better league WLA or OLA, or NLL

[titans 43]

in my opinion I think the wla is the best because it keeps the tradition of the game with classic box but with the skill of the nlll

[Hooligan]

While I understand the rules and alterations the NLL made to the box game, you can't beat the classics.

[BClax17]

Canadian Box, keeps the tradition.

Technically isn't the NLL called indoor lacrosse?

[titans 43]

w/e it's pretty much feild in a box eexcept for obvious differences

[laxgoalieking]

the ola/wla is clearly the best they have the best box talent in the world, the nll is a high breed of both field and box, but it tends to favour the field game more

[Rock]

WLA/OLA games are great because they still play on concrete floors! Gotta love that. :monkey:

[slinkyspine]

WLA/OLA games are great because they still play on concrete floors! Gotta love that. :monkey:


i much prefer the turf myself but concretes fun when your hitting not getting hit

[Stonewall35]

I prefer to keep the tradition of the game in Canada, so I like the WLA/OLA game better. The other reason would be that players can still use the wood stick in Canada.

On the other hand, the NLL is a faster game, but there are rules that favour field players in this league.

After trying out in both leagues, I feel my game is better suited to the WLA/OLA. However, I still have kept the dream alive of playing in the NLL.

[Canadian Lax]

old style box is the best....noithing beats it

[Rock]

Its grittier and less of a finesse game. Some of the rivalries are better too geographically, though there have been some great rivalries building up in the NLL lately (Colorado/Calgary, Toronto/Rochester)

[Canadian Lax]

Its grittier and less of a finesse game. Some of the rivalries are better too geographically, though there have been some great rivalries building up in the NLL lately (Colorado/Calgary, Toronto/Rochester)



What about Toronto and Buffalo as a rivalry......those are always good games to watch

[dougm]

the problem w/ the cla is its becoming a mercenary league. why even bother having the regular season if teams can load up on vacationing nll vets just before the mann starts? besides, how many players wash out in the nll? heck, i recall the first winter when the syracuse smash - it was a ton of vic shamrocks + paul gait - that despite a solid roster found the basement. i know the smash had a ton of off the field problems but they were woefully inadequate.
the quickness of the nll leaves of alot of the slower guys from up north strictly mann ring chasers. there is nothing wrong going after the mann but i think the nll is the better brand of indoor lacrosse.

[#15Roadies]

The WLA has always been a mercenary league! However, show me a Mann team that 'loads up' on NLL "vets" just before the Mann starts and I might be inclined to believe you. You'll be in tough to find one.

In a seven game series between the NLL Champ or Mann Champ, I'd go with the Mann Champ easy. When the NLL can go something like 30 games, including the sheer intensity of three playoff series and none of their players lose a step or two, then we can talk about "quickness" and the "slower guys up north."

[Rock]

Yeah but a 16 game season and 1 game a piece playoffs means there is a hell of alot more on the line in those single games. In a 7 game series you have atleast some lee-way. Every game is important in the NLL, which makes it a bit more exciting.

Though 7 game series are FUN AS HELL TO WATCH :grin:

[RockStar]

15Roadies makes an excellent point - speed kills in the NLL, while the tough prevail in summer ball.

Different games, and somewhat different teams and strategies are required to win in either.

[hitmenrule]

Traditional box= the best

[Stonewall35]

The WLA has always been a mercenary league! However, show me a Mann team that 'loads up' on NLL "vets" just before the Mann starts and I might be inclined to believe you. You'll be in tough to find one.

In a seven game series between the NLL Champ or Mann Champ, I'd go with the Mann Champ easy. When the NLL can go something like 30 games, including the sheer intensity of three playoff series and none of their players lose a step or two, then we can talk about "quickness" and the "slower guys up north."

Loading up? The last time I heard, the CLA's cut-off date is set at July 1 of the playing year for player transfers. This prevents teams from "loading up" with NLLers or other players before the WLA or OLA Major playoffs begin. There may be other loopholes to this policy as well (MLL to WLA/OLA after MLL season is done).

[ex-lax]

sorry i havent been playing lax for a long time and i was wondering what the difference between nll and normal box was

[Hooligan]

Real Canadian box is played slightly different. Some of the "basketball-like" rules aren't applied in real box, like the "over and back" rule and the shot clock.

But those things are implemented in a more scoring friendly environment in the NLL.

