Women's Lacrosse Rules

Playing Field/Equipment

• The Field will be 110 yards long and 60 yards wide.
• FXA will supply regulation fields and goals, all other equipment is the responsibility of the participant.
• All players must wear a numbered shirt with a large number on the back. 
• The goalkeeper must wear proper protective equipment:
  • Helmet with face ask and properly secured chinstrap
  • Throat protector
  • Padded gloves
  • Thigh padding - shorts or pants with integrated protective padding
• All players must wear lacrosse goggles and mouth guards.
  • Tooth and mouth protectors that cover both the teeth and lips WITHOUT a protruding tab are legal. (i.e. pacifier mouth piece is improper equipment.)

Team Rosters

• Teams must have a minimum of 12 players and maximum of 25
• Teams have 12 players on the field at one time.
• If a team cannot field at least 9 players including a goalie, they automatically forfeit. 
  • Forfeit score will be 10-0
  • The grace period is 5 minutes and does not come off the game time.

Regulation Game

• The game will be two 25 minute halves with a running clock and a 5 minute half time. 
• Each team get one 30 second timeout per half
• Regular season games will end in a tie. 
• Playoff games will have a 3 minute sudden death overtime (officials will conduct a coin toss, visitors call, winner chooses goal to defend / alternate possession remains as it was during play).
• A tie after sudden death overtime will result in sudden death Braveheart (teams defend the same goal as they were during overtime / each team has one field player and a goalie / goalie may not cross the midfield line / Braveheart begins with a face off / Substitutions are not allowed during the Braveheart / there will be additional Bravehearts until a winner is determined.

Game Play

• Game will start with a coin toss, visitor calls, winner chooses a goal to defend or first alternate possession / loser gets the remaining choice.
• 90 Second possession clock with begin when one team gains possession of the ball
• Only the goal keeper can touch the ball with their hands inside the crease/goal circle. 
• There can only be 7 attackers and 7 defenders below the restraining line at any time.
• An opponent cannot enter the crease, but can reach their stick into the crease, or be above the crease when shooting.
• 3 second Rule: A defensive player is penalized for being inside the 8-meter arc longer than 3- seconds without marking a player on the opposing team.
  •  Any defensive player inside the 8-meter arc must be guarding another player, they can't be in the middle of the arc alone.
• Blocking, Charging, Dangerous stick in the sphere, forcing through, holding, tripping or warding off are all illegal actions
• Illegal use of the stick includes but not limited to: poking or waving the stick near an opponent’s face, Recklessly checking an opponent’s stick, making a sweeping check from behind, reaching across an opponent’s body, and/or hooking an opponent’s stick.
• Simultaneous whistle on fouls that happen on shots (particularly shooting space). If a whistle is blown for shooting space at the same time the ball is released and the ball enters the goal, the goal counts.

Player Actions

• Cross checking is a foul. It is illegal for a player to initiate stick to body contact and use the shaft of the stick to hit, push or displace an opponent.
• If a player is called for a shooting space penalty, the player who was fouled receives a free position at the hash mark nearest the spot of the foul
• If a player is called for a 3 second penalty, the free position is administered at the hash mark nearest to the spot of the ball on the 8 meter arc.

Draw

• Each half and overtime period and after each goal the game is started/restarted with a draw.