LaxRef
02-17-2007, 09:25 PM
Can I get some feedback/constructive crticism on the following document? Thanks!
-LaxRef
===================
The various rules about illegal crosses and other equipment are in various places in the NCAA and NFHS rulebooks, and it can be difficult to keep them straight. The following summary can be used to make sure you’re on top of all of the equipment check rules, which is especially important with the new emphasis on equipment checks this year.
Violation of the following rules results in a 3-minute non-releasable illegal crosse penalty (plus the crosse is confiscated and the goal disallowed)
The head must be 6.5"–10" wide (field stick) or 10"–12" wide (goalie stick) at the widest point, inside measurement.
The head must be at least 10 inches long from the outside edge of the top of the head to the furthest unexposed edge of the ball stop. A goalie crosse may be a maximum of 16.5" when measured the same way.
The crosse must be 40"–42" (short stick), 52"–72" (long pole), or 40"–72" (goalie stick) overall length. There is no rule regarding length of shaft or head taken alone, only as a unit.
The ball must dislodge freely from the stick when the head is rotated toward the ground. No specific angle is specifed. A diagram shows the ball rolling out at about 15° from vertical, while an A.R. states that it is illegal if the ball is still in the crosse when it reaches horizontal it is illegal, whether the ball subsequently rolls out or stays lodged (exception: if the pocket is deep and the officials feel that the deep pocket is the reason the ball will not roll out, a 1-minute non-releasable penalty may be assessed and the crosse may return if adjusted).
The sidewall may not be more than 2" high.
There may be no lip or hook in the mesh that might ensnare the ball.
The shaft may not be bent or cambered (although STX Crankshaft stick is legal for NCAA play when used as sold per 2006 COC Rules Bulletin).
The stick, when placed facedown on a table, may have no part more than 2.75 inches above the table (the “table test”).
The circumference of handle may not exceed 3.5 inches.
Under NFHS rules only, a crosse may not have two ball stops.
Under NFHS rules, the crosse may not have a hole in its mesh designed to ensnare the ball on face-offs.
Violation results in 1-minute non-releasable illegal crosse penalty (plus goal disallowed; crosse may return if adjusted)
The pocket of a non-goalkeeper crosse may not be deep enough for the top of the ball to be visible below the sidewall.
The bottom part of the weaving must be firmly attached to the throat of the crosse.
Stick must be corrected, but no penalty assessed unless stick is brought back without being corrected (which results in a USC penalty)
A hole in the bottom hollow shaft not properly covered.
Hanging strings or leathers more than 6 inches long.
No ball stop (NFHS only; no ball stop is required under NCAA rules).
Violation results in a 1-minute non-releasable USC penalty
Multiple colors in mesh (this rule is intended primarily to cover a player trying to deceive the opponent by making it look like there is a ball in the stick when there is not; a traditional pocket may have multiple colors, and shooting strings may be of any color).
Violation results in 1-minute non-releasable USC penalty (plus goal disallowed)
Adjusting the crosse after an official requests to see it, either by pulling a string or otherwise altering the pocket or by jamming the crosse into the ground.
If a player scores a goal and then is found to have a violation labeled “goal disallowed” before the next live ball, that goal will be disallowed. Previous goals are allowed to stand. This only applies to the crosse used by the goal scorer and not to any other player. Other crosse or equipment violations do not disallow a goal.
NOTE: There is no rule that states an official is to test if the ball gets stuck in the back of the head of the crosse. However, if this occurs in the game, it is an immediate whistle and the ball is awarded to the opponent. This is most commonly seen after face offs. This does not by itself mean the crosse is illegal in any manner, although a crosse that allows the ball to become lodged in this manner may well fail other aspects of the field test.
Required Player Equipment
Helmet
The helmet must bear the NOCSAE seal and printed warning.
The helmet must have a chin pad and chin strap.
The dominant helmet color must match teammates’.
The helmet must be a lacrosse helmet (NFHS) or a lacrosse or football helmet with a lacrosse facemask (NCAA).
If chinstrap is not buckled, warn player to fix before getting involved in the play; violations can be a technical foul.
All decals on helmets must be school issued (NFHS).
If worn, an eye-shield must be clear unless it must be tinted for a documented medical reason (NCAA).
If worn, an eye shield must be clear, molded and non rigid. It may not be tinted even with medical approval (NFHS).
