule 2-7-3, which allows face masks that are soft and non-abrasive.
“The rules committee reviewed both the permissibility of headwear for religious and cosmetic reasons and securely fastened hair adornments that do not endanger other players and agreed that eliminating barriers to participation was important for the growth of the game,” Atkinson said.
Under Rule 2-6-1a, goalkeepers are no longer required to wear shin protectors, as there is no standard for those pieces of equipment. Goalkeepers still have the option to wear shin protection with padding up to one inch in thickness, which also creates consistency with boys lacrosse.
Additional changes to Rule 2-6-1 detail the additional equipment options for goalkeepers, including a clear, molded and non-rigid helmet eye shield, as well as tinted or clear eyeglasses.
A new equipment option for officials was added as new Rule 2-8-5 offering the ability to use audible wireless communication devices as a means of adjusting to the increased speed of the game.
The goalkeeper was also the focal point in Rules 7-2-1d and Rule 10-1 PENALTIES 1 and 5.
Within Rule 7-2-1, a goalkeeper only needs to keep one foot inside the goal circle in order to reach out her crosse and bring the ball back inside the goal circle. Previously, the goalkeeper could not execute this move with any part of her body grounded outside the goal circle.
Rule 10-1 PENALTIES was modified to include language on the assessment of a false start penalty committed by the goalkeeper or her deputy in the goal circle. PENALTY 5 of the rule now states that a free position will be taken at the closest dot in that instance, with the goalkeeper and her deputy remaining in the goal circle and no defensive player placed behind the free position.
The final major rule change for the 2022 girls lacrosse season is the addition of Rule 9-1k, which lists the “Illegal Exchange of the Crosse” as a minor field foul. Under the new rule, an acceptable exchange of a field crosse with a crosse from the bench area can only be done with both crosses entering and exiting through the substitution area.
A complete listing of the girls lacrosse rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Lacrosse-Girls.”
According to the most recent NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 99,750 girls participate in lacrosse in 2,877 high schools across the country, making it the nation’s 10th-most popular girls sport.
Online link to article: https://www.nfhs.org/articles/2022-high-school-girls-lacrosse-rules-changes-continue-efforts-to-improve-the-flow-of-the-game/
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Inventory and equipment
“ In general, hockey, of course, has remained hockey, but due to the development of technology in sports, everything is changing dramatically,” says our interlocutor. When they began to use the main attribute – a club – it is not known exactly. The first official evidence dates back to the 17th century – then, on one of the canvases of the Dutch painter, people appeared chasing something across the frozen lake with curved sticks.
It is believed that the first hockey stick was made in 1852 – it is in a private collection. For a long time they were made of wood, mainly willow and maple, which were replaced by oak. The main advantage of this material is durability. The disadvantage of such a product is its significant weight (about a kilogram).
Over the past hundred years, the club has changed beyond recognition, becoming 360-370 grams and composite. “ Inventory simplification in hockey takes place to raise the dynamics of the game, the starting and overall speed of ,” Gubkin explained.
“ Today, the stick production process is a whole art “, – added Vice-President of Synergy University, Head of the Department of Sports Management, Professor Vladimir Lednev. Indeed, each brand has its own registered materials. For example, Bauer has TeXtreme (branded weaving), which is also used in the manufacture of parts for Formula 1 cars.
The main thing is that such a projectile is not only easy to use, but also more effective than its “ancestor”.
« If earlier, when throwing, the player used the power of the hands, then a modern composite stick with a properly selected flex (rigidity) allows you to create a certain bowstring effect – the sports attribute bends a little (this is noticeable in slow motion), thanks to which the puck flies faster. In addition, special foams of various densities and compositions are also used in the pen to dampen the vibrations coming from the receiver ,” said Dmitry Milov, commercial director of the Forma hockey equipment store chain.
Other items have also evolved. « Modern hockey equipment has become three to four kilograms lighter. Skates have become stronger. The flight of the puck after the throw has become faster and reaches 150 kilometers per hour, due to the use of carbon fiber in the production of sticks,” added Nikita Vasiliev, master of sports, European champion, former professional hockey player and now hockey coach.
“ Brands are releasing updated models of helmets that are being developed jointly with various medical institutions involved in the study of brain injuries “, – said Elina Magomedova, head of the commercial direction of the CSKA women’s football club, and in the past – press attache of the Russian junior ice hockey team .
