This presentation provides an overview of key aspects of men's lacrosse games and officiating procedures. It discusses the field dimensions and lines, teams and their equipment, game duration and overtime rules. It also covers important concepts for officials like ball status (live ball vs. dead ball), proper substitutions, and the over and back rule. The goal is to summarize the most essential information officials need to know about how the game is played and officiated.

1. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
In this presentation:
• Introduction
• The field
• Teams
• Equipment
• Games
• Ball status
• Substituting
• Over and back
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

2. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
Introduction
• This section ‘Play of the Game’ will give a brief overview of the
most important aspects regarding to play of the game
• These aspects have been thoroughly discussed in the course
‘Men’s Lacrosse Basic Rules’
• That is why they won’t be discussed in detail in this course
• This section serves as a brief summary and highlights details which
are important to officiating men’s lacrosse
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

3. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
The field
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

4. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
The field
• The field lines and dimension are discussed in detail in the course
‘Men’s Lacrosse Basic Rules’
• Revisit that course if you need a refresher
• An additional line that will be used in this course is the imaginary
goal line extended (GLE)
• Important line in the positioning of on field officials
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

5. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
The field
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

6. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
Teams
• 10 players on the field, a maximum of 13 substitutes
• There must be a designated goalkeeper
• Captains must be appointed, a maximum of 4
• There must be one head coach
• Any number of coaches is allowed, but only 4 coaches are allowed
in the coaches walk
• If a player is also a coach, he must remove his helmet before
he may be in the coaches walk
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

7. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
Equipment
• Stick / crosse
• Rules 15 and 16 cover the stick
• Failure to have a legal stick can result in a technical foul or a 3
minute personal foul
• A team can have a maximum of 4 long sticks in play
• Only one goalkeepers stick is allowed in play
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

8. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
Equipment
• Every player must wear:
• Helmet with both chinstraps fastened
• Gloves
• Shoes
• A numbered jersey
• A mouth guard
• The goalie must also wear:
• Throat guard
• Chest protector
• Cup
• The goalie may wear other protective equipment, but it must
conform to the body and not help in stopping the ball
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

9. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
Games
• Duration:
• World Lacrosse rules: 4 x 15 minute quarters
• Dutch league rules: 4 x 20 minute quarters
• Running clock, except:
• Last 30 seconds of Q1, Q2 and Q3 are stop clock
• Last 2 minutes of Q4 are stop clock
• Any overtime period is stop clock
• Teams will change ends after each period
• Breaks between periods:
• Q1 – 2 min – Q2 – 10 min – Q3 – 2 min – Q4
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

10. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
Games
• Overtime:
• A game cannot end in a tie
• Sudden victory overtime:
• Game ends with the first goal scored
• Between regular time and overtime:
• 2 minute break
• Coin toss to determine which team will defend which end
• Between overtime periods:
• 2 minute break
• Change ends
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

11. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
Ball status
• Important in referee decision making process
• Some things are legal when play is stopped and illegal when
play is live
• Slow whistle situations
• Play on procedure situations
• Simultaneous fouls
• Dead ball vs live ball
• Live ball: whistle to (re)start play has been blown
• Dead ball: whistle to stop play has been blown
• It is important that you blow the whistle every time a ball
goes out of bounds, in the goal, etc.
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

12. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
Ball status
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS
Personal fouls Coach on the
field
Too many men
on the field
Substitution
error
Off side
Live ball
Foul Foul Foul Foul Foul
Dead ball
(not a TO) Foul Foul Foul Foul OK
After a goal is
scored Foul Foul OK OK OK
During an
officials’ TO Foul Foul OK OK OK
During a team
TO Foul OK OK OK OK

13. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
Ball status
• Possession vs loose ball
• Player possession:
• Player has full control of the ball
• Team possession:
• Ball is in player possession or passed between players
• Directed throwing, rolling or bouncing is passing
• Loose ball:
• The ball is not in possession of a player
• The ball is not being passed between players
• A shot becomes a loose ball
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

14. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
Substituting
• Anytime and as often as needed
• Must go through the substitution area
• A player may only be in the substitution area when they are about
to substitute for a teammate and the substitution is imminent.
• Players must give way to players coming off the field
• Player must completely come of the field before an other player
can go onto the field
• If not: illegal procedure (too many men on the field)
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS

15. presentation
Play of the Game
Basic Positioning
Basic Procedures
Over and back
• Once the ball is in the attack goal area, the ball shall not return to
the defensive half of the field through actions of the offensive
team
• Players on the defensive half may legally bat the ball to keep it in
the offensive half of the field
• Violation: called as illegal procedure, other team gets the ball
• Try to use play on procedure whenever possible to speed up the
game
Men’s Lacrosse Basic Officiating
BASICS