The NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Rules Committee has proposed a more progressive card system to address behavior it believes could compromise the safety of the sport.

Members at their June 16-18 meeting endorsed a system in which teams may not substitute for a carded player. Current rules don’t require a team to play short until a player has received her fourth card.

“In reviewing the current state of our game, it became clear that we need to change some player behavior,” said Karen Borbee, chair of the committee and senior woman administrator/women’s lacrosse coach at Swarthmore College. “When a card is administered, the penalty will be immediate with no substitution allowed for the carded player. This sends a strong message that safety is our top concern.”

That proposal and other committee actions must be considered by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel before becoming effective.

The committee also made slashing and dangerous contact around the head area a point of emphasis for next season. Next season, swinging the stick and slashing will be penalized with a minimum of a yellow card on the first offense. Stick to body contact, a point of emphasis last season, continues to be a point of concern and will be emphasized as well.

“As our student-athletes continue to increase their skill level, it has become clear that we must increase the protection of these players,” Borbee said. “We need to change what has become accepted behavior in the game. Officials will be instructed to err on the side of safety.”

Red cards, which are in place to penalize egregious and flagrant actions, were also altered to increase the penalty for this type of foul. In the upcoming season, a red card will include an automatic suspension in the next contest. As was the case last season, red cards and yellow cards are penalized differently (a red card is an ejection, while a yellow card is a suspension).

In other actions, the rule committee:

•         Approved the use of an orange ball and will allow a slightly textured ball next season.

•         Clarified substitution procedures to clean up the substitution box and more efficiently manage these procedures.

•         Agreed to require officials to conduct at least two stick checks on each team in each half. Also, coaches will have one additional stick check request during play.