1

One of my freshman players is very short; I’m 6’2” and even with his helmet on he doesn’t reach my armpits. In the flow of today’s game, my player was running with the ball and his defender hit him in the head with both of his hands. The hit was not strong enough to knock my player over, but it was hard enough to make my player’s head move to the side. When my assistant and I asked where the call was, the official responded that there was no call because my player’s head just happened to be where the defender’s hands were and that the defender was just trying to make the check.

After the game, we talked with both officials about the call. The original official said that it was a judgment call, and that he did not consider it to have been an illegal check. My assistant and I feel that in the interest of safety, any check above the shoulders is illegal, regardless of how short a player is. The other official agreed with my assistant and I.

Just because one player’s head is at the same level as a defender’s hands should not make it legal for the defender to apply a fist hold to his opponent’s helmet. This could have been a very serious situation if the check had been harder than it was.

When a defender initiates contact above the shoulders, the official must make a judgment call, depending upon the amount of pressure applied:

1. Mere contact is not a foul.

2. Applying enough pressure to prevent your player from moving should be penalized as illegal holding.

3. Applying enough pressure to redirect your player should be called as penalized as illegal pushing.

4. Making a body check (a blow) should be penalized as an illegal body check.

You are correct that any such contact above the shoulders is potentially dangerous, should be closely watched and should be penalized if it exceeds incidental contact.

The height of the player being held, pushed or checked is not relevant.

2

During a routine equipment check in today’s game vs. Bonny Eagle, the ref gave us a one-minute non-releasable penalty because my player’s shoulder pads did not cover the shoulder caps. After the game, I looked through the rulebook and could not find a description of what had to be covered by a pair of shoulder pads in order for them to be legal (although there is plenty of information about the legal construction and metallurgy of cleats).

Is there a new definition of what constitutes a legal pair of shoulder pads? What is the definition?

1] Coaches are totally responsible for properly equipping their players. (Rules 1-11 and 2-3) This includes ensuring that players do not alter their equipment.

2] Only coaches have the opportunity to see shoulder pads, since they must be completely covered during a game. (Rule 1-9-1-g-5) Furthermore, officials have no information regarding any manufacturer's products, particularly regarding adjustable, removable or optional components.

3] While the rules do not define exactly what constitutes a shoulder pad, common sense dictates that a shoulder pad must provide padding at the shoulder, which is where the arm joins the torso. Medical opinion also advises that shoulder pads should cover the outer part of the shoulder joint (not just the collar bone), in order to protect against shoulder separation.

4] Officials will check that the outer part of the player's shoulder is covered. If the official can feel bone, then the shoulder is not protected and the pads will be considered to be illegal; this is a non-releasable 1-minute penalty.

5] The decision of the Referee is final. Officials should not engage in any discussion of the make, model, method of construction or optional features of any shoulder pad; any such argument by a player or coach is potentially unsportsmanlike conduct.

Comment: Disregard any rumor or urban legend about plastic or rigid shoulder caps being required. The rule book does not have any language regarding shoulder caps.

3

During the preseason, a player was wearing a knee brace which appeared to be made of a composite material covered by a relatively thin padded cover. An official inspected it at a break in the game, concerned about the potential hazard for a sharp edge catching another player.

] This is not the same as NFHS Situation 1.10.1, which deals with hard materials that might be used for a cast or splint on a player's arm.

2] Custom knee braces are prescribed for ACL and other knee problems. The top-of-the-line ones are usually all composite, or very lightweight metal. There is often a thin rubber or neoprene covering over the metal parts, but not on any other part of the brace. These knee braces are legal for use "as is" in lacrosse, while used as directed and in good working condition.

4

Situation: A game turns extremely physical in the first half. At half time, the Referee instructs the Umpire to penalize subsequent personal fouls with non-releaseable penalty time.

