The NCAA Men's Lacrosse Rules Committee has determined that an experimental rule used this fall in which officials used a back-side stick field test will not take effect for the regular season. The action took place at the committee's inaugural meeting October 28-30 in Indianapolis.

The experiment, under which officials were instructed to assess a non-releasable personal foul when a stick failed, was formulated in August by the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Committee, the group that until recently was charged with administering the playing rules. The experiment was created as a result of that committee's concern about the use of the back side of the stick head, particularly on faceoffs, and about that facet of stick construction.

"We realize that concern about the back of the stick is out there, and we want the information gained from the back-side check experiment to be part of the discussion about where we go with this subject," said Willie Scroggs, senior associate athletics director at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and chair of the new rules committee.

Instead of adopting the experimental rule, the committee opted to address the issue by amending Rule 4-7 so that "if at any point the ball becomes stuck in the front or back of the crosse (that is, the stick), there shall be an immediate whistle and the ball shall be awarded to the opposing team." Related approved rulings (A.R.) will be adjusted accordingly.

"We could not support calling an illegal stick (personal foul) if the stick failed the (experimental) field test," Scroggs said. "The feedback from the fall games was that the back-side stick field test was ineffective and awkward and that it did not meet with universal approval."

Although the committee did not pass this particular experimental rule, Scroggs said that the committee will encourage teams to use other experimental rules, as proposed by the rules committee, during future nontraditional fall seasons to help the committee assess where changes may be desirable. Such experimental rules for fall 2004 would emerge from the committee's next annual meeting, which will be in early August.

As part of research about rules related to the back of the stick head, the committee plans to review the entire faceoff process at the upcoming United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) and U.S. Lacrosse conventions in December and January, respectively. The committee also will be distributing this year's rules survey at both conventions. The survey also will be mailed to coaches and officials.

Of the rules the committee passed for 2004, most of which clarified current rules and interpretations or eliminated contradictions in the book, one exception was a reduction of the penalty for not wearing the required mouthpiece. To achieve better compliance with the rules, the penalty for not wearing a mouthpiece properly was reduced from a personal foul to a technical foul. The change makes the penalty more similar to mouthpiece penalties in other sports. The committee hopes that the lesser penalty will result in greater enforcement of the rule by officials when the infraction occurs, and, eventually, greater compliance.

Scroggs said that the committee welcomes input about all playing rules issues in future seasons.

"We want to include everyone involved with the game as we go about discussing and making rules," he said. "We have a wonderful game, but we will continue to tweak it when needed."

The members of the new rules committee are U.S. Military Academy coach Jack Emmer; Nick Gannon, associate athletics director at Drexel University; Brown University coach Scott Nelson; Bryant College coach Rory Whipple; Colby College coach Rob Quinn; Nazareth College coach Rob Randall; Dickinson College coach Dave Webster; and Chuck Winters, secretary-rules editor. National officiating coordinator Warren Kimber also attended the meeting, as did USILA representative and U.S. Naval Academy coach Richie Meade, and Walt Munze, who represented active officials.

The committee formerly charged with administering the playing rules will continue with its championships administration responsibilities.

Other highlights

Men's Lacrosse Rules Committee
October 28-30/Indianapolis

Following is the complete list of rules changes the committee supported at its annual meeting:

Rule 1-16, A.R. 8, page 15, Field Markings: In the last sentence of the following, change "the ball shall be awarded to team B at midfield" to "The ball shall be faced off at midfield." A.R. 8. Team B appears on field and notices that any markings of field, bench area, goal areas, etc., are in violation. Team B coach refuses to play, and Team A coach refuses to make correction. RULING: Any violation of 1-2 through 1-15 that is not corrected by Team A coach upon request shall result in Team A receiving a three-minute nonreleasable penalty (unsportsmanlike conduct) in addition to the appropriate penalty for the field not meeting specifications. The ball shall be awarded to Team B at midfield.

Rule 4-3, A.R. 11, page 33, Facing Off: Change to read "on a faceoff, or any other time during the game, A2 clamps the ball and the ball becomes caught in his crosse so that the ball is withheld from play. RULING: Immediate whistle, award ball to Team B."

Rule 4-6-b, page 37, Out of Bounds, Loose Ball: Change the description to clarify that the rule applies to a loose ball from a shot. With the change, the new rule would read: "When a loose ball touches a boundary line or the ground outside a boundary line, or when a shot crosses the plane of the end line or sideline, it is out of bounds and the following rules apply ..."

Rule 4-6-c, page 37, Out of Bounds: Change (2) to read: "When a player in possession of the ball moves from the defensive end of the field to the offensive end of the field, he must step across the midfield line with both feet to be considered in the offensive end of the field."

Rule 4-6-c page 37, Out of Bounds: Change (4) to read: "When a player in possession of the ball in his defensive end of the field wants to get the ball outside of the defensive-clearing area, he must step outside the defensive-area line with both feet."

Rule 4-7, page 39, Ball Caught in Crosse or Equipment: Will be changed so that paragraphs two and three are designated as "A," with no language altered. "B" will read that "if at any point the ball becomes stuck in the front or back of the crosse, there shall be an immediate whistle and the ball shall be awarded to opposing team." The third paragraph will be moved to A.R. form under Rule 4-8.

Rule 4-8, page 40, Scoring: Add an A.R. to address that when the goalie has the ball, then brings the stick back through the plane of the goal and drops the ball, it is a goal.

Delete A.R. 68, page 44, Advancing the Ball Beyond the Defensive-Area Line.

A.R. 60, page 43, Advancing the Ball Beyond the Defensive-Area Line: Change to the following: "Team B has cleared the ball beyond its defensive-area line. The ball becomes loose without contact and Team B recovers the ball. May the Team B player pass or carry the ball back to a teammate in the defensive-goal area? RULING: No."

Delete A.R. 77, page 45, Advancing the Ball Into the Attack Area.

Rule 4-29.b, pages 53-54, Illegal Equipment: In second paragraph, replace "equipment" with "stick or crosse" and delete "No penalty is incurred by second or subsequent requests during a charged timeout or between periods." In next paragraph, change "equipment" to "crosse."

Rule 5-4, Note, page 57, Illegal Body Check: Amend to: "If a player who is about to be body checked turns his back, ducks or jumps."

Rule 5-6, Use of Illegal Equipment: Reduced the penalty for not wearing a mouthpiece from personal foul to technical foul.

Rule 6-4-a.1, page 64, Holding: Change item 3 to No. 1 and make previous No. 1 an A.R.: "May a player use the portion of the handle that is between his hands to hold an opponent? RULING: No."

Rules 6-11.a.1, page 71, Stalling: Change "attack area" to "offensive half of the field."

Rule 7-3, pages 77-78, paragraph 2: Change "at center of the field" to "on the offensive side of the field." Also change A.R. items on page 78, A.R. 9-12 and any others accordingly, including page 32, A.R. 2-6.

Points of emphasis to be presented at rules clinics

1. The glove hand cannot grasp any portion of the head of the crosse. This rule is intended to cover faceoffs and a player in possession of the ball who is "thumbing" the ball or choking up and grasping the plastic portion of the crosse. Officials will be asked to watch for players thumbing the ball when trying to split a double team, especially when man-down.

2. Current rules against inappropriate language shall be enforced more strictly.

3. Emphasize proper enforcement of Rule 6-11.a.1, with change in wording listed under rules changes: "A team in possession of the ball in its offensive area may touch inside the attack area two times and will then be directed to get the ball into the attack area."