• Faceoffs: The committee is concerned about players using illegal tactics during the faceoff, including the use of hands. The integrity of the game is a key issue here and the skill of the faceoff players should determine which team gains possession, not illegal tactics. 
  If a player deliberately uses his hand to play the ball, officials are instructed to use the unsportsmanlike conduct provisions in the rules immediately. Inadvertent touching of the ball when the hand is grasping the stick should not be called as an unsportsmanlike conduct foul. The committee will continue to explore ways to eliminate this problem in the future, but instructs officials to continue to enforce all current rules strictly in the upcoming season. 
• Cross checks: This is an area that continues to be of concern for the safety of the student-athletes, especially the act of thrusting the crosse at the opponent. More diligent enforcement of this foul is needed.
• Stalling/Pace of Game: The committee will continue to evaluate the pace of the game and, in particular, how the stalling warning should be administered. The committee plans to use video examples to illustrate different situations for officials and coaches to better understand this rule.
• Uncontrolled Stick Checks: Player safety continues to be a major focus of the committee particularly in the area of checking the opponent with the stick, both in location (head/neck area) as well as level of violence. 
• Equipment/End Caps: Coaches are responsible to make all players have either a rubber or plastic end cap adequately covering the open end of the crosse (See Rule 1, Crosse Construction on Page 18 of the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Rules Book). Officials should enforce this rule without exception to protect all student-athletes. 

a. Personal Equipment – Jerseys (Page 20). New uniforms must have numbers that are at least 10 inches high and centered on the front. Jersey numbers of at least 12 inches in height must be centered on the back. Current jerseys not meeting these specifications are acceptable.

b. Loss of Equipment (Pages 21, 33, 55). As noted in an earlier bulletin, two notes were inadvertently left in the rules book on these pages dealing with the loss of required equipment. Please disregard these notes as rules changes made for last season supersede these items.

c. Advancing the Ball/Player in Zone (Page 46, 47). In some cases, there is confusion regarding when an airborne player receives the ball when dealing with counts, etc. The committee is providing guidance to officials in this area that an airborne player is considered to be in the zone where he left the ground. This will be included more clearly in future publications of the rules book.

d. Equipment Inspection Request – Head Coach (Page 58). The committee is clarifying what is generally in practice by game officials. Only the head coach my request an equipment inspection. 

a.  Keep it in. Once the ball enters the attack area, the offensive team must keep the ball in, unless it is deflected out of the area by the defensive team. 

 

b. Video review (NCAA Championships only). The rules committee voted to approve a request from the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships Committee to use video in certain situations to assist on-field officials in their determinations. To use video, a monitor must be available at field level for the on-field officials to use and the reviewable plays are limited. 

a.  Faceoffs. 

b.  Substitutions. 

c.  Stalling rules.

d.  Penalty administration options.

e.  Timeouts. 

f.   Dive play.