Many of the rules and regulations that apply to girls' lacrosse differ from the women's game. Officials devised rules specifically to teach girls how to conduct themselves on the lacrosse field. Young players compete in three classes, according to US Lacrosse guidelines. As girls gain more experience, they graduate into a class with rules and regulations that more closely resemble the women's game.
Equipment
For a lacrosse game to adhere to the rules of US Lacrosse, the sport's national governing body, players and coaches must use specific equipment. An outdoor field must have regulation 6-foot by-6 foot goal cages, and players use a regulation game ball or, in the lower classes, a soft ball of comparable size. Permissible crosses, or lacrosse sticks, differ from class to class. In Level C, the lowest, youth sticks and regulation sticks are allowed, and they may have modified pockets that better hold the ball. Level B players must choose a regulation stick with or without a modified pocket, and Level A players must use regulation crosses. All girls must wear mouth guards while on the field, and goalies must wear a full protective suit consisting of a hard helmet with a face mask, a throat protector, a chest protector, full leg padding and padding around the abdomen and pelvis.
Field Size
The size of the playing field differs from class to class. For Level C fields, US Lacrosse recommends a length of 50 yards between goal lines, 10 yards behind each goal and a field width of 25 yards. Level B fields are larger, with desired measurements of 90 yards between goal lines, 10 yards behind the goals and fields that are 50 yards wide. Level A players scrimmage on the largest field, which measures 100 yards from goal line to goal line, with 10 yards behind each goal and a field width of 70 yards.
Playing the Game
Level A and Level A games use 11 players on the field for each team, plus a goalkeeper, and the length of play is 25 minutes per half. Level C games permit seven players on each side, as well as an optional goalkeeper. Each game begins with a draw at the center of the field; a player attempts to fling the ball toward her teammates. For a draw to count as legal, players must fling the ball high enough in the air to clear a midfielder's head. Draws open each half and also are held after either team scores a goal.
Fouls
Players making illegal moves will incur major or minor fouls. Offenses that will earn a girls' major foul are checking, or hitting an opponent's stick in an attempt to gain control of the ball; holding the ball for longer than 3 seconds when an opponent is closely guarding her; or blocking an offensive player from shooting for the goal from a distance longer than a stick's length. Minor fouls include covering a ball that has fallen to the ground with a stick and using one's arms to push away opponents.
Member Comments