Face off question

[stxsave5]

I am a 7-8 grade coach is his second year and in our last game, one of the oppposing players during a face off would repeatively (after start whistle)
go for our players body and never would make an atempt to pocess the ball.
I understand if he hits our player above the shoulders it would be an illegal body check but going through the rule book I couldn't find anything illegal about this move. Am I correct in assuming that this would be legal move during a face off?

[Longpole5435]

I am a 7-8 grade coach is his second year and in our last game, one of the oppposing players during a face off would repeatively (after start whistle)
go for our players body and never would make an atempt to pocess the ball.
I understand if he hits our player above the shoulders it would be an illegal body check but going through the rule book I couldn't find anything illegal about this move. Am I correct in assuming that this would be legal move during a face off?

Eh, I believe there is something pertaining to this in the rulebook, but I am unsure exactly what. I know when I used to face that I was never allowed to just ignore the ball. I could use my body but not excessively.

[laxattack17]

I think this is legal... I have seen it quite a bit... heck some of our guys do it a lot.

[keenan]

you're in a bit of a tough spot because an experienced faceoff guy would beat that every time by just raking forward and moving right out of the way
but 7th graders probably won't be able to do this
anyways I really don't think it is specifically forbade because at the higher levels you don't really see it because it doesnt work
I would tell your faceoff guy just to try to put the ball forward and get out of the way, as their guy is probably just diving into your guy

[LaxRef]

I am a 7-8 grade coach is his second year and in our last game, one of the oppposing players during a face off would repeatively (after start whistle)
go for our players body and never would make an atempt to pocess the ball.
I understand if he hits our player above the shoulders it would be an illegal body check but going through the rule book I couldn't find anything illegal about this move. Am I correct in assuming that this would be legal move during a face off?

It is not illegal to play the man. After all, you're allowed to bodycheck within 5 yards of a loose ball, and that's what you have at the faceoff. As an official, I'd be looking to see if there's contact above the shoulders. If there's contact above the shoulders but both players are driving forward, that's probably not a foul, but if one player is driving upwards at the other player and contacting him above the shoulders, it's likely an IBC.

[laxfan25]

A big consideration here is that this is middle school, and if you are using the Youth Rules in the NFHS book, it prohibits "takeout" bodychecks where the force and intent is to put the other player on the ground.
Having done several middle school games lately, it is a good rule that I use on hard bodychecks where the player drops his shoulder to hit the other player. Incidental upright collissions are OK, but I have thrown a few flags when the guy was decked. Plays that you will allow in HS are not allowed in the MS rules. Make sure your officials are aware of the rule, if you are playing NFHS.
The purpose of play at this level is lacrosse skills development - protect the players.

[Project X]

I play highschool, and I know when someone goes for the body on a face-off against one of our guys (they at least make an effort to go for the ball, normally they both clamp and neither get it, so the other guy just goes for body) the ref just yells at him "play the ball" over and over and over, but never calls for anything. If its not rules like lf25 said and its legal to check, maybe have you guy get on his knees so its illegal body check (since he has a part of his body touching the ground other than his feet it would be illegal body check, correct?) Or if they continue to not get a call or something, I'd just have one of your wings come in quick and take the body on the opposing team's FO man and not even worry about the ball (unless of course it is easily obtainable by him)

[LaxRef]

If its not rules like lf25 said and its legal to check, maybe have you guy get on his knees so its illegal body check (since he has a part of his body touching the ground other than his feet it would be illegal body check, correct?)

This is a good point I forgot to make: if he's on the ground, then it's an IBC. Again, if both players are driving forward, probably no call, but if one guy is driving up on the hit and the other is on the ground, it's an IBC.

(And, just a reminder, there is no rule in lacrosse that you can't play when you're on the ground, just that you can't check a player on the ground. Sometimes I'd like to stop the game, go to the sidelines, and slap some fans in the face with a week-old walleye for yelling "He's playing on the ground!" That would be against the rules in lacrosse if only there were a rule against it.)