Hopefully we can get some of the people who are regularly exposed to real box to weigh in with their observations...

[Boxla]

Real box has a shot clock 30 seconds just like the NLL. And the over and back rule only applies to a team that is short handed. That rule is only in place so that they cannot kill the penalty by running around all over the floor. While short handed they have 10 seconds to get it into the offensive zone. Once it is in the offensive zone they are no longer allowed to carry or pass the ball across centre. I dont have much time right now but I will do a full comparison of rules 2morrow. Step by step one by one you amercs gotta learn somehow.

[RockStar]

Real box has a shot clock 30 seconds just like the NLL. And the over and back rule only applies to a team that is short handed. That rule is only in place so that they cannot kill the penalty by running around all over the floor. While short handed they have 10 seconds to get it into the offensive zone. Once it is in the offensive zone they are no longer allowed to carry or pass the ball across centre. I dont have much time right now but I will do a full comparison of rules 2morrow. Step by step one by one you amercs gotta learn somehow.

There's a fairly comprehensive list on the Wingszone NLL message board if anyone cares to find it. This may need an update because the NLL changed a few rules last year (can now hit off-ball within 3 yards, can't pass back into the crease anymore).

I like some of the NLL rules better and some of the summer rules better.

NLL rules I like better:
- 10 seconds to get over half. Makes the game flow a bit faster, and really allows the defense to mount an effective full floor press.
-Off-ball hitting (but I only like this as a spectator....I'd hate to have to play with this rule in a boarded arena).

CLA rules I like better:
-Can score from behind the net goal line
-Refs can call 2 minutes for highsticking (NLL has stupid mandatory 5 minutes)
-Shot clock freezes on the penalty kill, so you don't get that same boring game of catch for 30 seconds like you always do in the NLL. Instead, you get an expert ball handler running around the attack zone while the opposing double team beats the crap out of him. I'd take two minutes of this over 30 seconds of NLL man-short any day!
-Restraining lines are much closer on faceoffs, and it gets a bit rougher.
-Stickwork rules favour crosschecking to slashing.
-Penalties - in the NLL, going shorthanded by more than two men means a penalty shot for the third penalty. In CLA, the guy goes to the penalty box and rots there. His penalty time doesn't even start counting until the team is only short by two men.
-Nets are three inches narrower, which is a little more realistic!

[Boxla]

I'll cover as much as I can, I know all the rules for the CLA but some of the NLL rules are unknown to me. (sorry if I contradict you rockstar but some of things you stated about the CLA such as the short man the 30 second clock still runs)


Basics CLA

Shot clock 30 seconds runs at all times, even if a team is short handed. While short handed you have 10 seconds to get it over half. If the short handed team can't its possesion. Also while short handed while in the offensive zone you cannot cross back over into the Defensive zone (over and back)

Face offs, the restraining lines are drawn at the bottom of the circle, players cannot enter until the ball is either picked up or comes out of the smaller circle in which the draw is being taken. If a player jumps the gun it is a possesion call.

Crease Violations
A play may not enter the plain of the crease, his feet must always be outside the line. Even if his feet are indeed outside the line and he touches the net or the goalie with his stick or body it is considered in the crease.

Scoring from behind the net
I've been told by a number of my referees that a player cannot score a goal unless at least one of his feet are in front of the goal line

Nets, the nets from minor to Junior 'a' are 4 by 4 feet, and in major/wla (senior 'a') theya re 4' by 4'6. As most of you know the NLL is 4' by 4'9.

Checking, crosschecking is permitted it is indeed a penatly if you look in the rule book but the whole concept is to place and push. You have to run into the guy make contact and the push him with your stick. If you full out cross check the guy when he is 2 feet away it is a penalty. You can also body check like in hockey but no hip checking. Slashing is only allowed if you make contact with the stick, of the players hands (if one handed you cannot slash the hand that is not on the stick). The swing for the slash cannot be from more than 3 feet away (thats still a HUGE possible wind up).

20 foot zone, there is a dotted line that is a semi cirlce (almost like an enlarged crease) that runs 20 feet out from the goal line. While the offensive team has possesion the defensive team can "push" players without the ball in this zone. At minor levels they are very strict about this but in midget and junior the zone might as well not even exist. The only person that can be creamed is the ball carrier.

