Note: New 2005 Rule Book Information will be posted in the near future!

The following rules are an excerpt from the National Federation of State High School Associations' 2003 Boys' Lacrosse Rules Book, endorsed by US Lacrosse. For a complete listing of Boys' Lacrosse Rules, including the Rules for Boys' Youth Lacrosse, please refer to the 2003 Boys' Lacrosse Rules Book. Those with questions about the Rules for Boys' Youth Lacrosse should contact US Lacrosse Youth Council Youth Rules Committee chair Chase Howse at boysyouthrules@aol.com .  

Age Definition
As stated in the Bylaws of the U.S. Lacrosse Youth Council (USLYC) eligibility for participation in boys U-15 events sanctioned by US Lacrosse and its Youth Council will be based on the following criteria:

Youth players will be age 15 years and under in grade 8 or below and further qualify as follows in order to participate in USLYC sanctioned youth lacrosse activities: (a) player has not attained 15 years of age as of December 31 in the year preceding a USL Youth Council sanctioned event; and (b) the player has not participated in any high-school program as a member of a high-school freshmen, junior varsity, or varsity team.

Leagues may be organized by age or grades. Physical maturity should be considered when grouping players. If your program has enough players, the age/ grade groups should play separately. The following is an example, with ages determined as of December 31 in the year proceeding the USL Youth Council sanctioned event:

Senior Division: Under 15/ 8 th grade. May have competitive divisions grouped by ability.
Junior Division: Under 13/ 6 th and 7 th grade. May have competitive divisions grouped by ability. Note: Players 12 years old or 6 th grade may have difficulty playing with 14 year old or 8th grade boys.
Lightning Division: Under 11/ 4 th and 5 th grade. Non-competitive. Ages and grades may play together. Multiple teams within a program should be balanced.
Bantam Division: Under 9/ 2 nd and 3 rd grade. Non-competitive. Ages and grades may play together. Multiple teams within a program should be balanced.

Rule 1 - Game Personnel
Number of Players
10 players per side on the field, however games can be played with as few as 7 per side on the field if coaches agree. All USLYC sponsored events will be played with the regulation 10 players per side.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 1, Section 1 - The Game
Lacrosse is played by two teams of 10 players each.

Rule 2 - Field & Equipment

. Printable Field Diagram (PDF)

Field
SECTION 1. Play on regulation size field is preferred, however the coaches and officials can agree to play on any size field available. USLYC sponsored events will be paled on regulation size fields for all groups.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 1, Section 2 - Playing Field
The lacrosse playing field shall be rectangular, 110 yards long and between 53 and 60 yards wide.

Equipment
SECTION 2. Equipment will conform to NFHS crosse dimensions and equipment requirements, including NOCSAE- approved helmets, with the following exceptions:

A. Arm pads are required at all divisions for each player and are optional for the goalie.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 1, Section 5 - The Ball
Rule 1, Section 6 - Crosse- Dimensions
Rule 1, Section 7 - Crosse Construction
Rule 1, Section 8 - Crosse Prohibitions
Rule 1, Section 9 - Helmet, Face mask and Mouthpiece
Player Equipment

b. The length of the crosse may be 37 to 40 inches for offensive players in the Lightning and Bantam Divisions and defensive players in such divisions may use a stick with a length of 37 to 72 inches.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 1, Section 6 - Crosse- Dimensions
The Crosse shall be an overall fixed length of either 40 to 42 inches
(Short crosse) or 52 to 72 inches (long crosse), except for the goalkeeper's crosse, which may be a length of 72 inches or less.

c. Rib pads are strongly recommended!

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 2, Section 9-Personal Equipment
All players are required to wear protective gloves, arm pads, shoulder pads, shoes, and jerseys.

Responsibilities of the home team
SECTION 3. a. Game balls and adequate number of balls must be maintained at the end lines behind the goals during regulation play.

b. Ball boys (may be waived with consent of the coaches).

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 2, Section 4 - Home Coach's Responsibility
Rule 2, Section 8 - Timekeeper
Rule 2, Section 9 - Scorer

c. Home teams are responsible for contrasting jersey colors and will wear pennies if needed.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 2, Section 9 - Player equipment
G. R. 4 The home team wears white or light-colored jerseys.

