Checking D Poles

[Ghslongpole14]

All right. Monday night I picked off a pass at the end of the quarter. Headed back to the huddle, the ref took my stick and the ball. I thought it was a mistake, because I had only seen a pole's stick checked once, and those refs were no good. I couldn't believe it. It was legal, but still...

Do D poles get checked at quarter breaks and stuff where ya'll live? I have NEVER seen it before, and neither had the guy I was guarding. What about you guys?

[Formerlaxdemon]

In the games I have played in and coached I have never seen a defenseman's stick checked nor even questioned. It actually has given me something to think about as a coach now to look out for on the opposing teams.

[ekajsk8er]

We've had a d-pole on our teams stick checked twice, but he takes the ball up the field a lot. If he didn't run the ball so much, I would be very surprised by it. Other than that though, I've never seen it happen.

[DukeLax2]

ya this kid on my team who was nasty got his jaunt check every game.

[Project X]

I've never seen a D pole get checked, and according to my teammates that have played before, they have not either. It makes me consider just making a giant illegal pocket, and probably never get caught.

[TXD2LAX]

The COC has asked the refs to spot check d-poles as well between periods. They should take one d-pole from each side to make sure they are not favoring one team over the other

[fenwicklax89]

a friend of mine from another team got his pole checked and found illegal. the pocket was like a ball and a half deep.

[capergreen]

i've seen a couple of our LSM's checked. The refs in both instances took a stick from our side and as well as from the other team.

[ron_burgundy]

never seen it but i dont like that big of a bag anyways.

[HRLAXER]

our LSM got checked when he scored. other than that it never happens.

[Woodenstick]

TXD2 is a ref and he correctly notes that the top referee guidance is now to check D-poles more often. But most refs will not follow the suggestion that 2 D-poles get checked every game, because that would be 50% of all stick checks, which makes no sense. So I would expect more D-pole checks this year, but not 50%. Remember not to touch your pocket stringing once the ref asks for your crosse, that results in an automatic finding of an illegal pocket.

[MainLax28]

I've never been checked, and I hope I don't get checked because my stick bags out during games and practices. I guess I'll have to make sure that doesn't happen.

[Mikehenry8742]

I've never seen a d-pole checked before, but the other day a ref checked our goalie. I mean come on now, what are you gonna be looking at a goalie stick for? what, are they going to find the pocket illegal(sarcasm.)

[NorthernViking]

Refs checked a pole in the MD/Hop game Saturday night.

[stegmakk]

It happens...just saw it at WM/Northport...
We just never see it because think of how many poles there are on the roster versus shorties...a ref will check randomly (most times the random player is usually the last guy getting to the huddle or one close to the refs (dont seem to want to walk far)...
plus when a coach challenges another team's stick, it is usually an offensive guy that he wants checked...

[Longpole5435]

I got my stick checked in half of our games last year, probably because I scored eight goals and had some pretty abusive stick checks thrown against me without the ball coming out. If you carry, or even score, its gonna get checked. Or if your head is just wild, I have a dyed proton with a RP and it got checked simply because its out of ordinary.

[laxb0rder]

last year my pole had like a ball and a half deep pocket but that was not for h/s lax and it only got checked once and i pulled my leathers and i was dece but i would never even try in h/s if we get an illegal stick r coach makes us run 4 miles no bueno

[Shorelax]

I had a coach call for a stick check on a long pole last weekend at a HS tournament. My partner and I looked at each other...OK this is unusual. This player had not scored or handled the ball much. As it turned out - the LP had a deep pocket. 1min NR. This was a close game and could have made a difference.

[WALaxRef]

As an official, I have recently been asked to start looking more closely to D-poles. Over the past few years I have routinely mixed up my between quarter equipment checks to include D-men and LSM. Amazing what I have found in just a few checks: pinched heads, deep pockets etc.

Anyway word got out and now D-men and LSM's beat the attack and middies to the pregame check (I am fortunate enough I can get to games to perform these checks)

[laxfan25]

Do D poles get checked at quarter breaks and stuff where ya'll live? I have NEVER seen it before, and neither had the guy I was guarding. What about you guys?

From Warren Kimber, NCAA National Coordinator of Officials:
...When doing stick checks take at least one long pole a game. You'll be suprised at what you find. Repeating earlier statements, there seems to be more contact in our sport this year. Remember back checks, illegal body checks, and helmet to helmet contact are serious points of emphasis in 2006.

[CTLaxer]

I believe ANY stick, either on the field or off of it that a player might use can be checked either pre game, between periods, or during a called stick check/officials check during the game. This is not limited by position.

