Girls Lacrosse 101
Women's Lacrosse is coming to The Hill for the first time! Head Coach Kallie Muck was hired on June 1, 2022 and will lead the Cardinals into their inaugural season in the spring of 2024. Below you can read about the important rules, terms and skills in women's lacrosse.
FIELD DIMENSIONS
The length of a lacrosse field is the same as a football field at 120 yards. The width for a lacrosse field is bigger at 65 yards. On the side of where the home and visitor bench areas are, there is a table at center field where game administrators keep track of fouls, goals, and track time for penalties that are administered by officials. Directly in front of the table is the penalty area and two substitution area for both teams. Below is a diagram of the desirable field dimensions for women's lacrosse.
WOMEN'S LACROSSE POSITIONS
The Attack: There are four attackers, all who look to score. Attackers must continually cut toward the goal for a shot or cut away from the goal to make room for another player. All should have excellent stick work and be able to shoot well from every angle and distance from the goal.
The Midfield: The midfielders are responsible for transitioning the ball from defense to attack and vice versa. They should have speed and endurance and be ready to receive the ball from the defense and run or pass the ball. There are three midfielders, one of which is the Center. The center's responsibility is to control the draw and play both defense and attack. Midfielders play on both the offensive and defensive ends and have to ability to score.
The Defense: There are four defenders that mark the opposing attackers. They should be able to stick check, body check and look to intercept passes. Also, they should be able to receive clears, run fast and have good footwork.
The Goalie: The goalie's responsibility is to protect the goal. She should have good stick work, courage and confidence.
WOMEN'S LACROSSE EQUIPMENT
Field Stick: The field stick must be made of the following basic materials: composite, metal alloy (shaft only), rubber, wood, gut, leather, fiberglass, nylon, plastic and any other synthetic material. The stick shall not have sharp or protruding edges and shall not be dangerous to players in any way.
Goalie Stick: The goalkeeper stick must be made of the following basic materials: composite, metal alloy (shaft only), rubber, wood, gut, leather, fiberglass, nylon, plastic and any other synthetic material. The stick shall not have sharp or protruding parts or edges and shall not be dangerous to players in any way.
Ball: The ball must be yellow and made of solid rubber. The ball must be 7¾ to 8 inches in circumference and weigh 5 to 5.25 ounces.
Mouthpiece: All players must wear mouth guards.
Eye Protection: All field players must wear eye protection properly.
Protective Equipment: Close-fitting gloves, nose guards, and soft head gear are optional, and may be worn by all players.
Goalie Equipment: must wear a helmet with face mask, a separate throat protector, padded gloves, a mouthpiece and a chest protector.
WOMEN'S LACROSSE RULES
Women's lacrosse is a non-contact game played by 12 players: a goalie, four attackers, three midfielders and four defenders. The object of the game is to shoot the ball into the opponent's goal. The team scoring the most goals wins.
Women's lacrosse begins with a draw, which is taken by the center position. The ball is placed between two horizontally held sticks at the center of the field. At the sound of the whistle, the ball is flung into the air as the sticks are pulled up and away. A draw is used to start each half and after each goal, and it takes place at the center of the field.
The collegiate game is 60 minutes long, each half being 30 minutes. The high school girls game is 50 minutes long, each half being 25 minutes. In both collegiate and high school play, teams are allowed one timeout per half. Halftime length is set for 10 minutes.
There are visual guidelines on the side of the field that are in place to provide a consistent indicator to the officials of what is considered the playing field. The minimum dimensions for a field is 120 yards by 70 yards. Additional markings on the field include a restraining line located 30 yards from each goal line, which creates an area where only a maximum of seven offensive players and eight defensive players (including the goalkeeper) are allowed; a 12-meter fan, which officials use to position players after fouls; and an arc in front of each goal, considered the critical scoring area, where defenders must be at least within a stick's-length of their attacker. The boundaries are determined by the natural restrictions of the field. An area of 120 yards by 70 yards is desirable.
When a whistle blows, all players stop play. When a ball is ruled out of play, the player closest to the ball gets possession when play is resumed. Loss of possession may occur if a player deliberately runs or throws the ball out of play. Rough checks and contact to the body with the stick or body, are not allowed.
Field players may pass, catch or run with the ball in their stick. A player may gain possession of the ball by dislodging it from an opponent's stick with a check. A check is a controlled tap with a stick on an opponent's stick to knock the ball free. The player must be one step in front of her opponent in order to check while in the midfield. During transitions, no player may reach across an opponent's body to check the handle of a stick when she is even with or behind that opponent. A player may not protect the ball in her stick by cradling so close to her body or face to make a legal, safe check impossible for the opponent.
All legal checks must be directed away from a 7-inch sphere or "bubble" around the head of the player. No player can touch the ball with her hands except the goalkeeper when she is within the goal circle. A change of possession may occur if a player gains a distinct advantage by playing the ball off her body.
Fouls are categorized as major or minor, and the penalty for fouls is a "free position." For major fouls, the offending player is placed four meters behind the player taking the free position. For a minor foul, the offending player is placed four meters off, in the direction from which she approached her opponent before committing the foul, and play is resumed. When a minor foul is committed in the critical scoring area, the player with the ball has an indirect free position, in which case the player must pass first.
