Hitting a man when he's down

[michaeldwilson]

During the Navy-Hopkins game, one of the players playing a loose ball went to his knees trying to get the ball. He was hit by another player, and Quint Kessenich said that was a foul because you can't hit a man when he's down.

I don't recall seeing this in the rules. Furthermore, what's to keep any player from going to a knee anytime he's after a loose ball to draw a foul?

Thanks,

Mike

[LatinBabe]

I have never heard of this, i know for sure that i've seen kids get the hecj whacked out of them when they were on the ground going for the ball in HS leagues... Not sure about upper-level lacrosse though...

[Ghs_Lax25]

The only way it would be a penetly is if the ball is on the other side of the feild and someones knocks someone down and just starts beating the hell out of them for no reason.

[Snake~eyes]

Read illegal body check. You can't hit anyone when anything besides there feet is touching the gorund.

[Thrillhouse]

Originally posted by Snake~eyes
Read illegal body check. You can't hit anyone when anything besides there feet is touching the gorund.

How about if his feet are not touching the ground, as in he jumped and is coming down with the ball or is diving towards the goal?

[LaxRef]

Originally posted by michaeldwilson
I don't recall seeing this in the rules. Furthermore, what's to keep any player from going to a knee anytime he's after a loose ball to draw a foul?

Illegal Body Check
SECTION 4. Illegal body checking includes the following actions:
<SNIP>
e. The body checking of an opponent who has any part of his body other
than his feet on the ground.

This should always be called when you see it.

I don't think you'd go to a knee trying to draw a foul on every loose ball because you can't move or position yourself effectively. If I saw someone put their knee down at the last second to draw a foul, I wouldn't call it (just like "turn" or "duck" in my book).

BTW, I can't stand Quint Kessinich, but he's right about this one.

-Harold

[JUSLAXIN]

There are face off men that start the face off with one knee on the ground. Some that I have talked to have been coached to do this so as to give an advantage with respect to a penalty. I have seen it work numerous times.

[LaxRef]

Originally posted by JUSLAXIN
There are face off men that start the face off with one knee on the ground. Some that I have talked to have been coached to do this so as to give an advantage with respect to a penalty. I have seen it work numerous times.

Well, in this case you need to consider whether the contact that occurs at the start of the faceoff is really a bodycheck. Most of the time it's not, so there's no foul.

One good rule of thumb: if the guy is driving *forward* on the faceoff, he's trying to play the ball and it's not a check. But if the guy is blasting upward, he's playing the man and not the ball, so if the other guy is on the ground you call the illegal bodycheck (this will often happen when one guy is getting outplayed on the faceoff and realizes the only way he's going to win is if he can knock the other guy on his butt).

As always, you still have to apply your judgment, but this rule of thumb is a good starting point.

-Harold

[LaxRef]

Originally posted by LaxMiddie32
I dont know... lots of refs must not call it.

This one game, I got tripped up and fell over the ball, so i get on my knees and try and scoop it from there, and my defender kept pushing me from behind not letting me get up while another player started yelling "Hes trapping the ball! Hes trapping the ball". No call.

That's not really a check, although you were likely due a push from behind call.

If a guy is on top of you and not letting you get up, I'm likely to call holding or interference.

If the guy is on the ground (any part of the body besides feet) and he gets *hit*, I'm calling the illegal body check.

[Snake~eyes]

Agreed, it has to be an actual HIT, a push is only a push.

[TheKOB]

I was wondering about that hopkins game as well. It seems to me that while the rule makes sense, the guy was still on his knees and going for the ball, so he was fair game. I thought you only weren't supposed to hit a guy with glasses....

The rule does make sense though.