The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee has announced several changes for the 2025 season, with a primary focus on minimizing risks related to lost equipment, proper helmet usage, and appropriate instances for checking an opponent’s crosse.
These changes stem from the committee’s annual rules meeting held from June 4-6 at The Alexander hotel in Indianapolis. All eight proposed changes were approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
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Dr. James Weaver, NFHS director of performing arts and sports and liaison to the Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee, emphasized the committee’s commitment to player safety and rule simplification. “The committee has done an excellent job in reducing the risks for players, coaches, and officials. The committee also continued its goal of simplifying the way lacrosse is officiated by simplifying certain rules and simplifying more complex rules,” he said.
One significant change is to Rule 4-24-7, which now mandates officials to stop play any time a player in the scrimmage area loses a piece of mandatory equipment, regardless of the circumstances. Previously, play was stopped only if the equipment was lost “in a legal way” and the player was not far from the action.
Another amendment, made to Rule 1-9-1a, clarifies that helmets must be worn with the chin strap “on” the chin, rather than “under,” ensuring a more secure fit.
Rule 4-16 now clearly outlines the three instances where a player can legally check an opponent’s crosse: when the opponent has possession of the ball, is within 5 yards of a loose ball, or is within 5 yards of a ball in flight.
Additionally, Rules 1-2-7 and 1-2-8 will now include a diagram to aid in the correct setup of the field’s table and coaches’ areas, aligning it with NCAA and USA Lacrosse rules for better substitution processes.
Rule 4-22-4 introduces a new stipulation that any restart within 5 yards of the table area will be moved 5 yards inward from the sideline. This adjustment clarifies prior ambiguities in the rules.
Furthermore, a portion of Rule 4-3-1 has been reverted to its previous language to provide more context for new officials, detailing exceptions that nullify faceoffs and award possession to the non-offending team.
Lastly, Rule 7 has two updates: Rule 7-8-3 now specifies the slow whistle technique for personal fouls during shots or passes, and Rule 7-13-3 includes a clause for a new faceoff if an inadvertent whistle occurs during the faceoff process.
For a complete listing of the boys lacrosse rules changes, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org under the “Activities & Sports” section.
According to the NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey for the 2022-23 academic year, 111,108 boys participate in lacrosse in 3,086 high schools across the country.
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