A slow whistle occurs when the offense has entered the critical scoring area and the defense has committed a major foul. A flag is thrown but no whistle is sounded so that the offense has an opportunity to score a goal. A whistle is blown when a goal is scored, or the scoring opportunity is over. An immediate whistle is blown when a major foul, obstruction or shooting space occurs, which jeopardizes the safety of a player.
MAJOR FOULS
Blocking: When contact is initiated by a defender who has moved into the path of an opponent with the ball without giving that player a chance to stop or change direction.
Charging: When a player charges, barges, shoulders or backs into an opponent, or pushes with the hand or body.
Dangerous Shot: When a player propels the ball toward the goal without control, or in the direction of a field player or the goalkeeper.
Misconduct: When a player conducts herself in a rough, dangerous or unsportsmanlike manner, persistently causes infringement of the rules, or deliberately endangers the safety of opposing players.
Slashing: When a defender swings her stick at an opponent's stick or body with deliberate viciousness or recklessness, whether or not the opponent's stick or body is struck.
Three Seconds: A defender may not stand within the eight-meter arc, unless she is closely marking an opponent, for more than three seconds.
Obstruction of Free Space: When a defender is not closely marking her opponent and is in the free space to goal of the attack player with the ball. The attack player must have the opportunity and be looking to shoot.
MINOR FOULS
Goal Circle Fouls: When any part of an offensive or defensive player's body or stick, except that of the goalkeeper or deputy, enters the goal circle.
Warding Off: When a player guards a ground ball with her stick or foot, removes one hand from the stick and uses her free arm to ward off an opponent, or checks an opponent's empty stick while she is trying to get possession of the ball.
Empty Stick Check: A player may not check an opponent's cross unless the ball is in the opponent's cross.
Body Ball: A ball that hits a field player's body to her distinct advantage.
LACROSSE SKILLS
Cradling: Moving the stick from side to side causing the ball to remain in the upper part of the pocket webbing.
Checking: Using a controlled tap with a stick on an opponent's stick to dislodge the ball.
Catching: The act of receiving a passed ball with the stick.
Cutting: A movement by a player without the ball in anticipation of a pass.
Dodging: The act of suddenly shifting direction in order to avoid an opponent.
Passing: The act of throwing the ball to a teammate with the stick.
Pick-Ups: The act of scooping a loose ball with a stick (also known as groundball pick-up).
Shooting: The act of throwing the ball at the goal with the stick to score.
LACROSSE TERMS
Clear: Any action taken by a player within the goal circle to pass or carry the ball out of the goal circle.
Critical Scoring Area: An area 15 meters in front of and to each side of the goal and nine meters behind the goal. An eight-meter arc and 12-meter fan are marked in the area.
Stick: The equipment used to throw, catch, check and carry the ball.
Stick Checking: Stick to stick contact consisting of a series of controlled taps in an attempt to dislodge the ball from the stick.
Deputy: A player who enters the goal circle when the goalie is out of the goal circle and her team is in possession of the ball.
Draw: A technique to start a game or resume play after each goal by which a ball is placed in between the sticks of two standing players and drawn up and away.
Eight-Meter Arc: A semi-circular area in front of the goal used for the administration of major fouls. A defender may not remain in this area for more than three seconds unless she is within a stick's length of her opponent.
Free Position: An opportunity awarded to the offense when a major or minor foul is committed by the defense. All players must move four meters away from the player with the ball. When the whistle sounds to resume play, the player may run, pass or shoot the ball.
Free Space to Goal: A cone-shaped path extending from each side of the goal circle to the attack player with the ball. A defense player may not, for safety reasons, stand alone in this area without closely marking an opponent.
Goal Circle: The circle around the goal with a radius of 2.6 meters (8.5 feet). Only a defender's stick or body of the same team as the goalie may "break" the cylinder of the goal circle.
Grounded: Refers to any part of the goalkeeper's or deputy's body touching the ground for support outside of the goal circle when she attempts to play the ball from inside the goal circle.
Indirect Free Position: An opportunity awarded to the offense when a minor foul is committed by the defense inside the 12-meter fan. When the whistle sounds to resume play, the player may run or pass, but may not shoot until a defender or one of her teammates has played the ball.
Marking: Being within a stick's length of an opponent.
Penalty Lane: The path to the goal that is cleared when a free position is awarded to the attacking team.
Scoring Play: A continuous effort by the attacking team to move the ball toward the goal and to complete a shot on goal.
Sphere: An imaginary area, approximately 18 cm (seven inches) which surrounds a player's head. No stick checks toward the head can break the sphere.
12-Meter Fan: A semi-circle in front of the goal used for the administration of minor fouls.
Warning Cards: A yellow card presented by an umpire to a player is a warning which indicates that she will next receive a red card and be suspended from further participation if she continues to play dangerously and/or conduct herself in an unsportsmanlike manner. A green card is presented by an umpire to the team captain indicating a team caution for delay of game.