Central District News

The current valid NCAA Lacrosse Rulebook will be used unless a specific modification is listed on this sheet.  Parentheses indicate the section of the NCAA Rulebook, which pertains to the modification.

PLAYING FIELD (1-2)

• Please visit the US Lacrosse field diagrams for more information. 
• Home Teams will make all possible efforts to provide a field which meets NCAA specifications as outlined in the section entitled “The Field”, (Rule 1-2 through 1-15).  Local conditions may require field size modifications. 
• A Unified field can be an alternative to NCAA field requirements. The Unified Field is defined as follows: Field Length- 120 yards, Midfield Area- 40 yards, Restraining Line to Goal Line- 20 yards, Goal Line to End Line – 15 yards, Goal Circle/Crease Radius- 9 feet, Width- 53 1/3 to 60 yards.
• Required field markings shall be the responsibility of the home team and every possible effort should be made to mark the field accordingly. 
• Acceptable markings can be in the form of but not limited to paint, chalk, washable paint/chalk, tape, or any other removable material (ex: portable crease). 
• No penalty shall be assessed for a home team unable to mark a turf playing field, as long as there are existing football markings, due to school or city guidelines.
• Additionally, it is the responsibility of the home team to notify the visiting team of any known field issues within three days of the scheduled game date.  Both coaches must agree on the field before the game can be played. If the visiting coach does not agree on the modified playing surface, it is the responsibility of both the home and away coaches to come to a compromise, reschedule, or change home/away status with the home team being responsible for official and venue expenses.  Failure to do so should be reported in the game report to the local coordinator for escalation.

LIMIT LINES, SPECTATOR & MEDIA RESTRICTIONS

• Limit lines are not required; however, spectators and media are not allowed behind the end lines or immediately behind the bench or table areas.
• The Team benches and table are to be on the opposite side of the field from the spectators. 
• If the home Team does not move the spectators or team benches to comply with this rule in a reasonable time (as determined by the officials), the home Team receives a non-releasable 3-minute penalty at the start of the game to be served by the in-home player

TEAM SIDELINE POLICY

• The team box should contain a maximum of 4 coaches in the coaching box in front of the players. 
• 1 equipment manager and 1 team trainer may be on the team side, but not in the team box.
• Only players in uniform may be on the sidelines, non-participating players must wear game jerseys.
• The score table shall not contain more than 5 people, including 3 from the home Team and 2 from the visitors’ team. 
• The Home Team is the official scorekeeper, spotter, game timer, and penalty timer. The Home Team site administrator has full access to the facility and should have communication with the score table.
• All spectators shall be on the opposite side of the field from the team benches. 
• It is the responsibility of the home Team and home Team site administrator to manage the team sideline policy.    It is at the discretion of the officials to assess any game-time penalties resulting from this policy.

LENGTH OF GAME (3-1)

The regulation playing time of a game shall be 48 minutes, divided into (4) 12-minute periods, JV games are (4) 10 minute periods.

NCAA 2020 Rules

• Shot Clock rule is waived 
• For the 2022 season, all THSLL programs will be required to implement the visible shot clock requirement.
• Goal-mouth arc Dive rule is waived

OFFICIALS

The NCAA requirement of three officials is waived for the 2020 season for DIII or JV games. If for some reason the NCAA requirement of three officials is not met by LOA, the DI, DII or DIII game is still an official game. Any game officiated by only one official must be agreed upon by both coaches.

TRAINER

• THSLL games will not be played without a licensed athletic trainer, team physician or health care professional (hereinafter referred to as “Trainer”) on the sidelines. 
• Prior to the start of any contest, the Home Team Trainer shall be identified in person to the Table personnel. If the Home Team fails to provide a Trainer due to extenuating circumstances, the game may be rescheduled.
• If the Home Team trainer is delayed, this will result in a 30 second conduct foul, delay of game.
• If the Home Team trainer is not present within 5 minutes of game start, the Home Team will be assessed an additional 30 second conduct foul.
• If the Home Team trainer is not present within 15 minutes of game start, the game may be canceled, and the Home Team is responsible for payment of the officials. If the game is rescheduled, the conduct penalties will carry over to the rescheduled game. 

SITE ADMINISTRATOR

• The Home Team Site Administrator shall be identified, in person, to the Officials as part of field preparations. 
• The delayed start of a game due to the field not being ready for play, at the contracted starting time or failure of the home Team Site Administrator to introduce himself/herself to the Officials, will subject the Home Team to a technical foul (6-6q) with the in-home serving 30 seconds and the ball awarded to the visitor to start the game. 
• The Home Team and Away Team site administrator must check in with the score table, officials and wear the site administrator identifying badge.
• It is the responsibility of the Home Team and Home Team site administrator to manage the team sideline policy.

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT (1-21)

Gloves may vary in color.  Baseball shoes (metal / hard plastic cleats) are not permitted.

SPORTSMANSHIP

• Sportsmanship rule for all teams participating in a regular season DII or DIII game. At any time during the game there is a 15 goal or more differential there will be a mandatory running clock for the remainder of the game. Traditional penalty time will apply and be kept with stop/starts. The clock will be stopped for official time outs or team time outs.
• After the running clock has started, if at any time during the remainder of the game the score differential falls below 15 goals, the running clock will still be in effect. 
• This rule applies to all DII or DIII district or non-district regular season games only. Post-season games and games with DI teams are exempt from this rule. 

• Under no circumstances shall this rule be waived by coaches or officials. 

GAME BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

• If the game is stopped by officials for improper behavior on the field or in the stands, the officials will ask the on-site administrator or head coach to control or eject the offending fan from the premises.
• If the fan is not controlled, or does not leave the premises, the game will be stopped, and the offending team will lose the game.
• If player (s) is ejected from a THSLL game, the player must leave the site of the THSLL game.  The player may not remain on the sideline or in the stands.  It is up to the Head Coach to comply with these rules or his team will forfeit the game.  (The team of the ejected player is responsible for supervising that player when needed.) 
• If a player or coach receives 2 unsportsmanlike penalties in a game, the player or coach is automatically ejected from the current game and suspended from the next League game.
• If a personal foul as per Section 11 occurs at the end of the last game of the THSLL season, as defined in Appendix J, so that the player incurring the foul does not serve penalty time, the penalty will carry over to the Team's next THSLL season game.  If the player has graduated, the in-home shall serve the penalty.
• A currently suspended or ejected player or coach cannot be in the team’s bench area, anywhere on the sideline, sightline or anywhere in the spectator and must be supervised by the Member Team Program’s leadership.