I don't have a current boy's/men's rule book or umpires manual to double check, I'm sure one of the veteran posters here will chime in if I'm wrong.

[LaxRef]

I believe ANY stick, either on the field or off of it that a player might use can be checked either pre game, between periods, or during a called stick check/officials check during the game. This is not limited by position.

A coach-requested stick must refer to a specific player, not a stick lying on the ground. Otherwise, Team A rigs up an illegal stick, plants it on the team B bench, then calls for a check of that stick: free 3:00 NR penalty whenever you need it!

We can check any player, but there was a time when we were specifically told not to check long poles (not in the rules, but by our clinicians). BTW, rule 4-28 says:

Officials shall select players whom they suspect may be using illegal equipment, who are involved in the scoring or who frequently handle the ball.

That tends to lead us away from longpoles, since they usually don't handle the ball much except on clears, while a middie might handle the ball during most of an offensive set.

[CTLaxer]

A coach-requested stick must refer to a specific player, not a stick lying on the ground. Otherwise, Team A rigs up an illegal stick, plants it on the team B bench, then calls for a check of that stick: free 3:00 NR penalty whenever you need it!

I thought you were allowed to check a players back up stick, especially if you see him come off and switch right after goals or something. My understanding was any stick that is in the coaches box/bench area was fair game for stick checks as any sticks in those areas could possibly be used.

I know this comes up in the women's game a bit, perhaps I'm mixing the two up.

Besides, any coach or player, that leaves their team bench area to do what you outline *should* be called for a penalty. I don't know a coach or a player in their right mind that would not scream bloody murder if they saw someone trying to "plant" an illegal stick in the opposing teams bench area.

[tiplax]

i get checked a lot only because i run up very often and they never take the ball away from me(i'm just that nasty :crazy: )

[HdGLaxWarrior]

Wow, this is the first time I've heard of it. It must not be a regular occurance.

[LaxRef]

I thought you were allowed to check a players back up stick, especially if you see him come off and switch right after goals or something. My understanding was any stick that is in the coaches box/bench area was fair game for stick checks as any sticks in those areas could possibly be used.

It's not explicitly stated that way in the rules, but if you saw this happen you could probably go check the stick and no one is likely to give you a hard time about it.

Besides, any coach or player, that leaves their team bench area to do what you outline *should* be called for a penalty. I don't know a coach or a player in their right mind that would not scream bloody murder if they saw someone trying to "plant" an illegal stick in the opposing teams bench area.

They should be called for a penalty, but there's no way the officials are going to notice it during the game. If they are, they must be ignoring the game in favor of the hot team mom behind the bench.

And I'm not saying anyone is out there trying to plant sticks. It's just that if you allow us to check sticks on the ground you invite someone to think of this.

Here's one for you: Coach A uses his box lacrosse stick to warm up his GK before the game and keeps it with him in the coaches area during the game. That illegal stick could potentially be slipped to a player during the game. Would you feel comfortable with Coach B requesting that that stick be checked and giving a 3:00 NR if there was no indication that the stick had ever entered the game?

[cslaxplaya11]

i have had my stick checked a few times i ran the ball up field and got hit a few times but the ball never came out. the coach on the other team requiseted it but i dident care becuse it was legal. My coach has requested one this year and the kid was turned around from the ref and pulled his strings and got away with it.

[CTLaxer]

Here's one for you: Coach A uses his box lacrosse stick to warm up his GK before the game and keeps it with him in the coaches area during the game. That illegal stick could potentially be slipped to a player during the game. Would you feel comfortable with Coach B requesting that that stick be checked and giving a 3:00 NR if there was no indication that the stick had ever entered the game?

My theory on that is if a team or any of it's members are dumb enough to bring a stick that they know is illegal onto/into/around any part of the field during a game knowing that there's an off chance it might cause a problem (say a teammate breaks a stick and someone grabs the first stick lying on the ground to give to him instead of subbing) then they deserve any kind of penalty they receive either by the normal stick checks or through a coach called one.

That's my line of thinking on this issue. I'm a little draconian when it comes to illegal sticks as being a coach I take it rather personally when a team is caught using an illegal stick. My reasoning for this is it's a coaches job to make sure their kids are playing with legal gear and if he knowingly or unknowingly allowed an illegal stick to be used, that's about as close to cheating and disrespecting the game as I see it, regardless of if it was intentional or unintentional.

Please allow me to get off my soapbox now :nut:

[LaxRef]

My theory on that is if a team or any of it's members are dumb enough to bring a stick that they know is illegal onto/into/around any part of the field during a game knowing that there's an off chance it might cause a problem (say a teammate breaks a stick and someone grabs the first stick lying on the ground to give to him instead of subbing) then they deserve any kind of penalty they receive either by the normal stick checks or through a coach called one.

