The details that follow are the United States college rules. In the U.S., 12 players constitute a full team, including the
goalkeeper during usual play. The ball used in women's lacrosse is yellow (men's lacrosse uses a white ball). The duration of the game is 60 minutes split into four 15-minute quarters, with a two-minute break following the first and third quarters. Halftime is ten minutes unless both the coaches agree prior to the start of the game on fewer minutes. Each team is allowed three 2 minute team timeouts. A time-out may be requested by the head coach or any player on the field. With the addition of free-movement to both U.S. Lacrosse and NCAA rule codes, players are no longer required to drop their sticks in place during a timeout. Before a game can begin, every stick that each player is planning on using during the game must be approved by the referee; the process is called a "stick check". The evaluation is based on a set of standards created by U.S. Lacrosse and the
NCAA. These standards may change as new sticks are being created by lacrosse equipment companies. During a stick check, a standard lacrosse ball is placed into the head of the stick and viewed by the referee at eye level. If the ball cannot be seen over the top of the side-wall of the head of the stick, then the pocket is too deep for play. The stick may also be checked by placing the ball in and tilting the stick at about a 45 degree angle and letting the ball roll down and out of the stick. This occurs on both the back and the front of the stick. If the ball gets stuck, then the pocket is too deep and the strings must be adjusted. A pocket that is deeper than regulation causes an unfair advantage for the individual with the stick. If the stick pocket is too deep, this can be fixed by tightening the stringing, but if a stick’s pocket depth cannot be adjusted to regulation, the stick cannot be used in the game. An example of a stick stringing regulation is that the shooting string attachment must be from the top of the head. After a player scores a goal, the player must drop her stick so that the referee can check that the stick is within regulation. This rule applies only in collegiate and professional lacrosse, while in high school and club play, as long as the stick is cleared prior to play, it does not have to be checked after a goal is scored. However, a coach may request a stick check following a goal, and if the goal-scorer’s stick pocket is too deep or the stick is non-standard, the goal will be overruled. Also, throughout the game, an opposing team may challenge a player's stick, meaning asking the referee to check that a player's stick is legal for play. The rules of women's lacrosse differ significantly from men's lacrosse. In international women's lacrosse, 10 players constitute a full team, and its rules differ slightly from the U.S. rules. The women's lacrosse game saw numerous rule changes in 2000. Modifications included limiting the number of players allowed between the two restraining lines on the draw to five players per team. This rule has since been modified so that only three members per team may be within the restraining lines prior to either team gaining possession of the ball after the draw. Stick modifications have led to offset heads, which allow the women's game to move faster and makes stick moves and tricks easier. The stick became similar to the men's stick, with a deeper pocket and more rounded head. In 2002, goggles became mandatory equipment in the United States (but not a requirement in international rules). In 2006, hard boundaries were adopted. Prior to hard boundaries, referees stopped play when the action moved too far away. Passes that were thrown out of bounds would be awarded to the team closest to the ball. After this rule change, balls lost out of bounds became turnovers and were awarded to the opposing team, except on a shot, in which case, the player closest to the ball at the time it went out of bounds would have possession. One of the rules for player safety is called "shooting space", which prohibits a defender from running directly into the shooting lane of the player about to shoot in order to obstruct a shot on goal. The shooting lane can be visualized by imagining two lines extending from the ball carrier, one going to the left side of the goal circle, and the other going to the right. The defender cannot enter this space unless they are within a stick’s length of the shooter. To avoid this, the defender must run up at an angle to the player about to shoot. This violation can only be called if the defender is in the critical scoring area and the attacker is within the 12-meter with the ability to shoot. In 2013, women's
NCAA lacrosse included a changed rule on defending. When their team does not possess the ball, players in their defending end of the field may run through any portion of the 8-meter arc for as long as three seconds without marking an attacker. Players that are on attack are not allowed to run through the goal circle. In 2015, for the 2016 season, there were a few other major rule changes. Players are allowed to kick the ball in order to get it out of traffic (in the past, kicking the ball resulted in an automatic relinquishing of possession to the other team). Also, players are allowed to self-start after an opposing player commits a minor foul against them. Before moving forward, one must stand still in an athletic stance before self-starting to let the referee know the player is ready to continue with game play. In 2016, for the 2017 season, NCAA Division I implemented a 90-second possession shot clock, which was added to Divisions II and III in the following year. In the summer of 2017, the NCAA added more major changes. Prior to the newest addition, all players needed to stop play upon whistle of the referee. Play was resumed upon another whistle or continuation by self-start. Free movement was implemented, meaning upon the whistle for a foul, play does not stop unless for halftime or the end of the game. Also, the defense is allowed to run