Mouth guard
The mouth guard must cover all upper teeth (cannot be trimmed to cover only front teeth).
The mouth guard must be worn inside the mouth (leaving it hanging from the facemask or simply biting on one or both corners does not serve the intended function of preventing concussions).
The mouth guard must be: yellow or another highly visible color unless the head coach certifies that it must be clear for a medical reason (NCAA); a readily visible color other than white or clear (NFHS).
The mouth guard need not be attached to the facemask.
If a player attempts to deceive the officials by making it appear that he has a mouth guard when he does not (e.g., a string from the facemask to the mouth with no mouth guard attached; athletic tape made to look like a mouth guard), either a mouth guard penalty or an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty may be assessed (this is not specifically addressed in the rule book but is a straightforward application of the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty).
A violation of the mouth guard rules is a technical foul under NCAA rules and a one-minute non-releasable personal foul under NFHS rules.
Gloves
Gloves may not be cut or altered. Common enforcement is to tell players to tape up the gloves if they have holes in the palms that could reasonably have arisen from normal use but to penalize a player whose gloves have the palms and/or fingers cut out of the gloves.
Under NCAA rules, players on the same team must wear the same dominant team color (exception: the goalkeeper may wear specialized goalkeeper gloves of any color).
Shoulder pads
All players other than the goalkeeper must wear shoulder pads.
Shoulder pads may not be cut or altered.
Under NCAA rules, football shoulder pads may be worn if not used to initiate contact.
Arm pads
Must be worn by all players other than the goalkeeper.
Shoes
Shoes must be worn.
Cleats must be 1/2 inch or shorter.
Under NFHS rules, metal spikes or cleats may not be worn, but metal-tipped cleats may be worn if they cannot develop a sharp edge. (Metal spikes or cleats can be disallowed under NCAA rules under rule 1-23-a without an associated penalty.)
The NFHS has an extensive list of technical specifications which cannot reasonably checked by the officials
Under NFHS rules, illegal cleats are removed from the game with no penalty for the first offense.
Under NCAA rules, illegal cleats are a one-minute non-releasable personal foul.
Jerseys
The numbers on jerseys must be at least 6 inches in the front and 8 inches on the back.
Shorts
Under NCAA rules, players must wear shorts of the same dominant team color. There are no such requirements for NFHS lacrosse.
Goalkeeper
The goalkeeper must wear a chest protector and a throat guard.
The goalkeeper is not required to wear arm pads or shoulder pads.
Under NCAA rules, each team must have a legally-equipped goalkeeper with a goalkeeper crosse on the field; failure to comply is a technical foul. Under NFHS rules, it is implied—but not explicitly stated—that there must be a legally-equipped goalie on the field.
Additional clothing
If any players choose to wear sweat pants worn, visible under jerseys, or visible compression shorts, all players must wear the same solid color of the same corresponding item.
Under NCAA rules, the color must be white, gray, or an official team color. Under NFHS rules, any solid color may be used.
Prohibited equipment
No player may wear or carry equipment the official thinks is dangerous to the player or to others.
Under NFHS rules, no jewelry may be worn (1-minute non-releasable penalty for violation). This includes, but is not limited to, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and body piercings of any kind. Medic-alert medals and religious medals may be worn if taped to body and are not considered jewelry; the “alert” part of a medic-alert tag may be left uncovered, but religious medals should be completely taped over.
Penalties
Officials should try to ensure compliance with the uniform and equipment rules prior to the start of the game.
If violations are discovered during the game:
For “uniform violations,” involving items that are not the proper color, are not solid, or do not meet other specifications, a technical foul for illegal procedure is assessed.
For non-crosse “equipment violations,” a 1-minute non-releasable personal foul is almost always the proper penalty (exception: a mouth guard violation under NCAA rules is a technical foul).
Equipment inspections
Under NCAA rules, routine inspections are only of the crosse. Coach-requested checks are of all required equipment.
Under NFHS rules, at least one inspection of all of a players equipment from each team must be conducted each half. Coach-requested checks are of all required equipment.
Multiple fouls
The rules do not clearly define how to handle multiple equipment violations in all situations. Common enforcement—which is backed up by rules interpreters at some levels of play—is as follows:
If a player has more than one crosse violation, penalize only the most severe violation.
If a player has more than one non-crosse violation, penalize only the most severe violation.
