Starting next season, high school girls lacrosse will see the elimination of the indirect free position when the defense commits a minor foul within the 12-meter fan. Instead, the fouled player will now have the opportunity to shoot from a free position on the 12-meter fan. This update to Rule 9-1 PENALTIES is among six changes approved by the NFHS Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee during its June 17-19 meeting in Indianapolis. These recommendations have been ratified by the NFHS Board of Directors.
Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS Director of Sports and liaison to the Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee, stated, “The NFHS Girls Lacrosse Rules Committee strongly believes high school girls lacrosse is in a good place. After several years of significant rule changes, the committee focused on subtle adjustments to ease penalty administration, improve game flow, and minimize injury risks.”
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One modification involves Rule 4-1-2, which now mandates that the clock be stopped during the last minute of each quarter when a foul occurs in the critical scoring area. Previously, the clock was stopped only during the final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters. Atkinson explained, “This change ensures consistency in clock management and prevents the clock from expiring before a free position can be administered.”
To reduce injury risks, Rule 10 has been updated to broaden the definition of illegal contact with the stick. Rule 10-1r(1) now makes it illegal for defenders to make contact with an opponent’s crosse when the defender’s stick is in a horizontal position. Additionally, Rule 10-1v(2) clarifies that a rough or dangerous check includes contact with an opponent’s hand using the crosse.
Another change in Rule 5-2 Penalties awards a free position at the spot of the ball rather than the center line when a player draws illegally. Atkinson noted this adjustment improves game flow by eliminating the need to return the ball to the center line.
Furthermore, the definition of an illegal pick has been clarified in Rule 10-1p and Rule 13. For a pick to be legal, a player’s crosse must be in a vertical position (between 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock), and the player’s body should remain in a vertical plane with a stance no wider than shoulder width.
A comprehensive list of the girls lacrosse rules changes will be available on the NFHS website. For more details, visit the NFHS website and navigate to “Activities & Sports” and then select “Lacrosse-Girls.”
According to the 2022-23 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 98,014 girls across 3,164 schools nationwide played lacrosse.
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