through the crease of the lacrosse goal. For the draw, only 3 players, instead of 5 players, from each team are allowed into the midfield area until possession has been established. Last, a player must move out of the 8-meter arc after a penalty has been called. In 2021 and 2022, there were further significant rule changes. The pre-game stick checks by referees were eliminated. In the past, players had their sticks checked by the referees to ensure they were within regulation. A player's stick instead will be checked after each goal scored by that player. Throughout the game, a team can request the referee to check an opposing player's stick. If the stick is illegal, the team requesting the stick check gains possession of the ball. If the stick is within regulation, the team requesting the check loses possession. If a team requests a check that affirms a legal stick for a second time, it loses a timeout. If a team has no timeouts remaining, it is not allowed to request a stick check. Another rule change eliminated the two 30-minute halves, instead implementing four 15-minute quarters with 2-minute breaks following the first and third quarters. The possession clock procedure has also changed in order to achieve fewer stoppages. When showing less than 60 seconds, the clock resets to 60 seconds if a team's offense regains possession of the ball after a goalie save or a shot that rebounds off of the goal.
Players in which the
Virginia Cavaliers lost to the
Northwestern Wildcats Traditionally, women played with three attackers (starting with the position closest to the net that a team is shooting at, the attack positions are called "first home", "second home", and "third home"), five
midfielders (a "right attack wing", a "left attack wing", a "right defensive wing", a "left defensive wing", and a "center"), three defenders (starting from the position closest to the net a team is defending, these positions are called "point", "cover point", and "third man"), and one goalie. The positions used to be pinned on the players, and the players used to be required to be marked on defense by their opposite number (third man or "3M" covering the opposing third home "3H"). Today, under North American rules, seven players play attack at one time and seven defenders are present. Players must wear eye protection according to U.S. Lacrosse rules. All field players must properly wear eye protection that meets
ASTM specification standard F803 for women's adult/ youth lacrosse for the appropriate level of play. Or if preferred (and mandatory in some states, including Florida) players wear helmets. All players must wear a professionally manufactured intra-oral mouthpiece that fully covers the teeth. The mouthguard must include portions protecting and separating the biting surfaces and protecting the teeth and supporting structures and has to cover the posterior teeth with adequate thickness. As of the 2024 spring season, mouthguards that are white, clear, or feature a design that is meant to imitate the appearance of teeth/fangs are permitted at all levels of play. Mouth pieces must be worn at all times and cannot be taken out in the middle of play. No protruding tabs are allowed for field players. In addition, players may choose to wear
gloves, and most jewelry is not allowed to be worn. There are exceptions to this, as hair ties and other soft/non-abrasive accessories on the arm are permitted, but earrings (unless the piercings are recent and covered by tape), rings, and necklaces are completely prohibited. Hair adornments like beads may be worn so long as they are secured and do not present a danger to the athlete or to others. Religious or cosmetic headwear is also permitted under the same conditions, any protective head coverings worn for medical reasons must be approved by the officials. Although the rules specify these types of protection, injuries still occur from accidental checks to the head and the overall nature of the sport. Players must wear composition or rubber soled shoes. No spikes are allowed. Plastic, leather, or rubber cleats-studs may be worn. Shoes and socks are not required to be identical for team members. The pockets of women's sticks are shallower than those of the men, making the ball more difficult to catch and to shoot at high speed. The pockets also make it harder to cradle without dropping the ball. The crosse of a women's stick may be and no longer than according to the NCAA girls lacrosse committee. The crosse (
lacrosse stick) is divided into two parts, the shaft and the head. The shaft can be made of a variety of materials such as wood, aluminum and composite materials depending on what position the player prefers. Women's lacrosse rules mandate that only composite and aluminum shafts can be used, due to accidental checks and hitting that can happen during the duration of the games. The top of the stick is where the head joins the shaft to make the whole stick. The head is made of compact plastic where the mesh, sidewall and pocket form. There are different mesh types made from materials which affect the shot accuracy and handling of the ball. The sidewall is the siding of the head that affects the depth of the pocket and stiffness the feel when handling the ball. More stiff sidewalls and heads are better to use for defense players who want to check harder. More flexible sidewalls are better use of picking up groundballs, movement and face-offs. The pocket is made from mesh, and with these different meshes they can have different capabilities; a wide pocket allows and easier time catching balls, but will also cause less ball control, while a smaller head will allow the user a more hard time catching the ball but lends greater accuracy. The pocket of the lacrosse stick can often be easily adjusted to ensure the depth of the pocket is legal and meets the players preference before the start of a game. The
lacrosse ball is made of solid rubber and can be yellow, orange, blue or green. All lacrosse balls must meet NOCSAE (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) standards.