Ruling: Good intention - wrong technique. Normal personal fouls (slashing, illegal bodycheck, tripping, crosse check, etc.) are always releaseable. The non-releaseable fouls are spearing, unsportsmanlike conduct and fouls that start at the same time.

Comment: Officials may assess 2 or 3 minutes for intentional or violent fouls. For repeated fouls of this nature or for flagrant fouls, officials should call unsportsmanlike conduct. A second unsportsmanlike conduct foul requires ejection and that; an ejected player will be out of the next game as well.

5

Situation: B7 illegally body checks A2. Flag down. Team A subsequently loses the ball and the whistle sounds. At the whistle, A2 gets in the face of B7. Second flag down. Official penalizes B7 for illegal check, 1 minute, and penalizes A2 for a conduct foul, 30 seconds. The Referee intercedes and changes the penalty on A2 to unsportsmanlike conduct, 1 minute.

Ruling: Great job by the Referee. B7 and A2 are locked in for 1 minute, non-releaseable.

Comment: Any bad conduct between members of opposing teams is unsportsmanlike conduct and must be penalized with 1, 2 or 3 minutes. MPA has a zero tolerance policy for players.

6

Situation: Flag down, slow whistle. Team A advances the ball into the attack area. A1 shoots the ball. The ball skips / bounces across the ground. Whistle sounds, then ball enters goal.

Ruling: No goal, since the whistle sounded before the ball broke the plane.

Comment: This was an error by the official. During a slow whistle, Team A has one scoring opportunity. A shot ends the scoring opportunity when the ball breaks the plane of the goal mouth, the defense gains possession, the ball passes the goal, the ball comes to rest on the field or you are positive that the ball cannot reach the goal mouth. A shot can be along the ground or bounced towards the goal. A pass ends the scoring opportunity if it touches the ground. During a slow whistle, the officials, as always, must determine whether a player is passing or shooting. When in doubt whether a ball thrown towards the goal is a pass or a shot, officials should treat it as a shot, especially during FDSW.

7

Situation: Team B is man down. Team A advances the ball into the attack area and then carries / throws the ball back above the restraining line or into the alley. Team B coach wants a whistle because Team A went into and out of the attack area with a man advantage. The officials do not sound a whistle.

Ruling: Correct. Team B coach is making up a rule. Team A is required to keep the ball in the attack area only if the officials have issued a stalling warning, there is a flag down against Team B, or Team A has the lead with under 2 minutes in the game.

8

Situation: Player B3 is using a clear mouthpiece.

Ruling: Direct B3 to leave the game and to obtain a colored mouthpiece. There is no penalty unless B3 returns to the game with a clear mouthpiece.

Comment: Penalize players who have no mouthpiece or who intentionally participate in the game without wearing a mouthpiece.

9

Situation: Player B23 is more than 5 yards from the ball and loses a shoe. He stops, replaces his shoe and resumes play.

Ruling: Legal

10

Situation: Player A16 is attempting to join the play and is within 5 yards of the ball, when the head of his crosse falls off. He immediately turns away from the play and carries the broken crosse to the table area. A2 substitutes on for A16.

Ruling: Legal.

11

Situation: During a JV game, player B2 draws back his stick one handed while chasing his opponent and in a tomahawk style came down and hit his stick. B2 is penalized for slashing. Coach B objects and, after the game, the varsity coach for Team B states that his players have been taught that holding their stick in a vertical position, checking downward with one hand and hitting the opponent's stick is not slashing.

Ruling: Particularly at the JV or middle school or lower levels of the game, players are unlikely to be able to control a one-handed tomahawk chop. A slashing call requires some judgment. The official must determine whether the crosse was swung "with deliberate viciousness or reckless abandon". If a tomahawk chop seems to meet those criteria, then slashing should be called, regardless of whether the check contacts the opponents crosse, the opponent’s body or misses entirely.

Comment: Swinging a crosse with deliberate viciousness or reckless abandon is a slash, whether done with one hand or two hands.