If a player has both crosse and non-crosse violations, penalize the most severe crosse violation and the most severe non-crosse violation.
-LaxRef
===================
The various rules about illegal crosses and other equipment are in various places in the NCAA and NFHS rulebooks, and it can be difficult to keep them straight. The following summary can be used to make sure you’re on top of all of the equipment check rules, which is especially important with the new emphasis on equipment checks this year.
Violation of the following rules results in a 3-minute non-releasable illegal crosse penalty (plus the crosse is confiscated and the goal disallowed)
The head must be 6.5"–10" wide (field stick) or 10"–12" wide (goalie stick) at the widest point, inside measurement.
The head must be at least 10 inches long from the outside edge of the top of the head to the furthest unexposed edge of the ball stop. A goalie crosse may be a maximum of 16.5" when measured the same way.
The crosse must be 40"–42" (short stick), 52"–72" (long pole), or 40"–72" (goalie stick) overall length. There is no rule regarding length of shaft or head taken alone, only as a unit.
The ball must dislodge freely from the stick when the head is rotated toward the ground. No specific angle is specifed. A diagram shows the ball rolling out at about 15° from vertical, while an A.R. states that it is illegal if the ball is still in the crosse when it reaches horizontal it is illegal, whether the ball subsequently rolls out or stays lodged (exception: if the pocket is deep and the officials feel that the deep pocket is the reason the ball will not roll out, a 1-minute non-releasable penalty may be assessed and the crosse may return if adjusted).
The sidewall may not be more than 2" high.
There may be no lip or hook in the mesh that might ensnare the ball.
The shaft may not be bent or cambered (although STX Crankshaft stick is legal for NCAA play when used as sold per 2006 COC Rules Bulletin).
The stick, when placed facedown on a table, may have no part more than 2.75 inches above the table (the “table test”).
The circumference of handle may not exceed 3.5 inches.
Under NFHS rules only, a crosse may not have two ball stops.
Under NFHS rules, the crosse may not have a hole in its mesh designed to ensnare the ball on face-offs.
Violation results in 1-minute non-releasable illegal crosse penalty (plus goal disallowed; crosse may return if adjusted)
The pocket of a non-goalkeeper crosse may not be deep enough for the top of the ball to be visible below the sidewall.
The bottom part of the weaving must be firmly attached to the throat of the crosse.
Stick must be corrected, but no penalty assessed unless stick is brought back without being corrected (which results in a USC penalty)
A hole in the bottom hollow shaft not properly covered.
Hanging strings or leathers more than 6 inches long.
No ball stop (NFHS only; no ball stop is required under NCAA rules).
Violation results in a 1-minute non-releasable USC penalty
Multiple colors in mesh (this rule is intended primarily to cover a player trying to deceive the opponent by making it look like there is a ball in the stick when there is not; a traditional pocket may have multiple colors, and shooting strings may be of any color).
Violation results in 1-minute non-releasable USC penalty (plus goal disallowed)
Adjusting the crosse after an official requests to see it, either by pulling a string or otherwise altering the pocket or by jamming the crosse into the ground.
If a player scores a goal and then is found to have a violation labeled “goal disallowed” before the next live ball, that goal will be disallowed. Previous goals are allowed to stand. This only applies to the crosse used by the goal scorer and not to any other player. Other crosse or equipment violations do not disallow a goal.
NOTE: There is no rule that states an official is to test if the ball gets stuck in the back of the head of the crosse. However, if this occurs in the game, it is an immediate whistle and the ball is awarded to the opponent. This is most commonly seen after face offs. This does not by itself mean the crosse is illegal in any manner, although a crosse that allows the ball to become lodged in this manner may well fail other aspects of the field test.
Required Player Equipment
Helmet
The helmet must bear the NOCSAE seal and printed warning.
The helmet must have a chin pad and chin strap.
The dominant helmet color must match teammates’.
The helmet must be a lacrosse helmet (NFHS) or a lacrosse or football helmet with a lacrosse facemask (NCAA).
If chinstrap is not buckled, warn player to fix before getting involved in the play; violations can be a technical foul.
All decals on helmets must be school issued (NFHS).
If worn, an eye-shield must be clear unless it must be tinted for a documented medical reason (NCAA).
If worn, an eye shield must be clear, molded and non rigid. It may not be tinted even with medical approval (NFHS).
Mouth guard
The mouth guard must cover all upper teeth (cannot be trimmed to cover only front teeth).