That's my line of thinking on this issue. I'm a little draconian when it comes to illegal sticks as being a coach I take it rather personally when a team is caught using an illegal stick. My reasoning for this is it's a coaches job to make sure their kids are playing with legal gear and if he knowingly or unknowingly allowed an illegal stick to be used, that's about as close to cheating and disrespecting the game as I see it, regardless of if it was intentional or unintentional.

Please allow me to get off my soapbox now :nut:

Well, I don't disagree with you on principle. However, the rules don't exactly make it clear that a coach can't have his own illegal stick on the field, so until that's cleared up I'd have a hard time giving the coach's stick 3:00 NR unless, of course, I had reason to believe it had been slipped into the game.

[CTLaxer]

I think my confusion, and thoughts, on the subject were in part due to my involvement with the women's game. During pre-game stick checks girls need to bring any and all sticks that might be potentially used during the game for this very reason. During these pre-game stick checks, I have my stick, as well as my assitant coaches sticks checked as well as often times one of ours is used due to sticks breaking, sticks that can't be made legal in a timely fashion, girls forgeting sticks in cars, etc etc.

Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part that the guys game would follow suit. One of the few things the men can benefit from by the women's game.

[LaxRef]

Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part that the guys game would follow suit. One of the few things the men can benefit from by the women's game.

Once again, I don't disagree. But I'm not sure that this will change anytime soon.

[MElaxRef]

While coaches must request that officials check the equipmen of a specific player, officials can check any stick they want to when conducting the official's check. The rules state that the stick selected by the officials does not need to be in the game at the time of the stick check.

Since Warren Kimber directed the COC to start checking poles, 3 of the 6 poles that I've pulled were illegal. 1 deep pocket and 2 failure to dislodge. We shouldn't be surprised - grabbing a ground ball in traffic and completing a clear is a big deal in a close game.

[LaxRef]

While coaches must request that officials check the equipmen of a specific player, officials can check any stick they want to when conducting the official's check. The rules state that the stick selected by the officials does not need to be in the game at the time of the stick check.


Well . . . I'm not sure I agree that we can select "any stick." The rule says:

Each half, officials shall conduct at least one inspection of a player’s crosse per team. These inspections shall take place in dead-ball situations. Players in violation will be penalized the same as if the crosse inspection were requested by the opposing head coach.

The following procedures apply:

c. Officials shall select players whom they suspect may be using illegal equipment, who are involved in the scoring or who frequently handle the ball.

d. A team member need not be on the field in order to have his equipment inspected.

e. Team members or coaches may not attempt to influence the official’s decision as to which player’s equipment shall be inspected.

All of this seems to point toward selecting a particular player and inspecting that player's equipment, not rummaging around and finding a particular stick somewhere in the bench area, at least to me.

[MElaxRef]

I did not mean to suggest that we should be rummaging around. How else would you deal with a player who leaves the field, gives his crosse to an assistant coach and takes a crosse from the assistant coach?

An alert fellow official thought than an illegal stick was in the game and witnessed such an exchange. He grabbed the crosse from the assistant coach and we found it to be illegally altered - 3 min NR.

I suppose that we could have flagged the assistant for USC under 5-10-c (act considered unsportsmanlike), but it was much more satisfying to find a cooked head.

[LaxRef]

I did not mean to suggest that we should be rummaging around. How else would you deal with a player who leaves the field, gives his crosse to an assistant coach and takes a crosse from the assistant coach?

An alert fellow official thought than an illegal stick was in the game and witnessed such an exchange. He grabbed the crosse from the assistant coach and we found it to be illegally altered - 3 min NR.

I suppose that we could have flagged the assistant for USC under 5-10-c (act considered unsportsmanlike), but it was much more satisfying to find a cooked head.

I agree. In this case, you know the stick was used in the game.

[aikitim]

We had one of our dpoles check, but its because we had a ref from a previous games, and every time he check this certain players head (who played attack before and switched to pole) it was illegal. When he checked the head on the pole, it was illegal. Lets just say our coach was a happy camper that day....

[HavLax]

Routine stick check between 1st and 2nd period during the Pace v Merrimack D II game last week was on two D-poles. Pace pole was pinched. As a ref I could see it as both Ds were handling the ball a lot in the 1st quarter and as LaxRef said the rules call for check of players who handle the ball frequently. As an old longpole, though, it just doesn't seem right!

[eme]

Since the directive to check some long poles this season, I have had several illegal long poles...

[kfkeating]

i have had my stick checked 3 times since my freshman year, i am now a sophmore. 2 of the times the opposing coach asked the ref to check my stick