The NCAA News - News & Features

Men's lacrosse adds timeout to games

A team will be permitted to call one 20-second timeout in addition to the three it could call in 1996 games. As in the past, teams may call no more than two timeouts, including the new 20-second timeout, per half.

Similar to the 20-second timeout implemented in NCAA basketball for the 1995-96 season, the 20-second count in men's lacrosse will not start until the team that called the timeout reaches its bench area. Standard timeouts will continue to be timed from the time the official recognizes the timeout.

As with all other timeouts, if the team that called the 20-second timeout is ready to play before the allotted time expires, both teams must be ready to play within 20 seconds after that team's coach communicates to the referee that the team is ready.

For purposes of differentiating the new timeout from a standard timeout, a 20-second timeout will need to be called both verbally and physically. The signal for a 20-second timeout will be determined at a later date and published in the 1997 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Rules Book.

The committee also adjusted Rule 6-5 -- involving use of illegal equipment -- to strengthen the penalty from a nonreleasable technical foul to a nonreleasable personal foul.

The rationale is to make the penalty for use of any illegal equipment equal to that for use of an illegal crosse.

To allow for easier implementation of this change, a coach will ask for an "equipment" check (or examination) rather than a "stick" check. In response, the official will inspect all the equipment of the player in question -- not just his stick -- under the same rules as stick checks were made in the past.

If any piece of equipment is found to be illegal, the team in violation will receive a nonreleasable personal foul and the equipment must be replaced or remedied.

If a coach makes a second or subsequent request for an equipment check of the same or another player and all equipment is found to be legal, the team making the request will be charged with a full timeout. If no timeouts remain, a technical foul will be charged.

If one of two or more remaining timeouts is a 20-second timeout, a full timeout will be charged. If the only remaining timeout is the 20-second timeout, that timeout will be charged.

Championships issues

In actions involving lacrosse championships, the committee established criteria for selection of teams.

The criteria, which will be considered in no set order, are won-loss record, record against common opponents, record against other schools under consideration for selection, head-to-head competition, and strength of schedule.

Minimum criteria for consideration also were established.

In Division I, teams are required to play at least 10 games against teams within the division. In Divisions II and III, the minimum requirement for consideration is that a school must play at least 10 games, including six within its own division. In all divisions, a team must win at least half of its games against division foes.

Because many teams' schedules already are set for 1997, the minimum requirements will not take effect until 1998.

The committee encouraged schools to schedule more than the minimum number of games required in a division as a safeguard against cancellation of games due to weather or other extenuating circumstances.

Other highlights

Men's Lacrosse Committee
June 16-20/Hilton Head, South Carolina

In other actions involving championships issues, the committee:

* Discussed at length the concept of moving the Division II championship game to the site of the Divisions I and III championship finals, which are played Memorial Day weekend. A decision was tabled until further information about the ramifications of such a move is gathered. Among points of concern are the costs that could be incurred by potential participating institutions that must house student-athletes on campus during a time when school is not in session, the potential detrimental impact on the Division I championship, and the increased demand on the host institution's facility and staff, especially in the case of inclement weather. Another rationale for the delay is uncertainty about the effect of restructuring on the Division II championship. If the committee eventually votes to move the game to the championships weekend, the change would take effect two years later following that decision. The purpose is to give the host and the committee ample time to make necessary adjustments.

* Considered the possibility of developing automatic bids for conference champions. Those bids would be offered to eight teams in a 16-team Division I tournament. The current Division I field is 12 teams. The NCAA staff will investigate the issue further before a vote is taken.

* Designated Saturday as game day for Division III tournament games, excluding the championship game, which will continue to be held on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

* Changed the rule regarding attendance at the mandatory pregame meeting in Divisions II and III to require that the head coach attend the meeting. The committee strongly recommends that a representative of the school's sports information department and an administrative representative also attend the meeting. In Division I, all three representatives will be required to attend the meeting.

* Recommended to the NCAA Executive Committee that the lacrosse committee be permitted to run a "name the event" contest in which fans will be given an opportunity to suggest a name for the championships weekend. The contest winner would receive a prize and the winning entry would be trademarked as the event's official, permanent name.