Playing area The size of the playing field depends on the players' age group. For U15 and U13 players, they must play on a regulation sized field with all appropriate markings. For U11, they must play on a regulation sized field with all appropriate markings whenever possible. Otherwise, they may play on a modified field with reduced players. For U9 players the fields must be rectangular, between 60 and 70 yards in length and 30–40 yards in width to accommodate play on existing fields. Under World Lacrosse rules, In women's lacrosse, players may only check if the check is directed away from the ball carrier's head. Green cards are also used to mitigate unnecessary fouling and dangerous play in transition. At the high school level, if a team is fouled three times in between the restraining lines, a green card will be awarded to the offending team, sending the last player to commit a foul to the penalty box. In NCAA rules, any foul committed within the restraining lines results in a green card. At both levels, a green card results in a one minute releasable penalty to the player, but at the NCAA level, if one team receives three green cards, the third and every subsequent green card will be unreleasable. • The yellow card is for a major penalty deemed too dangerous/unnecessary for a typical whistle and free-position, and results in the player being removed from the field for two minutes. Certain fouls are mandatory yellow card violations, such as Dangerous Contact, Dangerous Follow-Through, Dangerous Propelling, Illegal Body Ball in the Goal Circle, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Slashing, and Suspended Player Substitute, but any foul that the official deems too dangerous or excessive can be awarded a yellow card. Any player that receives two yellow cards in one game will be ejected from the play and will not be allowed to return to the game. At the high school level, yellow cards are unreleasable, whereas at the NCAA level, the first 3 yellow cards given to a single team in one game are releasable and every card after that point is “full time served”. Yellow cards result in a two-minute man-down penalty for both levels. In high school play, any team that receives four yellow cards in a single game will have to play man-down for the rest of the game, and for every subsequent yellow card, will have to remove another player from the field. • The red is the result of a particularly flagrant foul or extremely unsportsmanlike behavior, and causes the player to be ejected from the game. Once receiving a red card, the player is also not permitted to play in the following game. This penalty lasts for five minutes in the NCAA and lasts for four minutes in high school play, and is unreleasable under every rule set. In high school play, a red card also means that the recipient’s team must play down a player for the rest of the game, regardless of how many yellow cards that team has been awarded during that game. Red cards also contribute to a team’s “card count,” which, if it reaches 4 cards in one game, the fourth and every subsequent card will require the removal of another player for the remainder of the game. Penalties assessed include: • Rough/Dangerous Check • Check to the Head (Mandatory Card) • Slash (Mandatory Card) • Holding • Check in the sphere • Illegal cradle • Blocking • Charging • Pushing • Obstruction of the Free Space to Goal (Shooting Space) • Illegal Pick • Tripping • Detaining • Forcing Through • False Start • Dangerous Propelling (Mandatory Card) • Dangerous Follow-Through (Mandatory Card) • Dangerous Shot • Illegal Shot • Covering • Empty Stick Check • Warding off • Illegal Body Ball • Squeezing the Head of the Crosse • Throwing her crosse in any circumstance. • Taking part in the game if she is not holding her crosse. • Illegal Draw • Early entry on draw • Illegal crosse • Scoring a goal with a crosse that does not meet the field crosse specifications. • Adjusting the strings/thongs of her crosse after an official inspection of her crosse has been requested during the game. The crosse must be removed. • Jewelry • Illegal Uniform • Illegal Substitution • Delay of game • Play from out of bounds • Illegal re-entry • Illegal Timeout ==International competition==