This document outlines different types of fouls in men's lacrosse, including illegal bodychecks, slashing, cross-checking, tripping, unnecessary roughness, and unsportsmanlike conduct. It defines each foul and provides examples. Personal fouls result in penalty time, and a player who commits 5 personal fouls is fouled out of the game. More serious fouls like slashing can result in expulsion from the game. The document is part of a presentation on officiating men's lacrosse games.

1. Introduction
In this presentation:
• Illegal bodycheck
• Slashing
• Cross-check
• Tripping
• Unnecessary roughness
• Unsportsmanlike conduct
• Fouling out
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
FOULS
presentation
Expulsion Fouls
Personal Fouls
Technical Fouls
Execution of Penalties
Simultaneous Fouls

2. Introduction
Illegal bodycheck
• Bodychecking an opponent not in possession or within 3 yards of a
loose ball or a ball in flight
• Bodychecking from the rear, above the shoulders or below the
hips
• Bodychecking an opponent down on the ground or down on one
or both knees
• Bodychecking head first or with a loose arm
• Not illegal bodycheck: a body check that starts out legal but the
opponent moves in such a way that an illegal hit cannot be
avoided
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
FOULS
presentation
Expulsion Fouls
Personal Fouls
Technical Fouls
Execution of Penalties
Simultaneous Fouls

3. Introduction
Slashing
• Swinging the crosse with viciousness or reckless abandon
• For slashing it does not matter what the player hits
• Could be the ground
• Could be the player
• Could be the stick
• If a player is not in control of his stick while checking with the
stick, it is slashing
• Contact on helmet, neck or any other part of the body is slashing
• Contact must be a definite blow and not merely a brush
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
FOULS
presentation
Expulsion Fouls
Personal Fouls
Technical Fouls
Execution of Penalties
Simultaneous Fouls

4. Introduction
Cross-check
• A push or bodycheck with any part of the crosse in between the
hands, usually the shaft
• Thrusting crosse away or holding crosse extended while checking
• Cross-checks in the head and neck area are extremely dangerous
and should be penalized with 2 or 3 minute penalties.
• A cross check without or with equal pressure shall be called as
holding (technical)
• This is usually the case when a defensive player cannot get
his hands together before the offensive player makes contact
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
FOULS
presentation
Expulsion Fouls
Personal Fouls
Technical Fouls
Execution of Penalties
Simultaneous Fouls

5. Introduction
Tripping
• Intentionally tripping an opponent with either crosse or body
• The opponent does not have to fall down
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
FOULS
presentation
Expulsion Fouls
Personal Fouls
Technical Fouls
Execution of Penalties
Simultaneous Fouls

6. Introduction
Unnecessary roughness
• Deliberate and excessively violent contact, which could be avoided
• Deliberately running through an established pick (legal or not)
• Unnecessary roughness is often missed when officals follow the
ball and do not watch the players
• Unnecessary roughness is often a sign that a game is getting out of
hand, it needs to be caught early and penalized strictly
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
FOULS
presentation
Expulsion Fouls
Personal Fouls
Technical Fouls
Execution of Penalties
Simultaneous Fouls

7. Introduction
Unsportsmanlike conduct
• Committing any act considered unsportsmanlike by the officials
• Use of threathening, profane or obscene language or gestures
• Repeatedly committing the same technical foul
• Using an illegal stick
• Entering into argument with an official:
• Coaches or captains may ask why a certain decision is made,
but no more than that
• Explain, don’t debate, then restart play
• If they keep going, it is unsportsmanlike conduct
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
FOULS
presentation
Expulsion Fouls
Personal Fouls
Technical Fouls
Execution of Penalties
Simultaneous Fouls

8. Introduction
Fouling out
• A player that has committed 5 personal fouls is fouled out
• The player may not enter the game again
• A substitute may enter the game for the player once penalty time
expires
• 5 Personal fouls is not always 5 minutes of penalty time
• Fouling out is not the same as an expulsion
• There is no need for a report
• In the Dutch league, fouling out twice in a season does lead
to an extra game suspension
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
FOULS
presentation
Expulsion Fouls
Personal Fouls
Technical Fouls
Execution of Penalties
Simultaneous Fouls