The mouth guard must be worn inside the mouth (leaving it hanging from the facemask or simply biting on one or both corners does not serve the intended function of preventing concussions).
The mouth guard must be: yellow or another highly visible color unless the head coach certifies that it must be clear for a medical reason (NCAA); a readily visible color other than white or clear (NFHS).
The mouth guard need not be attached to the facemask.
If a player attempts to deceive the officials by making it appear that he has a mouth guard when he does not (e.g., a string from the facemask to the mouth with no mouth guard attached; athletic tape made to look like a mouth guard), either a mouth guard penalty or an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty may be assessed (this is not specifically addressed in the rule book but is a straightforward application of the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty).
A violation of the mouth guard rules is a technical foul under NCAA rules and a one-minute non-releasable personal foul under NFHS rules.
Gloves
Gloves may not be cut or altered. Common enforcement is to tell players to tape up the gloves if they have holes in the palms that could reasonably have arisen from normal use but to penalize a player whose gloves have the palms and/or fingers cut out of the gloves.
Under NCAA rules, players on the same team must wear the same dominant team color (exception: the goalkeeper may wear specialized goalkeeper gloves of any color).
Shoulder pads
All players other than the goalkeeper must wear shoulder pads.
Shoulder pads may not be cut or altered.
Under NCAA rules, football shoulder pads may be worn if not used to initiate contact.
Arm pads
Must be worn by all players other than the goalkeeper.
Shoes
Shoes must be worn.
Cleats must be 1/2 inch or shorter.
Under NFHS rules, metal spikes or cleats may not be worn, but metal-tipped cleats may be worn if they cannot develop a sharp edge. (Metal spikes or cleats can be disallowed under NCAA rules under rule 1-23-a without an associated penalty.)
The NFHS has an extensive list of technical specifications which cannot reasonably checked by the officials
Under NFHS rules, illegal cleats are removed from the game with no penalty for the first offense.
Under NCAA rules, illegal cleats are a one-minute non-releasable personal foul.
Jerseys
The numbers on jerseys must be at least 6 inches in the front and 8 inches on the back.
Shorts
Under NCAA rules, players must wear shorts of the same dominant team color. There are no such requirements for NFHS lacrosse.
Goalkeeper
The goalkeeper must wear a chest protector and a throat guard.
The goalkeeper is not required to wear arm pads or shoulder pads.
Under NCAA rules, each team must have a legally-equipped goalkeeper with a goalkeeper crosse on the field; failure to comply is a technical foul. Under NFHS rules, it is implied—but not explicitly stated—that there must be a legally-equipped goalie on the field.
Additional clothing
If any players choose to wear sweat pants worn, visible under jerseys, or visible compression shorts, all players must wear the same solid color of the same corresponding item.
Under NCAA rules, the color must be white, gray, or an official team color. Under NFHS rules, any solid color may be used.
Prohibited equipment
No player may wear or carry equipment the official thinks is dangerous to the player or to others.
Under NFHS rules, no jewelry may be worn (1-minute non-releasable penalty for violation). This includes, but is not limited to, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and body piercings of any kind. Medic-alert medals and religious medals may be worn if taped to body and are not considered jewelry; the “alert” part of a medic-alert tag may be left uncovered, but religious medals should be completely taped over.
Penalties
Officials should try to ensure compliance with the uniform and equipment rules prior to the start of the game.
If violations are discovered during the game:
For “uniform violations,” involving items that are not the proper color, are not solid, or do not meet other specifications, a technical foul for illegal procedure is assessed.
For non-crosse “equipment violations,” a 1-minute non-releasable personal foul is almost always the proper penalty (exception: a mouth guard violation under NCAA rules is a technical foul).
Equipment inspections
Under NCAA rules, routine inspections are only of the crosse. Coach-requested checks are of all required equipment.
Under NFHS rules, at least one inspection of all of a players equipment from each team must be conducted each half. Coach-requested checks are of all required equipment.
Multiple fouls
The rules do not clearly define how to handle multiple equipment violations in all situations. Common enforcement—which is backed up by rules interpreters at some levels of play—is as follows:
If a player has more than one crosse violation, penalize only the most severe violation.
If a player has more than one non-crosse violation, penalize only the most severe violation.
If a player has both crosse and non-crosse violations, penalize the most severe crosse violation and the most severe non-crosse violation.