Penalties, it can only ever be 5 on 3 if there is a third penalty the 3rd player will have to wait until the first penalty is over until his 2 min (5min whatever) starts. If there is a penalty called in the last 2min of a game the team that would be on the powerplay is awarded a penalty shot instead.

(these are all the basics I can remember at this time, if anybody has anything to add or to ask me I'd be happy to oblige and to add to this post)

I hope I was of some service

[mikecoyle]

in my opinion I think the wla is the best because it keeps the tradition of the game with classic box but with the skill of the nlll
I played in the OLA and the WLA for years and my opinion is the OLA is a better leauge.The thing that was strange for me was, in the WLA all the kids play minor for their respective teams then come jr. age and there is a draft and all the kids that played minor together are split up,then the same thing happens for sr. In the OLA there is a good chance that the kids that play minor together will play Jr. and Sr. together aswell, and i think this is important when it comes to team unity. In the WLA you will line up for a face -off and you will find youre-self asking the player from the other team beside you how the wife and kids are.In the OLA in the same set up you will be telling the player on the other team to keep his head up! Thats just one mans opinion who has played in both leauges.

[RockStar]

.....(sorry if I contradict you rockstar but some of things you stated about the CLA such as the short man the 30 second clock still runs).....



Shot clock - In the league that compares closest to the NLL, OLA Major, they still freeze the clock for the penalty kill. I think they might still do that for WLA too. I know they did for the 2004 Mann Cup.

With others, I think your Manitoba association has modified rules, or interpreted some differently:

-Scoring from behind - The CLA rulebook says absolutely nothing about the shooter's foot position, except that the feet can't be in the crease. In Ontario, you can stand behind the back line of the crease and score by bouncing shots off the back of a goalie's head.

-Slashing the hand - By the CLA rules, you are no longer allowed to slash gloves or forearms. In practice, as a ref, you'll let a lot of the lower arm slaps go as long as there's not a huge windup, but it's not really legal anymore.

[mikecoyle]

I liked it when they froze the 30

[Canadian Lax]

wow cool 50/50 split in the poll.....All box leauges are awesome

[ex-lax]

sounds like box is alot rougher than out door and why do indoor people only use one hand like their right and never put it in thier left

[mikecoyle]

They do dude!

[RockStar]

sounds like box is alot rougher than out door and why do indoor people only use one hand like their right and never put it in thier left

Several box players can and do switch, but it really doesn't matter as much.

In real box, you just play on your strong hand side 90% of the time because switching just doesn't get you as much advantage as it does in field. If you're a natural righty, you play on the left side of the floor (left as you're facing towards the goal you're attacking), lefties play the other wing. This keeps your stick in the centre, which gives you a wider angle from which you can score.

The reason switching doesn't do as much because the defensive strategy is different. The d-man doesn't really give a frog's fat arse which hand your stick is in, he's playing the body first at all times. His focus is to keep position between you and the net, steer you away from good shooting angles* and flatten you with a cross check or body check if the opportunity presents itself.

*There's a lot less empty space in the goal plane, so bad angle shots are very low percentage if there's a smart goalie covering the angle.

BTW - not learning how to switch actually forces you to develop other weapons when you get caught on the wrong side. You'll learn behind-the-back shots and passes, and cross-hand shots.

(I've goofed around with cross-handers in scrimmages lately, and found that although they look really stupid and pathetic, they can actually be a useful weapon to finish a set of fakes in close......just exaggerate the fake to put your stick over your opposite shoulder and shoot from there rather than coming back to the normal overhand shooting position).

[BClax17]

The WLA uses the 30 for penalties but for the Mann Cup they didn't.
-Scoring from behind - The CLA rulebook says absolutely nothing about the shooter's foot position, except that the feet can't be in the crease. In Ontario, you can stand behind the back line of the crease and score by bouncing shots off the back of a goalie's head.
Actually you gotta bounce it off his back because hitting the goalie in the head just gives the goalie the ball.

[RockStar]

....Actually you gotta bounce it off his back because hitting the goalie in the head just gives the goalie the ball.

Ball hitting helmet only stops the play in minor laX, not Junior or men's.

I think it might even take a stretch to interpret the rules that way, if I remember right, it says "facemask", not helmet.

[RedBird1]

straight up, I love em both. I love seeing the Rock in a capacity crowd. Thats something you cant get in classic box. But if you could.....