Rule 3 - Time Factors and Scoring
a. Senior & Junior Division- Four quarters, 10 minute stop clock, and sudden victory 4 minute overtime periods will be utilized.

b. Lightning and Bantam Divisions- four quarters, 12 minute running clock, and one overtime running clock period of 15 minutes, no sudden victory.

c. Overtime- in the event of a tie, two (2) four (4) minute (sudden victory) overtime periods will be played. If, after two (2) overtime periods the score is tie, additional sudden victory overtime periods may be played until a winner is determined; provided time permits and coaches and officials are in agreement.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 3 - Sections 1, 3 and 4

d. Timeouts-two (2) timeouts are permitted per half.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 3, Section 28 - Team timeouts

Rule 4 - Play of the Game
The game is to be played with emphasis on the proper development of stick, team, and sportsmanship skills:

a. All divisions will follow NFHS rules with the following exception:

No 10-second count

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 4, Section 14 - Advancing the ball beyond the defensive-area line
Rule 4, Section 15 - Advancing the ball into the goal area

b. Youth Division. Time serving penalties are enforced and man up situations are permitted in all divisions except the Bantam Division, where there are no time-serving penalties; instead the player must be substituted and the ball awarded to the other team at the point of the infraction.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 7, Sections 1,2, &3

Body checking is permitted in Senior & Junior Divisions, however, no take-out checks are permitted by any player. Definition-Take-out checks: Checks in which the player lowers his head or shoulder with the force and intent to take out (*put on the ground) the other player.

Players may make contact in an upright position within five yards of the ball. No body checking of any kind is permitted in the Lightning & Bantam division, which includes no man/ball, clear the type body pushing. If the ball is not moving the referee will start play following the alternating position session rule.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 5, Section 3 - Illegal body check NOTE: Spearing
Rule 5, Section 3/1 - Body checking within 5 yards of a loose ball

In any game and at any point during a game when there is a four-point 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 four-point lead is maintained, unless waived by the coach of the trailing team.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 4, Section 3 - Facing off

Rule 5 - Personal and Expulsion Fouls
a. Personal Foul/Slashing - For Lightning and Bantam Divisions. Any poke check not making contact with the gloved hand while holding the stick itself will be considered a slash. Also, any one-handed check will be considered a slash for the Bantam Division.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 5, Section 6 - Slashing

Personal fouls are to be taken seriously. In addition to the NFHS rules, any player or coach who uses derogatory language (starting with damn) on the field or bench, whether addressing a player, coach or referee may receive: first offense, 1 minute non-releasable penalty; a 2 minute non-releasable penalty for the second offense; and expulsion from the game for the third offense.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 5, Section 9 - Unsportsmanlike conduct

c. Players illegally playing down to any division will be expelled for the season and the team will be eliminated from any playoffs and ineligible for any titles or awards.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 5, Section 11 - Expulsion

Rule 6 - Technical Fouls
a. Offensive stalling shall be enforced, however this rule will be waived for Lightning and Bantam Divisions.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 3, Section 10 - Offensive stalling

b. Senior and Junior Division: the winning team is to keep the ball in the box during the last two minutes of the game. Lightning and Bantam Divisions are excused from this rule.

National Federation of State High School Associations
Rule 3, Section 3 - Final two minutes of regulation play
Rule 6, Section 10  - Offensive stalling

Rule 7 - Penalty Enforcement
No additional supplement, see Rule 4.

Rule 8 - Rules Changes and Modification
a. NFHS rules and the supplemental rules will be reviewed annually by USLYC Rules Committee, which may adopt any of the changes or modifications deemed necessary to ensure the safe play at all levels.

b. Any comments or requests for rule changes or modifications by coaches or officials participating in USLYC Rules Committee must be submitted for consideration to the USLYC Rule Committee in writing by November 1 of each year. Any changes or modifications that are approved by the USLYC Rule Committee will be effective the following February. No changes or modifications will be made prior to November 1 or accepted after February 1.