View Full Version : Illegal Cradle/Cradle Within Sphere
CTLaxer
03-22-2006, 01:51 PM
Last night at our game, the opposing team had a number of players that were cradling illegally or cradling within their own sphere. Needless to say, I was not pleased at the lack of calls and was almost ejected due to my sideline commentary. Durring an outburst/explaination from the officials, he claimed that the player in question needs to be marked/played by a member of the opposing team. This was what the reasoning was for the lack of calls (even though they were always marked, and in that specific instance a girl was to the side of her within a sticks length away).
Saving the gory details for later....I scoured the rulebook looking for a notation saying that a player needed to be marked in order to get an illegal cradle/cradling within the sphere call. Low and behold, none could be found. My issue/question is this: In my eyes that rule is there for 2 reasons. 1 of which is a safety issue so as to prevent a member of the other team from checking to the head in an attempt to get the ball as well as the player from accidentilly hitting herself in the head/face during an intense cradling motion. 2 to prevent the player from gaining an advantage by cradling illegally so as to prevent the ball from coming out of the stick in a manner other than cradling legally (thumbing the ball, holding it close to the body, etc etc). Being the reasoning behind this rule, as well as the lack of stipulations saying the player in question needs to be marked....should these players have been called for an illegal cradle while they were hanging out on the 12 or anywhere else on the field...regardless of if a player was marking them or not?
RockStar
03-22-2006, 03:02 PM
Just curious - how big is the sphere? 1' all around the head?
ljlax
03-22-2006, 04:37 PM
No, it's atleast a few inches...
Hm..but that's a weird question, because I would never cradle that tightly if I was on the 12 and my defender was on the 8. Hell, I probably wouldn't even be cradling unless I was about to pass or try the 1v1.
I think a girl on my team got called for an illegal cradle last night, but she was being marked in the midfield during a transition..but I have noticed that it's rarely called.
If I were you, I probably wouldn't have noticed unless she came into the 8 and your player tried to defend/check her but couldn't..but I guess technically it should be called..but then I'm no expert on the rulebook..most of what I know comes from you posts and lillaxgurls
ptdlax
03-22-2006, 05:05 PM
The sphere is a 7 inch bubble around the head. I have never, either here in the Northwest or in Maryland, seen it called in a game, college, high school or youth.
FallIntoIt
03-22-2006, 05:34 PM
I've seen it called at a couple of college club games. Not very often, mind you, but called nonetheless.
One instance in particular, a teammate of mine had barely crossed the restraining line with a defender on her, and she got called for cradling within the sphere. Being that she wasn't even near the 12 yet and she was called, I imagine any player on the field cradling illegally - especially within the 12 or 8 - must be called for it.
ljlax
03-22-2006, 05:37 PM
I've seen it called at a couple of college club games. Not very often, mind you, but called nonetheless.
One instance in particular, a teammate of mine had barely crossed the restraining line with a defender on her, and she got called for cradling within the sphere. Being that she wasn't even near the 12 yet and she was called, I imagine any player on the field cradling illegally - especially within the 12 or 8 - must be called for it.
When I have seen it it is always in the midfield or near the restraining lines.. Like maybe in a double or when a girl is marking the ball really tight ont he transition and the girl with the ball is getting freaked out and cradling really fast with her stick close to her face.
weirdd
lilaxgurl23
03-22-2006, 05:46 PM
From the umpire manual Section 3 2-B-2
2.
Protecting the Crosse
An attack player in possession of the ball may not hold, with or without cradling, the head of her crosse in front of her face, within the sphere, or close to her body making a legal/safe check impossible. When a defender is in good defensive position to check, the player with the ball may cradle the ball and move her stick from side to side to try and prevent a check from being made, but must not be allowed to hold or cradle the ball too close to her body or face on the side facing the defender. Umpires should be especially vigilant when a player is caught in a double or triple team situation when the player with the ball will be most tempted to pull the head of the crosse close to her body.
From this I would gather you need a defender there in order to make the call. You can't prevent a legal/safe check from being made if there isn't even an opportunity for a safe/legal check to happen.
It should only be called when there is a defender within playing distance. There is nothing wrong with it when there is not a defender near her. As laxgirl pointed out in her post.
CTLaxer
03-22-2006, 08:24 PM
It should only be called when there is a defender within playing distance. There is nothing wrong with it when there is not a defender near her. As laxgirl pointed out in her post.
This seems counterintuitive to me...an illegal cradle can also be holding the stick so close to the body that it prevents the ball from rolling out during a cradle. With the rules on pocket depth and strict rules on the head dimensions it seems like this is one of the reasons the rule was implimented. The rule book (haven't checked my umpire manual yet) doesn't state that in that case it should be withholding the ball from play and not an illegal cradle...
ilaxitup007
03-22-2006, 08:47 PM
i've seen it called in a few of my club team games during the summer but never in a high school team game. its ridiculous that they would even be craddling that way at the 12 at least. you said you didnt see anything about the "they have to be marked" rule. In that case then i guess they should have been called, but i feel like they should have to be pressured because if they aren't than there is no danger that the rule initially prevents. Just liek the cover rule...you can cover the ball if no one is in a fair distance around you to play it....if no one is in your area to check you than can you craddle illegally in your bubble? they seem similar to me. thats just the question im posing from the point of view that im looking at it from.
I'm impressed w/ some of the young players here. lilaxgurl was right on the money, complete w/ a rule citation. OK, so maybe we've come to expect that from her.
...i feel like they should have to be pressured because if they aren't than there is no danger that the rule initially prevents. Just liek the cover rule...you can cover the ball if no one is in a fair distance around you to play it....if no one is in your area to check you than can you craddle illegally in your bubble? they seem similar to me.This is a brilliant analogy. :thumbsup:
DragonLax16
05-04-2006, 06:25 PM
The sphere is a 7 inch bubble around the head. I have never, either here in the Northwest or in Maryland, seen it called in a game, college, high school or youth.
ive seen it been called atleast 3 or 4 times this season with my high school varsity team. and i live in maryland. i guess it really depends on the ref's ability to catch the call.