From ponds and lakes to stadiums
It is clear that not only what you play with, but also where you do it adds to the performance and entertainment. According to Elina Magomedova, Russia is actively moving to Canadian sites. Their size is 60×26 meters. Such, for example, was the Victoria skating rink in Montreal, where the first official match was held.
Hockey boxes are different. The SKA Arena under construction in St. Petersburg will be able to satisfy, if not all, then exactly many requirements, whose grounds – the main and training ones – will be able to transform to a variety of standards and sports: 61×26, 61×28, 61×30, 60×30, 60×28, 60×26, 58×28, 56×26. The multifunctional complex, by the way, will become a new “home” for SKA St. Petersburg, as well as future champions, because the stadium will be able to host children’s sections.
« Only one thing has not changed in all the time – to become a professional, you need to come to hockey as a child.
And just to play, age is not important, only desire is enough ,” said Nikita Vasiliev.
Team composition and game rules
As Vladimir Lednev said, a lot has changed over the past 30 years, including the number of players: if earlier, he says, there were six defenders and nine forwards in the team, now they use “four fives “.
As for tournaments, according to our interlocutor, draws were canceled in almost all tournaments – the game continues until one of the teams wins: “ Either extra time or overtime, sometimes the leader is determined by shootouts “.
Over the hundred years of its existence, hockey, Nikita Vasiliev continued, has acquired not only new methods and directions in the development of the skills of athletes, but also changes in the rules of refereeing. So, a number of power moves that were available earlier received restrictions. In the early 2000s, added Vadim Linkov, editor-in-chief of Sports Betting, in the NHL, fights were present in 40% of matches, now they are only 15%.
At the beginning of the 2000s, the expert said, the League adopted a comprehensive package of changes: “ No man’s land has been reduced from 54 to 50 feet. The goaltender was banned from playing with the puck outside the allotted trapezoidal zone behind the net. And the team that batted the puck is to make any substitutions of players until the next faceoff.
Changes have even affected video views. They can be contacted by both teams, for example, suspecting that the goalkeeper was interfered with, and judges who believe that a particular hockey player touched the puck with a high stick.
Hockey has become “smarter” and safer
According to Vadim Linkov, “hockey IQ” has grown significantly: each team has a huge coaching staff that takes into account the smallest details of the game, the schemes of which are only becoming more complex: “ In the NHL, hockey has become more combination . The vast majority of teams try to play by controlling the puck, not simplifying the process to “throw in the zone – fight for the puck ”.
And in 2012, he says, teams began to acquire analysts who study the statistics of both a particular team and its rivals. But that’s not all. Experts, including those on proper nutrition and physical activity, help current hockey players to be at their best. As for the preparation, even experts from other sports joined in: speed skating, short track, weightlifting and athletics.
« In the 1980s and 1990s, skating was not given such serious attention. The defender could be physically strong and overall, and this was quite enough to perform his direct functions. In modern hockey, all players have excellent skating skills ,” said Vadim Linkov.
Returning to the topic of fights, we note that in 2011, the so-called player safety department arose, which, firstly, is designed to teach hockey players to comply with certain requirements, and, secondly, has the right to apply disciplinary measures to those who commit on the ice dangerous actions.
“ After several deaths of hockey players due to blows to the head, the League introduced a rule – if there is a suspicion of a concussion, you must immediately leave the site and go for an examination to a doctor ,” Linkov said.
NHL fans vs players
, Vadim Linkov complains, he is getting old. Now the average age of hockey fans, he says, is 49, up from 33 in 2000. Even the active development of social networks does not help to attract a younger audience. ” Now the League is going to master TikTok ,” our interlocutor admitted.
But the athletes themselves seem to have a tendency to rejuvenate the composition, says Elina Magomedova. The expert made this conclusion while watching the KHL: “ St. Petersburg SKA acted as a trend setter, which was one of the first to allow its youth team to be called up to the first team. For example, Matvey Michkov, forward of HC SKA, became the most productive player in the history of the Youth Olympic Games. At the age of 16, he made his debut in the national team at the Euro Hockey Tour in Finland, thereby becoming the youngest player in the history of the Russian and Soviet national teams. Also, as part of the national team, Matvey scored a goal against the Swedish national team, which allowed him to become the youngest author of an abandoned puck in the history of the national teams of Russia and the USSR, and the puck was abandoned in the style of lacrosse “.
