The game is to be played with
emphasis on the proper
development of individual stick
skills, team play, proper safety and
sportsmanship.
 Some rules have been written by the WPYLA and
are to be used on every youth game assigned by the
ALOA.
 The local rules only take the NFHS rules and extend
them to other age groups.
 The slide titles have a (W) for WPYLA specific rules
and a (N) for NFHS rules in the title.
 The Boys’ Youth Rules are printed in (and modify)
the 2015 NFHS Boys’ Lacrosse Rulebook.
 All games are played the age level that is listed
on ArbiterSports!
 If ArbiterSports says the game is scheduled to be
played as a U13 game but a coach wants to play
it as a U15 game, it will remain a U13 game.
 There are to be no exceptions to this. None.
 The rules that are specified by the assigned
game level on ArbiterSports will apply.
 Notify Andre Sanders of any issues.
 U15 A (Under age 15)
 U15 B
 U13 A
 U13 B
 U11
 U9
____________________________________
 U7
 For ALL levels, slashing will be called for every
stick check that does not make contact with the
opponents stick or gloved hand.
 Officials will be consistent and make these calls.
 At all age groups for youth lacrosse, ANY onehanded check will be considered a slash,
whether or not it makes contact with the
opposing player.
Except
 WPYLA has deemed one-handed checks to be
legal at the U15 level.
 Any coach or player using derogatory
language should receive a one-minute, nonreleasable penalty.
 Second offenses should result in threeminute, non-releasable, game expulsion foul.
 A team can play with as few as 7 players on
the field as long as both coaches agree.
Regulation fields are preferred. A smaller
field can be used as long as the officials and
both coaches agree.
 Officials will check for safety issues that may
arise due to field size before agreeing to
play.
 All regular mandatory equipment is required
during play.
 Rib pads/flak jackets are encouraged but are not
required equipment.
 In the U11 levels and below, sticks may be as short
as 37” and no longer than 42”.
 If the player in possession of the ball loses any
piece of required equipment, the official should
stop play immediately regardless of proximity of
opposing players.
 Long poles are permitted at the U15 and U13
only.
 At U13 Level, the pole cannot be taller than the
player.
 All other levels do not allow the use of long
poles (any stick that is more than 42” in length)
during any part of the game.
 If found, the stick will be removed from game.
Penalties for this may not be necessary.
 U15 and U13 levels A & B have four 10minute, stop time quarters.
 At the U15 level, in the event of a tie, 4minute overtime periods will be played until
a winner is determined.
 At the U13 level, a maximum of 2 overtime
periods will be played. All overtime periods
are sudden victory.
 U11 and U9 level games will have either four
8-minute stop time quarters or 12-minute
running time quarters.
 U11 and U9: No OT.
 U7 level games will not have officials
assigned.
 Longer quarters than the level allows WILL
NOT be played.
 Extra quarters WILL NOT be played.
 Because of the potential for personal liability on
the part of the officials, US Lacrosse nor the
ALOA can support extended games.
 Coaches may request a second game be played,
with the score starting at 0-0, and can shorten the
game to one quarter.
 Officials shall be paid a separate game fee for the
second game.
 Face-offs will occur at the beginning of each
period and after a goal has been scored.
 Exception: In a U11 level game or below, if a
team is leading by 4 or more goals (7-1, 8-2,
etc.) In this case, place the ball at midfield
and restart as if it were a free clear.
 The losing team may waive this privilege.
 For the U15 and U13 level, the 20-second
defensive count will be used and the 10second offensive count will be used.
 For U11 level games and below, no
defensive or offensive counts will be used.
 For all levels, the 4-second goalie count will
be applied.
 The stalling rule may be applied to U15 and
U13 levels, if necessary.
 Discretion on the part of the official will be
exercised when calling a stall to give ample
time for a scoring opportunity.
 The Final Two Minute stalling rule shall be
ENFORCED for U15 and U13 level games
but WAIVED for U11 level games and
below.
 Checks to the
Head/Neck
 Unnecessary Roughness
 Cross Check
 Cross Check Hold
 Violent Collisions
 Sportsmanship
 Equipment Inspection
 Lacrosse Helmet Fitting
 A growing awareness of the potentially harmful
long-term effects of concussions and other head
injuries, including those caused by repeated
blows to the head that may not result in
immediate concussions.
 Rules have been revised to further discourage
such contact, and provide more guidance on
when more severe penalties are appropriate.
 Officials are encouraged to call such
violations strictly, including multiple minute
penalties or ejections as warranted.
 Coaches are encouraged to coach players to
avoid delivering such checks, and to support
the officials when they call such penalties.
 Some body contact is permitted at all levels
of boys’ youth lacrosse, with progressively
more contact permitted as players grow and
learn proper checking techniques.
