INDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 10, 2004) � The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee approved a coaches/officials time-out rule at its annual meeting July 24-25 in Baltimore, Maryland.

2004 Lacrosse Rules Changes
1-9-1g4 Beginning in 2008, all jerseys shall meet new specifications.

1-9-2c Sweat pants may be worn and teammates are required to wear the same, solid color.

2-10 The home team shall supply an adequate number of balls on each end line. At the start of each period a minimum of four balls should be spaced equidistantly from each other five yards beyond the end lines.

If the home team chooses to provide ball retrievers on the end line, the ball retrievers shall: 1) wear a lacrosse helmet, 2) be dressed so their uniform colors do not blend with those of participating teams and 3) not be permitted to stand directly behind the goal. In addition, the home school is required to train, protect and provide for the safety of the ball retrievers.

4-6-2d
NEW
4-25
The goalkeeper shall be given up to five seconds to re-enter the crease on any restart.

4-12-4 NEW When the team in possession of the ball is offside, the ball is awarded to the opposing team at the center of the field.

5-11-3 NEW When a second non-releasable, unsportsmanlike foul is called the individual shall be ejected.

Rule 7-13 allows a boys lacrosse coach to request an officials� time-out to discuss the possible misapplication of a rule. The questioning coach must make the request before the next live ball, and discussion will take place in the table area with both teams� coaches present. In the event that a rule has been misapplied, the decision will be explained to both coaches and proper corrections will be made in the game. No time-out will be charged to the team. However, if the officials� original call stands, the requesting coach�s team will be charged with a time-out. The review may only be used in the case of a possible misapplication of a rule and does not apply to judgment calls.

�Prior to this change, the only time coaches could discuss a possible misapplication of a rule was during intermission between halves,� said Kent Summers, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the NFHS Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee. �This more clearly defines the procedure to use when a coach believes a rule has been misapplied.�

In other rules changes, references to baiting and taunting have been removed from Rule 6-6-3d, because these acts are covered in Rule 5-9-3. This portion of Rule 6-6-3d was deleted because baiting and taunting could be deemed a lesser foul in some instances.

�This change supports the philosophy of removing baiting and taunting from the game of lacrosse,� said NFHS Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee Chairman Ronald Belinko.

Scoring rules in the event of a forfeit were also defined in Rule 3-6. If the offended team is ahead, the score stands; if the offended team is behind or tied, the final score shall be Offended Team 1, Opponent 0.

Rule 6-5-14 now clarifies that the offended team in some specified face-off violations will receive the ball on its offensive side of the field at the Center Face-off X. Also, Rule 1-9 requiring all players of a team to wear helmets of the same color will be put into practice this year. The rule was passed in 2002 with an implementation date of 2005.

Boys lacrosse had 50,006 participants at the high school level during the 2002-03 season, according to the High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the NFHS, and was sponsored by 1,107 schools. 

1-9: All players of a team shall wear helmets of the same color.

3-6: If the offended team is ahead, the score stands; if the offended team is behind or tied, the official score shall be Offended Team 1, Opponent 0.

6-5-14: Added the following: Penalty-Award the ball to the offended team in its offensive side of the field, at the Center Faceoff X.

6-6-3: This portion of the rule has been eliminated. All baiting and taunting acts are now clearly covered under Rule 5-9-3.

7-13: When a coach believes a rule has been misapplied, a time-out may be requested for the purpose of review.

Other Changes:
4-12-4, 5

Reminder of Future Changes:
All jerseys shall meet new specifications by 2008

Points of Emphasis

1. Late Arriving Team
2. Pre-Game Warm-Up Area
3. Field Markings
4. Crosse Exchanging
5. Mouth Guards � Revisited