 However, there is no justification for deliberate
and excessively violent contact by any player at
any youth level.
 Failure to properly instruct and enforce
appropriate defensive techniques can result
in an increased risk of injury to both the
attacking and defending youth player.
 Therefore, to further discourage excessively
violent contact, any penalty for unnecessary
roughness shall be non-releasable.
 When a player uses the part of the handle
that is between his hands to check an
opponent, serious injury may result.
 The cross-check hold (NFHS Rule 6-3 Art 2a) is
being employed with increasing regularity on the
field and clearly gives an unfair advantage to the
defender.
 This call has not been enforced uniformly
 Officials have been encouraged to call this penalty
and coaches are encouraged to teach their players
not to employ this technique.
 All fouls under NFHS Rule 6 are 30-second
technical fouls.
• There is no justification for deliberate and
excessively violent collision by any player
at any youth level.
• This includes intentional player-to-player
collisions with defenseless players (socalled “blind side” and “buddy-pass”
checks), checks involving the head
and/or neck, and excessive body-checks
(“take-out checks”).
• Tone, intent, and body language can all
contribute to unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Players, coaches, and spectators should exhibit
the highest level of sportsmanship at all times.
• US Lacrosse expects officials to enforce the
Unsportsmanlike Conduct rules without
hesitation, and further expects coaches to
promote good sportsmanship among players
and anybody associated with the team.
• NFHS understands the need to minimize risk of
injury for all players.
• NFHS realizes the need to take reasonable
actions to reduce the rick of injury for all
participants.
• Penalties for excessive hits to the head and neck
have been revised in an effort to eliminate this
type of contact from the game.
• It is being recommended that officials ensure
that they assess the legality of sticks, especially
those used for faceoffs.
• Lacrosse helmets shall meet the current
NOCSAE standard and be properly fitted and
worn.
• Padding of the helmet shall give firm and
uniform pressure about the head.
• The skin of the forehead should move as the
helmet is moved from left to right and from
front to back.
• There must be a four-point chinstrap, and it
should be tightened so that there is no slack.
• NOCSAE has voided the manufacturer’s
certification of compliance for all manufacturing
dates for these two helmets:
• Cascade Model R
• Warrior Regulator
The helmet on the left is the Warrior Regulator. It cannot be
used at any level.
The helmet on the right is the Cascade Model R. Notice the
“R” above the cage and to the right of the chinstrap buckle.
Please note: the Cascade models CPV-R, CPX-R and CS-R and
the Warrior TII are not affected by this decision by NOCSAE.
 In mid-December, Cascade Lacrosse reached an agreement
with (NOCSAE) on a solution for the recently decertified
Cascade R helmet.
 The solution involves a simple modification to the Cascade R
helmet currently in the marketplace.
 Once the certified modification has been complete, a tamperproof sticker will be affixed to the helmet to show that it is
NOCSAE certified and to differentiate it from non-certified R
models.
 The modified helmet will be treated as a new model,
identified as the Cascade R-M.
 Cascade will make the modification to existing helmets
at its Liverpool, N.Y. facility beginning December 16,
2014. The modification will be free of charge for
consumers and retailers, including shipping.
 While the certified modification is simple, Cascade
Lacrosse is asking consumers to send in their helmets to
Cascade to ensure the modification is done
professionally and complies with the NOCSAE
certification standard.
• More information is available at:
http://r.cascadelacrosse.com
•
•
•
When a Cascade R helmet has been returned to the
manufacturer for retrofitting, the sticker illustrated
above will be applied to the helmet.
Along the right of the sticker is an RM serial number
provided by Cascade, and will be considered the
Cascade R-M model.
Cascade R models that have not been retrofitted are
considered illegal equipment and CANNOT be used in
any game or practice.
• During pregame certification, officials will add the
following statement:
• “Coach, are you aware that the Cascade Model R,
if not recertified, and Warrior Regulator helmet
models do not meet the NOCSAE standard for
lacrosse at this time and they are not legal for play?”
• if an illegal helmet is discovered during the game,
live play or random and/or mandatory equipment
checks by rule, a penalty should be administered
based on the rules of play.
 Player Equipment Rule 1, Section 9:
All goalkeepers are required to wear arm
pads.
 Facing Off Rule 4, Section 3: U9 and U11 only
 At any point during a game when there is a 4-goal
lead, the team that is behind will be given the ball
at the midfield line in lieu of a face-off as long as
the 4-goal lead is maintained, unless waived by the
coach of the trailing team.
 Substitution Procedures Rules 4, Section 22,
Article 2: U9 and U11
 There will be NO SUBSTITUTION HORNS in
WPYLA.
 All other rules with respect to substitutions
during suspension of play shall apply.
 Team Time Outs Rule 4, Section 26:
 Two (2) team timeouts - of a maximum
duration of two minutes each - are
permitted per team per half.
 Illegal Body Check Rule 5, Section 3:
For U15 ONLY:
 Limited Body Checking is permitted
 Body-checks that might be acceptable in
high school play may be excessive in
youth lacrosse, and should be penalized
accordingly.
 Body Checking is permitted in U15 ONLY.
 For all other levels, all body checks should be
penalized for at least one minute as an illegal
body check.
 Multiple offenses may result in ejection.
 No take-out checks are permitted on any level
and must be penalized immediately and
consistently.
 All stick checks, body checks (U15 only),
legal holds, and legal pushes must be on a
player in possession of the ball or within 3
yards of a loose ball or ball in flight.
US Lacrosse calls special attention to a rule added in
2014:
 Rule 5, Section 3.5, which addresses the concept of
a DEFENSELESS PLAYER
 A body-check that targets a player in a defenseless
position includes but is not limited to:
(i) body checking a player from his “blind side”;
(ii) body checking a player who has his head
down in an attempt to play a loose ball; and
(iii) body checking a player whose head is turned
away to receive a pass, even if that player turns
toward the contact immediately before the body
check.
 The penalty for an illegal body check on a
defenseless player:
 Two- or three-minute non-releasable foul, at
the official’s discretion. An excessively violent
violation of this rule may result in an ejection.
 Take-Out Check/Excessive BodyCheck Rule 5, Section 3, Article 6:
Take-Out Checks/Excessive BodyChecks are prohibited at every age
level.
 A Take-Out Check/Excessive BodyCheck is defined as:
 Any body-check in which the player
lowers his head or shoulder with the
force and intent to put the other player
on the ground.
-OR-
Take-out check (cont’d)
• Any body-check considered more
aggressive or more physical than necessary
to stop the advancement of the player
carrying the ball or to keep or move a
player away from a loose ball.
• Take-out checks include, but is not limited
to:
- (i) any check in which a player makes
contact with sufficient force and intent to
knock down the opposing player;
- (ii) any check in which a player makes
contact with sufficient force and intent to
injure the opposing player; or
- (iii) any check made in a reckless or
intimidating manner.
 ART. 7 Late Hit: An avoidable body-check
of an opponent after he has passed or shot
the ball is an illegal body check.
 PENALTY: Two- or three-minute nonreleasable foul, at the official’s discretion.
An excessively violent violation of this
rule may result in an ejection.
 Checks involving the Head/Neck Rule 5,
Section 4:
 PENALTY: Two- or three-minute nonreleasable foul, at the official's discretion.
An excessively violent violation of this
rule may result in an ejection.
 U15 and U13: Any player who accumulates
 4 personal fouls, or
 5 minutes in personal foul penalty time
shall be disqualified from the game.
A substitute for that player may enter the
game when the disqualified player would
have been permitted to reenter had he not
fouled out.
 U11 and U9: Any player who accumulates
 3 personal fouls, or
 5 minutes in personal foul penalty time
shall be disqualified from the game.
For U11, a substitute for that player may enter
the game when the disqualified player would
have been permitted to re-enter had he not
fouled out.
For U9, a disqualified player must leave the
field, but his team may replace him with a
substitute; no man-up situation should occur.
 U15, U13, U11: Players serve time and teams play
down.
 U9 and below: player serves penalty time but team
does not play down. ( i.e., No man up situation will
result.)
 In all “Running Time” games and situations,
penalties will also be running time, and will begin
with the next whistle resuming play. The running
time penalty clock will stop for all timeouts and at
the end of periods.
 Officials have the authority to terminate a
youth game in response to flagrant acts of
unsportsmanlike behavior by coaches,
players, spectators, etc.
 If spectator related, attempts will be made to
have the coach remedy the situation. It he is
unable to do so and the situation continues,
officials may end the game.
 All NFHS rules that were not discussed in this
presentation still apply. What we’ve discussed here are
the merely adaptations and points of emphasis for youth
play.
 If any questions about youth rulings come up during the
season email or call John Cica
[email protected]– (412) 901-1153
 Consult your rule book and notes before calling or
emailing me because I will ask you what rule is in
question, and where the situation is addressed in the
book.
 I am here to help you understand the youth rules.
 I am here to help with interpreting the youth rules.
 I am NOT your youth rules Wikipedia.
 As officials, you are expected to know the rules, just as the
coaches are expected to know them. Read the rule book.
 RULES CHANGE EVERY YEAR. If you were a player,
the rules are not the same as when you played. So,
something you are absolutely sure about may have
changed.
 How will you know? READ THE RULE BOOK.